This thread is for those that have seen the film ONLY!!! If you have not, you cannot effectively contribute, so turn back now!
After a second viewing of V4V, I noticed that the role of coincidence play a prevalent part throughout the film, and does so in many different ways. The opening scene itself shows Evey and V preparing for an evening at the very same time, while the “Voice of London” rants away in the background. But this is just the beginning. There are more obvious coincidences such as her name “EV”, as well as the very fortunate coincidence of Evey being a gopher at the BTN. Also among the more obvious are the coincidences in the two mornings when Evey awakes at V’s place, and when she awakes at Steven Fry’s place (the egg, the music, even the similarities in some of their mannerisms).
However, if you look closely, I believe there are other smaller coincidences as well. I think many of the various characters are drinking Johnny Walker Red. If I’m not mistaken, I think three different scenes open up with the pouring of that particular brand of scotch; Evey and Steven Fry’s first evening together after she escapes V, Prothero’s shower scene, Inspector Finch pondering the horrors of the past. Then there’s the fact that John Hurt’s character, a Big Brother-ish dictator just happened to play the Winston Smith character in the film 1984, the logo for which also happens to sport a large V. Also, the way Creedy’s legs kicked as he died was very similar to the way Guy Fawkes’ legs kicked at the gallows.
Granted, none of these are really coincidences, they are merely planned events portraying coincidences. One might discount these coincidences as being contrived illusions; mere plot vehicles vivified for the sake of our visual entertainment. “Aren’t these just realities hidden behind a mask?” you ask? But if you still question the validity of my vision, then I hope to vindicate my verdict by ask you to recall V’s voraciously verbose opening introduction.
“I’m merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is.”
Did anyone else notice any other “coincidences”?
Well, it’s surprising that you ask, since this is a theme in the movie (culminating the in the domino scene, where, note, a single domino does not fall down). We are made to wonder, too, along with the police detective, about the difference between coincidence and careful planning.
Exactly Apos, I think the Wachowski’s purposefully wrote-in a number of coincidences just to add a little something for the audience. A bit like the little oddities made in the Back to the Future series (i.e. Twin Pines mall becomes Lone Pine mall after Marty runs over one in the past with the Delorean.) I wonder if they actually pursued John Hurt specifically for that role and his tie to 1984.
About half-way through the movie last night, I started focusing on finding the coincidences. Given that it was my second viewing, it presented a secondary aspect to the viewing experience. Pretty neat stuff.
Both V and Inspector Finch at some point in the movie say that they do not believe coincidences exist. V says this to Evey when he first hears her name and Inspector Finch says so when he first notices the Larkhill connection among the victims.
I didn’t make clear in the OP, but in reference to the Johnny Walker, the scenes I mentioned opened with the camera focusing on the pouring of this scotch into glasses. I’m pretty sure it was on purpose.
In addition, in the Guy Fawkes gallows scene, the camera pans down to his kicking legs as the noose takes his life. This pan is duplicated when Creedy is being strangled by V in the underground, and Creedy kicks his legs in a similar manner. Actually, that plays to both the theme of coincidence as well as the theme of vengeance because obviously “Guy Fawkes” is doing the killing the second time around.
It’s funny, I’m going again on Friday and I find my self in anticipation all over again, just to see what I missed.
Of course it was on purpose. Can you say “product placement?”
Now if it was a fictional brand, you could talk about concidence, but this is the equivalent of “all the cars on the street are Fords” kind of “coincidence”
Not sure if this counts - but I thought it an odd coincidence that just after the bit where the news mentions civil war still plagues the midwestern US, the next scene has the detectives working at their Dell computers - which, IIRC, are also made in the US midwest. Good to know they’re still drumming up business what with the war and all!
Well, ok. But just so you know, the book at least (the adaption from the movie thats adapted from the graphic novel) also has these very same coincidences in it…and a few more you didn’t mention. But since you only want input from those who have seen the movie (and I haven’t…yet) I’ll bow out.
I’m pretty sure Dells are made all over. I happen to know for a fact that there’s a factory the next city over, in the middle of Tennessee. I suppose it’s plausible that by that time, they’d have one in England, or at least Europe (if they don’t already).
Are you sure it wasn’t just a paid product placement?
Assuming it wasn’t, let’s look at it from another point of view. Johnnie Walker is an extremely well known brand of Scotch. I’ve seen it in bars around the world. I’d venture to say that even non-Scotch drinkers (even non-drinkers period, for that matter) know of the brand. Seeing that Johnnie Walker is being poured into glasses immediately informs the viewer just what it is. Thus, the viewer can concentrate on the story, rather than the drink.
“Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose vis-à-vis an introduction, and so it is my very good honor to meet you. And you may call me V.”
When ordering my Dell it came from Ireland so they do have a local factory. (Would V’s England have anything to do with an Irish built computer though?)
Back to the movie, I noticed the whiskey they were drinking but other than that I didn’t notice any coincidences. Damn it I’m gonna have to see the movie again.
What about the coincidence of Evey hiding out under the bed both when her mother and her friend were both taken.
I still haven’t figured out how V knew she was at his house. Was he following her, or did he have an in at the government?
Well, there’s the ‘coincidence’ of both the government and V using torture to achieve a desired outcome, and both feeling justified in doing so. I’m not sure what kind of message was being attempted there , but it sure comes off as something like ‘torture is okay if it’s in service of pure ideals’, or something.
I took just the opposite message from it, at least as presented in the movie: torture is never okay, no matter how pure your ideal. The scene where Evie confronts him about it, after she’s “freed,” V tries to offer that as an excuse, and you can tell that he knows its a lame excuse, even as he’s offering it. That scene is as much a turning point for V as it is for Evie. At the end, he can’t bring himself to pull the lever that will destroy Parliament, because after he tortured Evie, he no longer knows if he’s doing the right thing any more. He’s become too much like the thing he’s trying to destroy to tell the difference.
…which is why he had to sacrifice himself. I’m not sure if he ever intended to survive after he accomplished his personal vendetta - against those responsible for Larkhill. But once he met Evie, he came to understand that there was a consequence and future beyond his grand statement. V had to embrace evil to defeat it, but Evie could go forward with no blood on her hands (Parliament is presumably empty, after all) and therefore has a chance to lead the people toward a healthy society. I agree with Miller that V recognized Evie as more representative of “the people” than he, and needed to be the one to drive it forward. He could not simply apologize or make amends for his actions - he needed to erradicate those who would oppress others, including himself.
Uh, what’s that about coincidences, now? I just saw it today, so I’m kinda jazzed.
I took it as: “V is a sick, sick person - don’t think this book/movie is about some kind of a hero.” Alan Moore is not noted for writing about shining, principled heroes we should all look up to.
Thanks for pointing out that Dells are made all over - I didn’t know that.
