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=V FOR VENDETTA = Photos from the book:



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About the book/author:

Alan Moore is a writer of comics and graphic novels and was born November 18, 1953 in Northampton, England. His childhood and youth consisted of poverty and a poor environment in which he and his family lived in. He was also influenced by highly religious and superstitious grandmother. He was eventually expelled from secondary school and by 1971, Alan Moore found himself unemployed and without any job qualifications whatsoever. It was in the early 1970's that he began writing for magazines and by the 1980's he was writing his famous graphic novels, which included Watchmen, The Killing Joke, and V for Vendetta.

The premise for his graphic novel V for Vendetta is a retelling of the classic ideal of the proletariat rising up against the bourgeois. In this case, it is facilitated through a different means; a character who is clearly far removed from either class, and who clearly seems disjointed from any "group", in any sense of the word. This premise has been used and reused throughout the years, from the classic George Orwell novel 1984, to the more contemporary The Hunger Games series, by Suzanne Collins.

Moore's use of characterization is what fully develops his story. The character of "V" is carefully grown through out the story. What is first a mysterious dark character eventually develops into a grand metaphor. He is what facilitates the downfall of the bourgeois, which is ironic because they are essentially the ones who created him (and therefore brought about their own downfall) with their experiments.

Comparison:

The film __V for Vendetta__ is based on Alan Moore’s graphic novel about a British Empire under totalitarian rule. One man, who calls himself “V”, dresses himself as English folk hero Guy Fawkes and attempts to destroy government control on the people. The central idea around the novel and film is that the people should give the consent to be governed and if it becomes corrupt, to stand up against it. The ideals mirror that of Machiavelli in his famous book, __The Prince.__

Although the theme is consistent and translated well from the book to the film, major alterations were made that ultimately changed the story line. For example, Moore’s version of __V for Vendetta__ is not centered on the public the way it is in the film. The novel shows V’s way of passing on what he’s learned and his ideas of freedom onto the women he saves, who is known as Evey, in hope that she’ll carry on his legacy. In the film, V’s motive is to create an uprising out of the people and encourage them to stand up against the totalitarian government. This is depicted by his airings on television stations and in the final scene when every English citizen is wearing his symbolic mask.

Despite the plot changing differences, one scene included in the film was depicted exactly as it was written in the book; the scene where Evey is “arrested” and “tortured” when she refuses to reveal any information on the whereabouts of V. In this scene, she is locked in a cement cell and finds a note that was written by a woman who had the cell many years before her. The note tells of her life story and how the government ruined her life and her relationship with her girlfriend. The film amplifies this emotional scene taken from the novel and turns it into something more powerful that crescendos Evey’s development as a rebellious character.

The film and the novel are very similar in comparison and although the film better develops the evil will of the British government, the novel does a much better job developing its characters. Evey is described as a six-teen year old girl who has little education and no immediate plans to act against the government. She is also seemingly held against her will in V’s home. In the film, she is a much older adult who is taken in by V and has more knowledge regarding the corrupted government. Another character that is portrayed in a completely different manner is V himself. In the comic, V is a cold man who believes that he is bigger than his own humanity. He is rarely shown having any emotion, with the exception of anger, as he tries to give off a “manikin-like” persona. In the film, he is turned into a more human-like character as he cooks Evey breakfast and has a much deeper intimate relationship with her.

Despite differences in character development and story-altering scenes, the main theme of the novel __V for Vendetta__ is still developed throughout its film. However, these changes in characters ultimately change the feel the novel is supposed to give. Films preceding their novels are, more often than not, not as well done in comparison. Moore’s version of __V for Vendetta__ could never be bested even by the great film that was made based on it.

Photos from the movie:

Movie Trailer: []

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Work Cited:

1) "V for Vendetta Analysis - Jared Cox ." //Welcome to the Shadow Galaxy//. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2012. . 2) "V for Vendetta by Alan Moore - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists ." //Share Book Recommendations With Your Friends, Join Book Clubs, Answer Trivia//. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2012. . 3) "V for Vendetta (2005) - IMDb." //The Internet Movie Database (IMDb)//. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2012. . 4) " V for vendetta trailer - YouTube ." //YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.//. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2012. . 5) "Allan Moore Biography | Watchmen." //Watchmen | In Theatres March 6 2009//. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2012. .