“V for Vendetta” for the ultimate movie enthusiast

In the 2000s, movie making was random and experimental. The decade was a mix of attempts at new comedy, classic Disney movie tales and remakes, as well as historical pieces.

“V for Vendetta” is not only based on a historical figure, but it also opens our eyes to a possible future.

In the middle of a British tyranny, an anarchist named V fights for freedom and aims to expose the country to the horrible truths of its government. The timeline takes place over the course of a year and all the events leading up to an attack on Parliament.

Adapted from an original comic book series by Alan Moore, the movie also incorporates a historical figure, Guy Fawkes, who was involved in a failed assassination attempt called the  Gunpowder Plot in 1605.

Guy Fawkes, who wore a similar mask as the one in the film, was noted in history as one of the many men who attempted to kill King James I and the House of Lords. The connection between the story and film is uncanny as the dates are the same and the attempts are identical.

Released in 2006, “V for Vendetta” was nominated for two Academy Awards and more than 20 other awards that year. Winning Best Actress, Natalie Portman set her career as she played the sort-of-sidekick to the anarchist.

Although the film is about Great Britain, one cannot help but relate the connection it could have with other societies in history. A major part of the film is the elimination of those not fit for their society — homosexual men and women, those non-British, among others.

This almost directly correlates with Germany in the 1940s when it was occupied by the Nazi party and its leader, Adolf Hitler.

In 2006, I was a sixth grader enjoying my time in elementary school, mostly taking naps, so it might be a surprise when I say this movie caught my attention.

What caught my eye was the mask V wears, because it isn’t creepy like a horror monster, but it had a strong, structured face. My father and brother — both history enthusiasts — watched this movie a couple of times throughout my childhood, but it wasn’t until I was in high school that I could truly understand the meaning of the movie.

Anyone who is interested in history and possible predictions of the future should watch the film. It has a little bit of everything — history, terror, anarchy, romance, freedom. The movie can reach many audiences and still continues to do so almost a decade later.