V is the main character of the film

V is the main character of the film, his past is a mixture of pain, injustice, hate and rage against a totalitarian government that took away his past identity. His rage makes him look for revenge during the whole film by means of complex plans which are always successful. V isn’t only an anarchist who fights against the regime, but he embodies a forgotten idea, and he always tries to remind people of the values that ruled the world.

V was a suitable person for the role he wanted to represent, in fact he wore Guy Fawkes’ mask because their targets and their ideals were the same, like to blow up the Parliament and to give back freedom to the people.

Evey is another main character. She’s V’s successor. She represents a common person enslaved by the government. But she cooperates with V even if at the beginning she distrusts him because he is anyway a terrorist.

Adam is the leader of Norsefire. He’s interested only in power, he holds it by means of fear and he kills a lot of people to get it.

Finch is the chief of Norsefire’s police. The truth about St. Mary’s virus scares him; however he wants to know it. He wants to do what he thinks is right, he is not interested in power.

Creedy is the chief of Norsefire’s special police, punishment squads. He kills Adam to prevent his own killing. He’s very interested in power like Adam.

Prothero, also called “London’s voice”, is a former official who is a journalist who spreads Norsefire’s ideas. He was involved in the experiment of St. Mary’s virus. He’s one of V’s main targets with Adam, a priest and a doctor.

“V For Vendetta” is full of themes and ideas like: • Revenge, because V wanted to take revenge against the people who hurt him. • Freedom, indeed Great Britain wasn’t free, because of the Party that ruled without pity and respect of its people. • Justice, because the institutions of the U. K. were totally corrupt by the totalitarian regime. • Power, because Adam was thirsty for this and he wanted everything to be under his control.

• • • The main characters, V and Evey, often referred to quotations from Shakespeare’s works like Macbeth, Hamlet, Richard III and Marlowe’s Faust. V used these quotes to compare himself to the characters of Shakespeare’s works. Indeed, after leaving Saint Mary’s “lager”, he took his revenge like Faust; he made bloodshed against the leaders of Norsefire Party like Macbeth, and, like Hamlet, he was thirsty for justice.

God is in the rain Artists use lies to tell the truth, while politicians use them to cover the truth up

“I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more is none. ” Macbeth

V for Vendetta and 1984 have the same aim and almost the same ideals, but in 1984 there isn’t anyone who gives hope or a positive final, even if they both want to warn everybody against dictatorship. This film is important for its themes, like freedom, love, justice, truth which are totally eliminated by the Party. You can discover this film can apply to our current situation. It is a timeless work, even if it was written in 1948.

1984 gives the reader many points of reflection, but it is sometimes too sad, gloomy and tragical. So a lot of people can dislike this film, but the writer doesn’t mind about this because the real aim of 1984 is to warn everybody against a possible near future.

The events happened in this film aren’t possible in the real world, because people may be submitted by a totalitarian party, but they can’t believe in it for such a long time, in a world without privacy, love or freedom of thought…

War is peace: perpetual and changing battles, alliances and treaties maintain a status quo which guarantees in a paradoxical way stability to the Party, also creating in all people a feeling of “belonging” and fighting for the same cause, thus driving all their energies against futile enemies rather than the real one, the Party. Ignorance is Strength: this is the force of denial. Ignoring what is even evident and moulding one’s thoughts to fit the Big Brother’s mind-frame reinforces the group and, most of all, his absolute power over every citizen.

Freedom is Slavery: there is no place for individual and for individual choices in Oceania. Anyone outside this realm of conformity is ostracized. “Freedom” (free will) is now “slavery” (being bound up to oneself; alienation) according to the current value system.

Ministries of Oceania Ministry of Peace Ministry of Plenty Ministry of Peace: leads Oceania’s perpetual war Ministry of truth Ministry of Love Ministry of Plenty: responsible of rationing and controlling food and goods, along with the production of all domestic goods.

The propaganda arm of Oceania’s regime, controlling information, such as news, entertainment, education, and the fine arts. Ministry of Love: Responsible for the identification, monitoring, arrest and torture of the regime opponents. The basic procedure is to wear down the subject with a long series of beating and electrical torture. When the subject is nearly broken, they are sent to “Room 101”, where they are exposed to their worst fear.

Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two is four. If that is granted, all else follows.

Strength through Unity War is Peace Unity through Faith Freedom is Slavery Ignorance is Strength Ways to hold the power Norsefire holds the power by means of fear. Ingsoc holds the power because it makes the people love Big Brother and hate the enemies and because Thought Police watch everywhere and capture opponents.

War is Peace Freedom is Slavery Ignorance is Strength through Unity through Faith Special police force (Punishment Squads) They hurt opponents, they arrest them and they don’t care if someone sees them or not. They torture and kill them. (Thought Police) They hurt and arrest rebels at night to prevent everyone from seeing them and they hide all that might make people remember them. They brainwash opponents and after they love Big Brother, they kill them.

Strength through Unity through Faith Leaders The leader is Adam. Sometimes he appears on TV. There are other important members of the Party. War is Peace Freedom is Slavery Ignorance is Strength People think the leader is Big Brother but nobody has seen him and only his photo appears on telescreens. However the Inner Party leads Oceania.

War is Peace Freedom is Slavery Ignorance is Strength through Unity through Faith People’s thoughts A lot of people think the Party’s news are not always true. Few people (only thoughtcriminals) don’t believe the Party’s news are true.

War is Peace Freedom is Slavery Ignorance is Strength through Unity through Faith The end The story ends in an optimistic way: Norsefire fails and V reaches his target. The story can end in an optimistic or in a pessimistic way: it depends on the version of the story: in the one where Winston writes 2+2=5, Ingsoc has reached its aim and can not fail; in the one where he writes 2+2=? , Ingsoc has not completely reached its aim and Winston is not sure of his ideas, but he keeps being human. So Ingsoc in the future may fail.

Made by: 2^C 2010/2011 Liceo Scienze Applicate Prof. Paola Iori