Vantage point




Friday, May 05, 2006

V

Those of you who had the enthu to google this quote I posted yesterday would know that it has been taken from Alan moore's 'V for Vendetta'. Not Wachowski Bros' 'V for Vendetta'. Alan Moore disocciated himself from the film, and after reading the entire graphic novel yesterday, I can see why. The Wachowskis have completely changed the movie even while keeping it by and large similar. But the changes made rob the story of its spirit completely.

V for vendetta the novel is poetic while being dark, and profound while being simplistic. The movie in comparison is just simplistic. The artistry is somehow lost. I am told that Robert Rodriguez was much more successful in transforming the crisp magic of Sin City graphic novels on to the screen. I am sure he did not take liberties with the core of the novel, it's heart.

The deviations from the novel in V for Vendetta are seen right from the first few minutes where an Evey Hammond in her mid-20s is shown to be a TV channel employee defying the curfew to go and meet a friend. Whereas in the novel, Evey Hammond is a 16 year old girl who is trying her hand at prostitution and unfortunately happens to proposition a law enforcer.

From the beginning till the end (which i won't talk about since I want to keep this post spoiler-free), the movie deviates from the novel at defining moments. I watched the movie before I read the graphic novel and found it decent. Now that I have read the novel, and see what a potential masterpiece the movie could have been, my respect for the Wachowskis has fallen to even lower depths than after I saw the 2 Matrix sequels.