Remember, remember...

[Commissar]

So I got an e-mail on my work account today from someone whose name is vaguely familiar. It was essentially another one of those chain e-mails, pissing and moaning about how the liberal Hollywood elites never make any family-friendly, Christian entertainment anymore, and included several upcoming releases that were cited as examples of the moral decline permeating Tinsel Town. One in particular stuck out, since it was the only one I'd actually heard anything about: V for Vendetta, the Wachowski brothers' latest effort. I recall seeing the trailer and thinking it looked pretty damn slick.

 

Anyway, the crux of the argument against this particular movie seems to be that it depicts the protagonist committing several acts of terrorism against the British government. It left out the fact that the film's set during a general dystopia, and the British government is a fascist regime, but all the same. She (or I guess I should say, whoever the original author is) claims that the "grey [sic] haired Leader is obviously supposed to resemble President Bush" and "the female lead, Natalie Portman, is interrogated in a setting clearly designed to evoke thoughts of Guantanamo Bay" while "the military is represented as nothing better than Nazis" and "our sympathies are clearly supposed to lie with the terrorists." It goes on to conclude with the usual evangelical call to arms.

 

I'd basically just seen the trailer before, and decided to do a little digging; apparently the graphic novels on which the movie is based have as a central theme "the rationalization of atrocities in the name of a higher goal, whether it is stability or freedom," according to good ol' Wikipedia. The main character's something of an anarchist, running around blowing up stuff while wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, and he also happens to be a victim of state-conducted medical experiments.

 

So I suppose I'm rather curious how you folks think this'll play, or even if it's crossing a line or something like that, given the current state of world affairs.

Edited November 1, 2005 by Commissar

[kumquatq3]

Yeaaaaa.....read the comics first. I think your off base.

[Guest Cantousent]

I don't think there's any shortage of family friendly films. Of course, that depends on what folks see as family friendly. After all, both Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia will hit theaters this season. Animated films have done quite well and don't appear set to decline any time soon. In fact, films that tout a Christian message, either explicitly or implicitly, abound.

 

First, don't judge your friend too harshly. It's always easier to see things starkly when you have a vested interest. When you are sure that your belief represents not only a truth, but the truth, then you're bound to bristle at everything that runs contrary. When your belief represent the way, the truth, and the life, then you must feel inclined to fight the good fight.

 

Second of all, even if the underlying message of the film is something you do not personally believe, that does not mean that the film cannot have greater meaning for the discerning viewer. I can find good things in bad films. I can even find bad things in good films. If we search for greater meanings in our own lives, doesn't that mean we can use our discretion when viewing films?

 

Finally, it's a free country. Your friend has every right to rail against the film in question. You have every right to see it. Until she's forced to watch the film, however, I don't see that she has much of a case. It's a free country. If you want more family friendly films, vote with your dollars. Hollywood, which truly does sport quite an assortment of nutty people, still goes where the money is.

 

In point of fact, while I don't much care for all of the Hollywood personalities, I remain convinced that most folks want to be good. Hollywood people probably hate the "family friendly" films as much as your friend hates films that are "unfriendly" to the family.

[Laozi]

I don't think there's any shortage of family friendly films.  Of course, that depends on what folks see as family friendly.  After all, both Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia will hit theaters this season. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

Christians generally don't like movies that depict magic unless the "power" is granted by Jehovah. Anything else is a consider witch craft or simply dark arts.

 

 

As Taks likes to point out alot, Christians are usually seen as less intelligent by your average college graduate or personal computer user.

[Guest Cantousent]

What about those of us who are all three?

 

More to the point, Lewis was a Christian whose works are rife with Christian underpinnings. Seeing his works as "Satanic" or the like based soley upon the magic depicted isn't stupid. It takes extra-ordinairy will-power to maintain such a position. It is merely misguided.

[Musopticon?]

Uumh...it seems I'm missing something good again. What's 'V for Vendetta'? I've seen the trailer and remember comic geeks ranting their fear for the adaptation when 'Road to Perdition' was in theaters. Not to mention the hell 'Constantine' raised. :D

[Atreides]

I enjoyed watching Constantine...

[Surreptishus]

Is V by alan moore? The last comic of his to hit the the cinema was League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.That explains the geek fear.

[Musopticon?]

Oh. Well, LoEG movie adaptation truly was a letdown.

[Child of Flame]

If they screw up the silver screen adaptation of the man from room five I will be very very sad.

[Child of Flame]

Also, yes, V for Vendetta is by Alan Moore, and it's V as in the Roman Numeral for five, not the English Letter.

[Musopticon?]

I can understand artistic freedom when adapting sometin to big screen(like the change in Watchmen plot to be less silly), but LoEG was just fubar.

[Kaftan Barlast]

Alan Moore isnt very pleased about the way his comics have all been raped when filmed. From hell and LoEG had virtually nothing to do with the original comics.

 

 

I think they were able to do V for Vendetta because of some legal thing that meant Moore had no say in the matter whatsoever. Im surprised Moore hasnt taken the same hardcore stance against filming his works as Frank Miller has.

[Commissar]

Yeaaaaa.....read the comics first. I think your off base.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You think I'm off base? I haven't put forth a single opinion yet other than that I thought the trailer looked slick. I've been quoting other people. But how am I off base, exactly? I fully admit to not having read the comic books - a practiced I stopped when I was about 12 - so I don't know the full story, no, but I did reat plot synopses of the three of 'em. Since I'm unlikely ever to read them, fill me in, man.

[Commissar]

I don't think there's any shortage of family friendly films.  Of course, that depends on what folks see as family friendly.  After all, both Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia will hit theaters this season.  Animated films have done quite well and don't appear set to decline any time soon.  In fact, films that tout a Christian message, either explicitly or implicitly, abound.

 

First, don't judge your friend too harshly.  It's always easier to see things starkly when you have a vested interest.  When you are sure that your belief represents not only a truth, but the truth, then you're bound to bristle at everything that runs contrary.  When your belief represent the way, the truth, and the life, then you must feel inclined to fight the good fight.

 

Second of all, even if the underlying message of the film is something you do not personally believe, that does not mean that the film cannot have greater meaning for the discerning viewer.  I can find good things in bad films.  I can even find bad things in good films.  If we search for greater meanings in our own lives, doesn't that mean we can use our discretion when viewing films?

 

Finally, it's a free country.  Your friend has every right to rail against the film in question.  You have every right to see it.  Until she's forced to watch the film, however, I don't see that she has much of a case.  It's a free country.  If you want more family friendly films, vote with your dollars.  Hollywood, which truly does sport quite an assortment of nutty people, still goes where the money is.

 

In point of fact, while I don't much care for all of the Hollywood personalities, I remain convinced that most folks want to be good.  Hollywood people probably hate the "family friendly" films as much as your friend hates films that are "unfriendly" to the family.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Couple of points:

 

1. She's not my friend. I finally figured out who it is; wife of a colleague. Going to have to ask him to stop handing out my e-mail.

 

2. You latched in on the whole Christian rant perspective, not the actual question that I'm asking. That was just my eye-rolling way of introducing the topic; you're right, they can fight whatever shadows they care to. I'm more interested in what folks think of the actual theme of the movie, if what little I know about it has led me to the correct conclusion. Kumquat seems to think I'm wrong in my assessment, and I must indeed plead guilty to not having read them firsthand, but until he corrects me I'm going to stick to my guns and ask again, how's the depiction of morally ambiguous acts committed by the protagonist going to play?

 

Just so nobody thinks I've made a sudden, inexplicable run to the right lately, I'll say that I intend to see; sounds like a good concept to me, and even if the allegations in my first post (not made by me, I'll again clarify) happen to be true, hell, no skin off my back. I don't mind a little metaphor, and squeaky clean heroes are never as interesting as the dirty ones.

[Kaftan Barlast]

Alan Moores comics are not meant for kids, so you can read them without feeling ashamed about being immature.

 

 

But V was meant to be a poke at the Thatcher goverment so that they are now changin this to reflect modern times is fully in order. Then, that they will completely ruin it by hollywoodising it is another matter.

[metadigital]

[1]I don't think there's any shortage of family friendly films.  Of course, that depends on what folks see as family friendly.  After all, both Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia will hit theaters this season.  Animated films have done quite well and don't appear set to decline any time soon.  In fact, films that tout a Christian message, either explicitly or implicitly, abound.

 

[2]First, don't judge your friend too harshly.  It's always easier to see things starkly when you have a vested interest.  When you are sure that your belief represents not only a truth, but the truth, then you're bound to bristle at everything that runs contrary.  When your belief represent the way, the truth, and the life, then you must feel inclined to fight the good fight.

 

[3]Second of all, even if the underlying message of the film is something you do not personally believe, that does not mean that the film cannot have greater meaning for the discerning viewer.  I can find good things in bad films.  I can even find bad things in good films.  If we search for greater meanings in our own lives, doesn't that mean we can use our discretion when viewing films?

 

Finally, it's a free country.  Your friend has every right to rail against the film in question.  You have every right to see it.  Until she's forced to watch the film, however, I don't see that she has much of a case.  It's a free country.  If you want more family friendly films, vote with your dollars.  Hollywood, which truly does sport quite an assortment of nutty people, still goes where the money is.

 

In point of fact, while I don't much care for all of the Hollywood personalities, I remain convinced that most folks want to be good.  Hollywood people probably hate the "family friendly" films as much as your friend hates films that are "unfriendly" to the family.[4]

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Reveilled]

On an only partially related note, isn't it a bit strange that we call the 5th of November Guy Fawkes Night? I mean, we wouldn't call VE Day Hitler Day, or September 11th Osama Bin Laden day.

 

Unless, of course, blowing up parliament is meant to be a good thing. "

[Whitemithrandir]

V For Vendetta

And W for Whitemithrandir

I love alphabet.

[Musopticon?]

Long time and no see

I doubt you still recall me

My haikus are bad

[Whitemithrandir]

Long time and no see

I doubt you still recall me

My haikus are bad

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I have forgotten.

No matter, I know you now.

All is well and good.

[Musopticon?]

That is good to hear

I now acknowledge you too

And so peace prevails

[Gabrielle]

S for Suckage

[metadigital]

Have a wowwypop, Gabs.

[Gabrielle]

Wow! Something I can swallow down.