V for Vendetta and Equilibrium are related on the basis of their overall theme. While V for Vendetta is an inherently better movie being the film adaptation of one of the best graphic novel stories of all time, written by the great Alan Moore, the two stories are linked through their message of caution of overly controlling governments and the protection of our human rights. Both stories feature male protagonists with significant combat skill, greater intelligence, and rage fueled by the leadership they were deceived by.
In V for Vendetta we follow Evey Hammond, a citizen of England in the 2030s. England at this time is ruled under a totalitarian government with High Chancellor Sutler as its leader. Evey is out walking to a co-worker after the government imposed curfew when she is confronted and assaulted by Sutlers “Fingermen”. She is saved from her potential rape by a man whose face is hidden by a mask with a likeness the Guy Fawkes of England’s Gun powder plot. The man refers to himself simply as “V”, no doubt relating to the Plot's date of November the 5th 1605 after he explains to Evey the role government should play in society, stating that “a government should fear its people, people should not fear their government”, he then reveals his plan to dismantle the current oppressing government by blowing up parliament on November 5th of the coming year and instilling a sense of courage and unity to the people of England. The movie continues as V kills several notable people in the uprising of the currently ruling political party under the High Chancellor and we are shown the horrors the party committed to obtain their role as this all ruling government. We see that through a terribly evil ploy the party utilizes an artificially engineered disease to a stage a terrorist attack that kills 80,000 people. Using the fear of further attacks to their advantage the party is elected into power promising protection. Very timely after their election a cure to the disease is released by a pharmaceutical company that we learn has ties to the party.
Comparatively Equilibrium a man, John Preston, who instead of initially being the opposition of the totalitarian government he lives under is a member of that government’s league of super enforcers, the Grammaton Clerics. Similarly to V for Vendetta, the government comes to power under their leader “Father” after the world is thrown into chaos after a third world war. The government rules under the ideology that human emotion is the root of all conflict on the planet and so all displays of emotion and artistic expression are outlawed. In order to keep their emotions in line citizens are to take daily injections of drugs to suppress their emotions, another similarity to V for Vendetta in that the party uses pharmaceuticals to gain the trust of the people. After John Preston's partner in the Clerics and his wife are executed for “sense offence”, or display of emotion, his own emotions are tapped and begins to refuse his daily injection of the emotion suppressing drug Prozium. After collaborating with rebellion forces to the government, Prestons goal is to kill Father in order to send a message to all people to set themselves free of the government’s grasp, similarly to V's plan of destroying parliament in order to send this same message.
V for Vendetta set the standard for dystopian thriller stories and it is clear Equilibrium follows closely in its footsteps in its process of selling its overall message that people should rule their government not the other way around.
In V for Vendetta we follow Evey Hammond, a citizen of England in the 2030s. England at this time is ruled under a totalitarian government with High Chancellor Sutler as its leader. Evey is out walking to a co-worker after the government imposed curfew when she is confronted and assaulted by Sutlers “Fingermen”. She is saved from her potential rape by a man whose face is hidden by a mask with a likeness the Guy Fawkes of England’s Gun powder plot. The man refers to himself simply as “V”, no doubt relating to the Plot's date of November the 5th 1605 after he explains to Evey the role government should play in society, stating that “a government should fear its people, people should not fear their government”, he then reveals his plan to dismantle the current oppressing government by blowing up parliament on November 5th of the coming year and instilling a sense of courage and unity to the people of England. The movie continues as V kills several notable people in the uprising of the currently ruling political party under the High Chancellor and we are shown the horrors the party committed to obtain their role as this all ruling government. We see that through a terribly evil ploy the party utilizes an artificially engineered disease to a stage a terrorist attack that kills 80,000 people. Using the fear of further attacks to their advantage the party is elected into power promising protection. Very timely after their election a cure to the disease is released by a pharmaceutical company that we learn has ties to the party.
Comparatively Equilibrium a man, John Preston, who instead of initially being the opposition of the totalitarian government he lives under is a member of that government’s league of super enforcers, the Grammaton Clerics. Similarly to V for Vendetta, the government comes to power under their leader “Father” after the world is thrown into chaos after a third world war. The government rules under the ideology that human emotion is the root of all conflict on the planet and so all displays of emotion and artistic expression are outlawed. In order to keep their emotions in line citizens are to take daily injections of drugs to suppress their emotions, another similarity to V for Vendetta in that the party uses pharmaceuticals to gain the trust of the people. After John Preston's partner in the Clerics and his wife are executed for “sense offence”, or display of emotion, his own emotions are tapped and begins to refuse his daily injection of the emotion suppressing drug Prozium. After collaborating with rebellion forces to the government, Prestons goal is to kill Father in order to send a message to all people to set themselves free of the government’s grasp, similarly to V's plan of destroying parliament in order to send this same message.
V for Vendetta set the standard for dystopian thriller stories and it is clear Equilibrium follows closely in its footsteps in its process of selling its overall message that people should rule their government not the other way around.
Good synthesis of the two films. 19/20
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