Remember, remember, the 5th of November, the gunpowder, treason and plot! I wonder how many of us actually knew that poem and the attempt of Guy Fawkes to blow up Parliament in 1605 before the movie V for Vendetta. It’s interesting how pop culture can make relevant a piece of history that we don’t often learn in school. That was thinking about that this morning as I started watching the movie like I do every year on November 5th. And of course this year marks its 20th anniversary. It’s a great movie and only gets better with time. Also, this year as we have descended into Donald Trump’s second term, it’s a timelier movie. I don’t know if the film ever set up to be a political film, I always looked at it as a story about political upheaval, but after watching it so many times, I’ve come to realize that it’s more of an allegory and a warning of how quickly a society can turn into a fascist regime. And even the United States is susceptible to that because of how easy it is to turn citizens against democracy when they’re broken, when they’re hungry, when they want a sense of pride and security. People will easily give up their freedom for those things. V for Vendetta has become more of a political movie than intended and while the United States is still a free society, the MAGA movement has certainly tested democracy’s limits.
I’m not necessarily trying to be political with this column because I think this is something that can happen on the right and the left. Its human nature that some don’t really want democracy, they want power and control over society, there will always be those who oppose it. Plus, let’s not forget how easy it is to lose our humanity and turn to violence while torturing those we deem as our enemy. We are reminded of that notion as we celebrate the 80th anniversary of World War II and how the world was exposed to the atrocities of the Nazis with the Holocaust and their attempt to wipe out an entire class of people.
I wasn’t a critic back in 2005. I was just a guy working part-time at Blockbuster, but I remember when the movie hit video and people were talking about it. It wasn’t a box office smash. Hardcore fans of the comics complained that it wasn’t as good. Those arguments certainly seem familiar when it comes to superhero movies, but despite all the debate whether the movie was good, at the core, is a powerful lesson and sometimes the best way to expose the flaws of humanity is through pop culture, not a history class. But it’s those kinds of stories that open our eyes to history. Don’t get me wrong I am not a proponent of any kind of political violence, but I understand why sometimes people think it’s necessary. However, V for Vendetta is not an advocate for political violence, but a lesson in why we need to rebel fascism. Of course it’s got brilliant performances from Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman. The music is good. the cinematography is great. the story is compelling and it is one of the better adaptations of a comic. These are all things that make a great movie, but a movie that stands the test of time because of the message within the story. You may ask, why is this movie just as important as great films like Citizen Kane or Schindler’s List… because of its message and it’s warning to citizens who are willing to give up their freedom for a little bit of security. Ben Franklin once said, those who are willing to give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. The movie is about a society that gives into a white supremacist political party after a tragedy and gives them power. All they do is give them the power to control their freedom. What does the Norsefire political party in the movie really represent, the Nazi Party, nearly a century later it’s amazing how quickly people forget that it was so easy to manipulate a German society down on its luck and turn them into a fascist regime. We see that today in America, the land of the free and the perfect example of democracy where people are willing to give in to a fascist movement that has no problem prosecuting its political enemies and subjugating control over its citizens.
I once had a conversation with someone about this movie and they remarked that this could never happen in America. Are you sure about that? Yes V for Vendetta is set in England, But it doesn’t really matter the setting because what happens in this story can happen in real life to any country when the people willingly elect as president a madman and con man the promises them freedom and choice, and most of all pride as if any world leader can really give you those things that you already had. 20 years later, V for Vendetta has become more than just a great movie, but a historical lesson and warning on how easy it is for any Democratic nation to fall victim to fascism… how easy it is for citizens who believe in freedom, to so willingly give it up. It’s easy to think generations later that we defeated those notions with the end of World War II. No, because people forget and like George Orwell pointed out in 1984, those who control the past, control the future so when history is forgotten, people are more easily manipulated into giving up their essential liberties. My favorite thing about V for Vendetta is how the original story took a forgotten moment in English history and make us question whether political violence is necessary, but to also understand why somebody was willing to do it and then die for their cause. Especially in election years, this movie becomes more important when citizens so easily elect politicians who don’t really care about them, but only use them to gain power and have control over the people that put them in power Again, this is not an indictment on the right or the left because both can be guilty of this. Why should you watch this movie every year… not just for the entertainment, but to be reminded of how easily you might give up your freedom, your essential liberties, and to give into those who promise those things you already had, and so democratic society doesn’t become a fascist regime. V for Vendetta is the perfect political allegory. That’s the films true greatness. And with that said…remember, remember The fifth of November, The Gunpowder treason and plot; I know of no reason Why the Gunpowder treason should ever be forgot!
