Date: 2008-11-02 11:52:02 Created: null
Sometime last year I ran into, and quickly devoured, the comic V for Vendetta. What sparked my interest for the comic was actually the trailer for this movie adaptation, which I was a bit skeptical about to begin with, and curious but still hesitant about after actually reading and greatly enjoying the comic. Still, I don't think the Wachowskis have screwed up a script yet, so I wasn't half as negative as many other comic fans, and even suprised myself by going to see it on the opening day here. I thought the 3rd row in a large theatre would be a minor detraction, but it turned out to be great. When I sat back and rested my head agains the chair I also had a perfect viewing angle. Great work with the seats, cinema people!
And overall it is a good adapatation of the comic. There are differences of course, they've cut things out and changed things around, but they have done so mostly in good places.
And changes I didn't really agree with didn't really affect the overall story or impression either. I think I would have kept the details of how the world got from here to V's version more intact, for example, but in the end it doesn't really affect my impression of the film.
I did find the product placements somewhat annoying though. Why did every single TV have to be a flat one from JVC, logotype clearly visible in every shot? That the police force of the fascist government used Dell systems was annoying too, yet seemed somehow appropriate ...
They fit a lot more of the comic in there than I might have guessed. A lot of things that wouldn't fit within the length of a normal movie got worked in as minor parts in other scenes. Still, I can imagine there being quite a bit left out that could show up as bonus scenes on a DVD version. Several murders V commits are not actually shown or detailed in the film but would, in my humble opinion, make strong additions to an extended version.
I wonder if there was some kind of effect on the film to try and make it harder for people to record illegaly? Some scenes with lots of white, not to mention the warning message in the beginning, seemed inexplicably fuzzy. If I pay to see a movie in a theatre I expect visuals that are not only large, but sharp too. Go ahead, decrease the viewing experience for paying viewers - great idea.
On to a different question: is it better to have read the comic before seeing the movie? I think the film works very well even if you have no idea what it's all about before you sit down, but I also felt it was nice to have read the comic first. The comic has time to go to more and deeper places and I kept comparing the two as I watched, noticing where the movie hinted at things more detailed in the book and where the two simply took different routes. Having read the comic you have a deeper insight into the setting and the characters, and I think it helped me appreciate details and notice more depths. Then again, I'm curious what things I would have seen or interpreted differently without having read the comic first. Perhaps there are gaps or logical jumps or other things in the film that I didn't notice because I already knew the story? Perhaps I get more depth from the comic that I add to the back of the movie?