David Pierdomenico
It’s hard to believe that V for Vendetta was released over 12 years ago. It was a dazzling action/thriller written and produced by the Wachowkis, fresh off their success with the Matrix trilogy, but long before their major box office bomb that was Jupiter Ascending. Not only did it have stylish action, and a compelling antihero, but it also had something to say. It was a message directly from the original Alan Moore graphic novel series back in the 1980’s. The story posed the famous quote: “People shouldn’t be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people.” Despite the fact that these words were written more than 30 years ago, they remain incredibly relevant today.
An Inspiring “Fiction”
When the film was first released, it portrayed a dystopian future that was quite reminiscent of Nazi Germany and George Orwell’s novel “1984”. We were then introduced to V as he attempted to bring down the corrupt authoritarian government that ruled over Britain. Because of its historical basis, it felt all the more inspiring as audiences watched him pull it off. One could even imagine wishing that a character like him had existed within Germany back in the 1930’s. Ultimately, the film was categorized as part science fiction; something that, despite being inspired by fact, was essentially fictional. It’s hard for anyone to image that their country or their world could fall into that status in just a generation or two. But it’s happened before.
Those Who Fail to Learn History…
Authoritarian rulers are nothing new in terms of history. The very oldest governments that were made of kings, emperors, and other monarchs were far from democratic. And the adage proves true. Those who fail to notice those signs of oncoming tyranny will be forced to live under said tyranny. And sometimes the mere act of revolution against a dictator only yields a worse tyrant. This is what happened to France in the late 1700’s and Russia in 1917. But those alive today have the advantage of being able to watch something like V for Vendetta and learn from it, as well as be inspired by it.
Could It Ever Come True?
When the film was first released in 2006, the world seemed very different. Since then, the themes present seem frighteningly close to reality. The surveillance state we live in has only become more advanced, as our smartphones and computers, and even Amazon’s Alexa feed information, not just to advertisers, but the NSA as well. Before Edward Snowden’s exposure of government spying, many assumed this was already happening. But his revelations confirmed them as absolute fact. V for Vendetta also describes a Britain that has purged itself of both Muslims and immigrants, believing them to be detrimental to the well-being of “true” British citizens.
It’s not difficult to see parallels between this and current anti-immigration rhetoric coming out of some politicians and their constituents. It also wasn’t very long ago that some pushed for a national registry list to keep track of all Muslims. Which was also the first step Nazi Germany took before they actually began rounding up the Jewish community. We’ve also seen political candidates openly endorsed by White Nationalist groups. Some candidates are even members themselves!
However, so long as people who care about their future show up to vote, they can prevent such dystopian futures that V had to contend with. This year especially, never forget those immortal words than Alan Moore wrote more than 30 years ago: “People shouldn’t be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people.” And if a people don’t like what their government is doing, they should use their voting power to remove those from office who don’t represent their will. It’s not as dramatic as blowing up Parliament, but it’s much more civilized and will prevent such extreme measures from ever having to be taken. So on this Election Day, and each one that follows, remember, remember the 5th of November!
