We here at AMP want to foster a sense of gratitude this Thanksgiving season by discussing a couple films about British people overthrowing their futuristic dystopian governments, something that the United States has never done and will never do because we are objectively perfect in every way and nobody is mad about the way things are right now at all, in any capacity. Join us on a journey of terrorist activities, mass surveillance, and steamy romance as we delve into the minds of a few people who just want to go apeshit.

V for Vendetta

Our first selection this month was James McTeigue’s 2005 masterpiece “V for Vendetta,” a film that’s been misappropriated by libertarians on Reddit for as long as I can remember. The film was based on a graphic novel series of the same name, written by Alan Moore who you may recognize as the author of the “Watchmen” series. An additional fun fact is that the screenplay was written by the Wachowski sisters, who created the Matrix series. This is probably why the film features one of the most tragic lesbian romances I’ve ever seen, along with numerous slow motion knife fights. I’m an enormous fan of the Wachowskis if you couldn’t tell.

Right off the bat, I want to say that this film is so much fun. Perhaps not an entirely accurate representation of anarchist philosophy, but it’s a LOT of fun. Essentially in this not-so-distant future of the late 2020’s, Britain’s government is ruled by the fascist Norsefire party, which uses a very inconspicuous color scheme of black and red accompanied by a flag with straight, perpendicular lines to suggest that they are very “cool” and “hip with it,” and are not villainous or evil at all, actually. 

The story follows Evey Hammond (played by Natalie Portman), a woman who finds herself caught up in the vigilante justice of a man simply named V (played by Hugo Weaving), who is identified by his distinctive Guy Fawkes mask and literal cloak-and-dagger fighting style. The two meet after Evey is attacked by a couple of Fingermen — yes that’s what they’re called, no it’s never explained — for being out after curfew. The Fingermen are basically the secret police force of the Norsefire party; we do not like these men, nor their fingers.

One epic battle later, V waxes poetic to Evie on a rooftop about treason or something and then blows up the largest criminal court building in England while Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture blares over the city’s loudspeakers. A pretty cool first date, in my opinion. In doing this, he sends a message to the government that in exactly one year’s time, he will invite the populace of England to meet with him outside the Houses of Parliament with the intent of overthrowing Norsefire’s totalitarian rule. Norsefire attempts to cover this incident up, but the seeds of V’s rebellion have already been sown…

As the story progresses, Evie finds herself further and further involved in V’s schemes, to the point where she’s forced to leave her former life behind and hide underground with him in his cool gamer pad for an entire year. This is terrible, not because she can no longer go out and do the things she used to do, but because V accidentally wakes her up by roleplaying as Edmond Dantes in his living room a little too loudly. He’s just like me, guys.

Anyway, Norsefire members begin dropping like flies thanks to V, and Evie isn’t sure how she feels about V’s approach to justice. She betrays him and escapes, only to be captured by a Fingerman and imprisoned for several months while being tortured for information. But there’s a plot twist?! Her captor was actually V the whole time! He roleplayed as a guard and, uh… legitimately tortured her for several months in an attempt to get her to see his point of view. Hmm. Evie’s definitely upset by this, but she still chooses to align herself with V which I’m not gonna try to unpack here. I’m just gonna say that it’s an interesting choice and leave it at that.

In the end, V’s vendetta becomes his downfall — sort of. After killing the High Chancellor by quite literally bringing a bunch of knives to a gunfight, all that’s left for V to do now is blow up the Houses of Parliament. Unfortunately he is filled with bullets, so he perishes in Evie’s arms and has his body placed in a train full of bombs headed to Westminster Palace. How poetic. In the end, the people of England are freed by a glorious act of arson, and I think that’s the type of energy we could use as this year draws to a close. Remember the importance of voting, and more importantly, make sure to get really good at making homemade bombs in case voting doesn’t cut it. It’s what Guy Fawkes would want.

Nineteen Eighty-Four (aka 1984)

Our second selection this month was the 1984 film “Nineteen Eighty-Four,” based off of George Orwell’s famous novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four,” both of which are also commonly referred to by the alternate title “1984.” It’s safe to say this story is fairly prolific; there’s a very good chance that you’ve seen it casually namedropped now and then in regards to literally just about anything tyrannical or totalitarian. The government using secret police and mass surveillance? Literally 1984. Banning free expression and unsanctioned gatherings? Literally 1984. No talking during quiet reading time? Literally 1984!

But what is “1984” actually about? Oh, just the suffocating oppression of everyday life under an all-seeing government that has completely outlawed free speech and thought in order to create a hive-minded society of drones completely subservient to their rampant warmongering. It’s… not as fun as “V for Vendetta.” It sure isn’t fun for Winston Smith, a low-level worker for the Party of Oceania and their totally real supreme leader Big Brother. Winston’s life isn’t great, as it seems to revolve entirely around Oceania, from rewriting history and pumping out propaganda at work, to attending public pro-Party rallies in his “free” time. The only degree of freedom or resistance Winston has is within his thoughts, where heretical ideas of liberation and intellectual honesty fester into a dirty little diary of thoughtcrime. Yes, thoughtcrime. Just thinking about the wrong things is illegal in this world.

Things take a turn for Winston when he meets Julia, a fellow worker who is more free-spirited and expressive of her individuality and taboo beliefs. As she puts it, she’s corrupt to the core. The two fall for each other almost immediately. This sparks the beginning of a secret affair, built upon forbidden notions of love and intimacy, as they indulge in one another — as well as some luxury contraband like bread and jam. Winston begins to contemplate subversive ideas of a better life, and ponders the existence of the shadowy Resistance, a potential avenue of hope against the oppressive Oceania. We also get to see more and more cryptic tidbits of his war-torn, impoverished childhood, which lingers on in his life through tearful dreams of his mother. He eventually opens up to Julia about his past, recounting the time he took food from his weak mother and sister before running off, unable to help himself. By the time he mustered up the will to return, all that was left was an abandoned room filled with ravenous rats. It’s this memory of his family that strengthens Winston’s resolve to not just pursue survival, but maintain his humanity and feelings. It’s not about staying alive or keeping secrets from Oceania — as long as he can still feel the love he has now, he will not have betrayed Julia.

Unfortunately, in Orwell’s dark world, life doesn’t play out in such a romantically idealistic way. Winston and Julia are soon ambushed and arrested by the Thought Police, their discreet meeting room having been surveilled the entire time, and taken away to be “cured.” Winston learns that O’Brien, a high-ranking Party official who had appeared sympathetic to Resistance beliefs, was actually an undercover agent of the Thought Police, and fanatically loyal to Oceania. In the film’s closing act, we watch O’Brien slowly and cruelly torture Winston, all while explaining the Thought Police’s method of breaking the minds of rebels and converting them into loyalists, living content and “free” in Oceania’s society, before discreetly eliminating them later. In doing so, they can maintain an image of rehabilitation and mercy, quashing any notions of martyrdom. Winston himself is forced through this horrific process, being slowly and coldly tortured and questioned into submitting to O’Brien’s will. Finally, he is taken to Room 101: a secret chamber in which victims are exposed to their innermost fears; in Winston’s case, his head is forced into a small cage of starved, brutish rats. By the end of the process, a desperate and hysterical Winston recants his love and loyalty to Julia, finally giving in.

And so, “1984” comes to a slow, sad end, as a brainwashed Winston and Julia reunite in a drab cafe, where they openly and plainly admit their respective betrayals of one another. They’re both still alive — for now, at least — but have indeed relinquished what Winston valued most: their humanity. Or so it may seem. But as Julia leaves, Winston eventually turns away from Big Brother’s all-seeing stare, with tears in his eyes as he looks to her direction, and three final words are whispered: “I love you.” The credits begin rolling on this tragically bittersweet note, leaving us with the question of what exactly it is we cling onto in life, especially in times of injustice. Survival? Love? Bread and jam? The answer is up to each viewer to decide.