Copyrighted by Lorna Tedder. Originally published in Crimes to the Third Degree.
I took Shannon and her boyfriend to see “V for Vendetta” last night and loved it. I was cheering in my seat during his 5-minute introductory V-alliteration speech, which covered every possible V-word in the dictionary and vexed me very much because it brought back memories of the last time I alliterated, ironically to the letter vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv. Fun! (I know, I know. I’m strange. But I like men who can play with words and obscure references.)
So this movie had lots for me to like—alliteration, swords, a heroic caped figure in black, biological warfare, rose bushes, complex plotting, a revenge story, an understated love story between V and Evey that kind of takes you by surprise, a perverted bishop, a hypocritical evangelist, all kinds of interesting historical references to Hitler, Gandhi, Guy Fawkes; a lovely lesbian romance, spouting Shakespeare on demand, lots of political quotes on how the Government should be afraid of its people instead of the people being afraid of the Government, revolution, change, sacrifice, honor, loss of fear, fireworks, explosions, a fabulous underground home with things on the walls that remind me of my own home, and London. There. Did I miss anything?
Yes, it was the kind of movie an English major can love. One that values ideas and language above looks.
Yeah, give me a man who can alliterate and spout Shakespeare any day! I don’t care if he wears a mask as long as I get to see the real person underneath.
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