catapult magazine

Ok, I’m halfway through V for Vendetta on DVD and I just stopped it to write this post. I think I’ve seen enough to say that there is definitely a certain trend in film ideas that I find kind of disturbing. I saw it also in The Constant Gardner. It’s the idea that government should not be trusted because, in the case of these two films, governments are involved in conspiracies with major drug companies. I do not deny that this is possible, but it seems to go against the basic message of V for Vendetta as I’ve seen it so far. V for Vendetta definitely is against the campaign of raising fear in the hearts of the people so that they can be controlled. The movie links television media to this fear tactic and seems to suggest that "the people" ought not to give in to all the fear talk. But I don’t see how it’s any different for a film to create suspicion about the motivations of governments (and it is fairly clear that the film-makers are leveling their criticism against right-wing conservative administrations). I would agree with the film if the message were focused on the responsibilities of government—this would assume that governments CAN be good. But I don’t get that assumption from V for Vendetta. Is anyone else bothered by the fear tactics used in some movies to make government itself suspect. Isn’t this a kind of terrorism itself?

Fear of government is not necessarily the same kind of fear that allows people to be more easily controlled, is it? Fear of terrorists, for example, has led people to give their governments exceptional new powers. Fear of government can encourage people to limit the powers of government, as Americans did in the 18th century. Isn’t the fear of government as American as apple pie?

I think these films present a letitimate argument in the sense that corporate-government alliances are to be feared. Drug companies ARE to be feared because their wealth gives them enormous power, and past experience has shown that they often don’t have the public’s best interest in mind.

One imporant thing to keep in mind is that the comic book version of this film was about fascist totalitarianism with V as the anarchist hero. That might explain why the film’s perspective on government is negative…

But the point of V for Vendetta is that people shouldn’t fear their governments. Governments should fear their people. At times I felt like I was watching a propaganda film for the French Revolution. Although the character, V, does acknowledge that people are the ones who put the evil regime into power in the first place, doesn’t this go against the main point about how everything would be better if the people took back their power?

The only way this radical revolution would work is if the people could be trusted to make proper decisions about who governs them. The people need a change of heart. V’s solution to this is to give the people real terror so that they can overcome their fear—it’s just insane! I guess what bothers me is that many of these films can’t seem to get out of this cycle of fear. Maybe it’s just what films do best, scare people so attention is called to some problem or another in our society. It’s the method that I’m against. And the content too. I may be wrong, but these recent films seem to be based on some neo-Marxist idea of a monster system that cannot be reformed without massive destruction to the whole system (V for Vendetta is clearly touting radical democratic principles, but….).

I much prefer the Christian alternative, which is embodied in people like Martin Luther King Jr. This method, based on Paul and ultimately Christ, promotes a humanity and freedom from fear of any system. Paul’s intentional march to gain audience with Caesar is a good example. God’s raising Joseph to the highest leadership position in Egypt. Daniel’s achievements in Babylon. Etc. There are more ways than revolution to prevent or counter evil regimes. I disagree with the makers of V for Vendetta (the film and the graphic novel) that this is the time for revolution. Before a successful revolution there must be confessional people who recognize their own short-comings and learn to depend on God’s power—this will also help prevent the kind of "God’s Always On Our Side" talk we saw in V for Vendetta’s "evil regime".