V For Vendetta: Two-Disc Special Edition DVD Set Review

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Title: V For Vendetta: Two-Disc Special Edition

Region: One:

Genre: Graphic Novel Adaptation

Stars: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, John Hurt, Rupert Graves, and Stephen Fry

Writers: The Wachowski Brothers

Based On The Graphic Novel Collaboration By: David Lloyd and Alan Moore

Director: James McTiegue

Languages: English and French Language (Dubbed In Quebec) Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound

Subtitles: English Closed Captions and English, French, and Spanish Language Subtitles

Extras: Freedom! Forever! The Making Of V For Vendetta, Designing The Near Future, Remember, Remember: Guy Fawkes And The Gunpowder Plot, England Prevails: V For Vendetta And The New Wave In Comics, Cat Power Montage, Theatrical Trailer, Easter Egg

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound

Chapter Stops: 33

MPAA Rating: R

Year Of Theatrical Release: 2006/DVD Release 2006

Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera

In the 1980s I had a friend who was really into comics with a varied taste in both mainstream and what was then considered more fringe area graphic novels. Of course fringe area graphic novel is not really a set of words that applied to titles like Watchmen and V For Vendetta for very long, but some people are very perceptive about what tastes a friend might have even when that friend is not consciously aware. He recommended Watchmen as well as a comic I enjoyed called Marshal Law, which featured a futuristic anti-superhero in some alternate post apocalyptic future where there are people who think they have extraordinary powers, but they are actually insane and it was the lead anti-superhero's job to exterminate them since they presumably caused a threat to themselves and those around them. My friend also recommended V For Vendetta to me and I wish I could say I took his word for it and read it, but I didn't. However having seen the movie, I have to state that he was right; I would have loved the book because I love this film.

Updated for our current global political climate, V For Vendetta takes place in a world where the United States no longer exists, as we know it and years of war has affected many countries, including Great Britain. After a devastating biological terrorist attack claims the lives of some 70,000 English citizens, a Totalitarian government took control with religious rhetoric and a psychology of keeping it's citizens willingly under a constant state of surveillance out of fear for what might happen if they do not remain God fearing subjects of the High Chancellor (John Hurt) and his subordinates that control information and patrol the streets at night acting with impunity upon whoever is unfortunate enough to be caught after dark. Secret police or “finger men” catch Evey (Natalie Portman) one night after curfew and attempt to rape her when to her rescue comes an eloquently speaking man dressed in black with a cape, a hat, and wig as well as a harlequin like Guy Fawkes mask. With amazing speed he dispatches the men and then takes Evey with him to witness what will be the start of a great reckoning he will put upon the government as an example to rile the people out of their fear and apathy and even sets a clock for one year's time in which he will blow up Parliament on November 5. Evey is the daughter of parents who were murdered as political dissidents during the rise of the current tyrannical regime and perhaps not by chance, we watch her transformation from a person living in a state of constant fear to a person who in effect becomes indoctrinated by V (Hugo Weaving) as he picks away at the various conspirators responsible for his disfigurement and the deaths of thousands while purposely leaving a trail to give one self conscious party member, a police inspector (Stephen Rea) the clues that will reveal the truth behind the current regime's rise to power and the atrocities committed to get them there..

A lot can be said about V For Vendetta that could probably fill up books because much like the Wachowski Brothers' Matrix Trilogy, the film can be viewed multiple times and reveal something new every time. In many ways I found V For Vendetta to be a mirror of sorts on our own political climate here in the States and it is not hard to point the parallels between the world of V For Vendetta and contemporary America. Yet that is just one of many points of view and the film works perfectly fine as entertainment as much as it incurs food for thought. I watched the film three times and each time I saw something different. Some people simply see it as another retelling of The Count Of Monte Cristo, and the film certainly invites comparisons complete with scenes from the feature film adaptation starring Robert Donat. Regardless of how one chooses you view it, V For Vendetta is one of my favorite movies of this past year and I am very happy to have on DVD.

Warner Home Video is presenting V For Vendetta in both standard single disc editions in either full screen or widescreen and as a two-disc special edition as has been the case with previous DVD releases of Vertigo/DC Comics properties such as last year's DVD releases of Batman Begins and Constantine. The two disc set presents the film with a beautiful anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) aspect ratio and a well rounded English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack along with a French Language (Dubbed In Quebec) Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack as well as English Closed Captions for the hearing impaired and English, French, and Spanish Language Subtitles encoded onto the DVD as options. Like the initial two-disc releases of the second and third Matrix films, you will not find an audio commentary on this disc, but you will at least get to see Director James McTiegue discuss the film in a series of featurettes that are included within the two-disc set. These include “Freedom! Forever!” (15:56), a making of documentary with interesting video comments from cast members Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, and especially Stephen Fry and John Hurt, who describes the film as “1984 meets Alien.” I have no idea what he means by that, but as noted above, the film yields many points of view and opinions and as one of the actors in the movie, Mr. Hurt obviously has his own point of view on the subject and I will certainly not argue what that view is.

The second disc features a mix of interesting featurettes though at times some go on a bit too long. A production design featurette (17:15), a fascinating discussion of who was the real Guy Fawkes (10:15) and a look at the rise of the comics that changed the medium in the 1980s (14:58) as well as the film's theatrical trailer (2:22) and a montage of scenes from the film to the Cat Power song from the film is included along with a hilarious Easter egg featuring Natalie Portman from SNL earlier this year (2:33) that is simple to find. Just go to the second menu page on disc two and hit the remote button up and an image will be highlighted. Then just press the button and watch. French Language Subtitles are encoded onto the second disc as an option too. The interactive menus are well rendered and easy to navigate.

Excellent film, V For Vendetta: Two Disc Special Edition will debut on DVD-Video at retailers on and offline on August 1, 2006 courtesy of Warner Home Vide. Now remember, remember the street date and check the movie out!

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