V for Vendetta

Set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, V For Vendetta tells the story of a mild-mannered young woman named Evey who is rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked man known only as “V.” Incomparably charismatic and ferociously skilled in the art of combat and deception, V ignites a revolution when he urges his fellow citizens to rise up against tyranny and oppression. As Evey uncovers the truth about V’s mysterious background, she also discovers the truth about herself – and emerges as his unlikely ally in the culmination of his plan to bring freedom and justice back to a society fraught with cruelty and corruption.

 

V

The masked vigilante known only as codename “V” is an eloquent, hyper-intelligent and incredibly cultured man who was horrifically tortured and experimented on, and as a result gains impossibly fast reflexes and fighting skill, and an unstoppable vendetta towards the corrupt Fascist government.

His costume consists of an iconic Guy Fawkes mask, which he wears at all times, a long brunette wig, a black Guy Fawkes hat, a long black cloak, and black tunic, gloves, trousers and boots. The mask and the emphasis on the black add to his air of mystery, whilst remaining practical and allowing him to be camouflaged in darkness. The mask connects him to his inspiration, Guy Fawkes, but also gives the viewers a human face to connect with, whilst the large grin adds an unnerving quality to the scenes of violence.

High Chancellor Adam Sutler

Sutler is the leader of the Norsefire party and the dictator of Britain in the dystopian future. He lives in an underground bunker in self-imposed exile and leaves the day-to-day operation of his empire to his lieutenants. For most of the film he is only seen on television, until the end when he finally appears in person. He reaches the position of Prime Minister by promising to restore order to the country after terrorists supposedly killed 80,000 people with a self-ignited bioweapon that created a viral epidemic - a bomb that he planted himself. Sulter is conniving and manipulative, but his erratic temper and increasingly extreme measures of "keeping peace" cause even his subordinates to turn on him. His name is a portmanteau of his name in the comics, "Adam Susan" and "Hitler", an indication of the sort of politician he is supposed to evoke connotations of. 

Evey Hammond

Every is a strong, intelligent, emotional woman who acts as the moral core of the narrative. V saves her from an attempted rape, leading her to attack an officer of Norsefire to save his; he hides her in his underground palace of contraband artifacts, and although she is afraid and wary of him, she soon learns to sympathise with his cause. She is not so much the "romantic interest" - although V does confess to having fallen in love with her shortly before he dies - as a secondary protagonist, but she has the classic traits associated with that role. She is young, attractive and incredibly loyal, enduring weeks of psychological and physical torture to keep V's whereabouts hidden, emerging from it completely "fearless".

Symbolism

V's rebellion symbol is a bright red "V" cutting through a circle, reminiscient of the anarchy symbol. The bold red on the black again brings connotations of blood and violence. The symbol is also the most iconic, memorable and well-known part of both the trailer and the film, as it is seen scrawled and painted all over walls and propaganda posters. We tried to replicate its iconic nature in our own rebel symbol.

The Norsefire symbol is a red on black double-barred cross shape, resembling the Croix de Lorraine. Again, the colours invoke blood and violence; the Norsefire party are obsessed with patriotism ("As always, England prevails!"), and their symbol is very similar to the English flag, but with black instead of white. This inversion suggests how England has been corrupted.