Friday, December 13, 2013

Portfolio Essay 3

In Alan Moore’s book V For Vendetta, V is a man on a quest to fix the fascist

government and get revenge on the people who created what he was, a monster. The book

and the movie directed by James McTeigue share many common attributes, but there are

many book and movie differences as well. Though the book and the movie share the same

story plot, both stories told are altered from each other through Evey‘s character, causing

a different ending for both the book and the movie. Evey's character change ended up changing the

ending of the movie from the book because both Evey's presented themselves differently. The

alteration happens along gradually through the movie from the book, eventually changing the end story

completely.

          Starting from the beginning of the story, both Eveys carry them selves as different

characters. In the movie, Eveys character (Natalie Portman) leaves her apartment after

curfew to meet up with a co worker, but in the book Eveys character tries to sell herself

for money. In Moore’s V For Vendetta, he writes, “…Uh… would… would you

like to… uh… sleep with me or anything? … I mean… uh… for money?” (Moore 10).

The reason for the change in script was so Natalie Portman’s character would not be a

prostitute, giving a better front for Portman’s character and the actress herself. Another

part in the novel that differed from Evey’s character in the movie was the priest scene. In

the novel, Evey’s character stalled the priest in hopes that V would eventually come in

and do his thing, but in the movie Evey’s character actually ratted out V to the priest.

A blogger posted on his blog, “…the movie version of Evey was far less believable as a

real character than the book version.” (airplanepeanuts). In the novel, Evey’s character

was on the side of V while in the movie Evey still wasn’t too sure if what V was doing

was right. Same character conflicting one another from both book and movie.

          Through out the novel, Evey’s character was much more promiscuous and

revealing than she was in the movie. Evey in the novel had a physical relationship with

Gordon, but in the movie Gordon was hiding the fact the he was homo sexual. In the

movie, Gordon tells Evey, “I didn't have to be Muslim to find the images beautiful, or its

poetry moving…I told you, you'll be the least of my worries.” (imdb.com). Gordon was

also referring to the pictures of other men on his wall that he had been with before, for it

was illegal to be gay and the punishment would be either prison or death. The reasoning

behind the change of story for the relationship between Gordon and Evey was because the

director of the movie wanted to only have a connection between V and Evey. Another

note on Evey being much more revealing in the book was the part where she walks out in

the rain completely naked with her arms spread out. In V For Vendetta by Alan Moore, V

says, “Five years ago, I too came through a night like the naked under a roaring sky.”

(Moore 172). In the movie she had clothing so it would keep Portman from revealing

herself.

          The novel and the movie have very different endings based on what actions Evey

proceeds to take. At the end of novel, V ends up dying and Evey rightfully replaces him

to be the face of hope for the people in London and continue V‘s work. In the movie, V

does die but his death caused the end of the fascist government and gives the people the

power to start something new for themselves, not needing for Evey to take V’s place. In

the novel, Evey states, “I kneel, my hands are trembling, I can hardly find the fastenings,

but finally I lift away that maddening smile, and… … and at last I know. I know who V

must be.” (Moore 250). This is where Evey in the novel stands over V's dead body and

states she will become the new V. So Evey in the movie moves on with her life and Evey

in the novel becomes the face of hope.

          Through out both the novel and the movie, Evey's change in course of action determines

how the story ends. Evey's character in the movie was more conservative and less revealing so

the actress could be more comfortable and make the character herself seem more in control with

herself. Evey did not have anything physical with anyone in the movie, except for the mask kiss

with V but that's because they wanted the romance and connection between the two. As the story

continued the more apart the Evey's became from each other, having an alternate ending for the

movie V For Vendetta.






                                                                     Work Cited

Alan Moore; V For Vendetta: New York Press pgs. 10, 172, 250

imdb.com

airplanepeanuts.com
     



     

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