Top 10 Disturbing V for Vendetta Moments
Top 10 Disturbing V for Vendetta Moments
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Remember remember … Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Disturbing V for Vendetta Moments. For this list, we’ll be looking at some of the most upsetting, uncomfortable and dark scenes from the 2005 dystopian comic book movie, “V for Vendetta”. Please note, there are major spoilers ahead.
#10: BTN Broadcast
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In the dystopian, fascist Britain imagined by “V for Vendetta”, the state-run Britain Television Network (or BTN) dominates the airwaves. No news outlet is free from bias; but BTN is a propaganda machine. In this broadcast, the so-called “Voice of London” Lewis Prothero delivers a gloating critique about the United States’ misfortunes. He then goes on to rail against a myriad of marginalized groups. It’s hard to watch, but it sets the stage for the events of the film. Prothero comes across like some sort of far-right conspiracy theorist on social media, but the terrifying truth is that he represents the government’s values and actually has a mainstream, national audience.
#9: Evey's Story
Our protagonist might work for BTN, but her reaction during Prothero’s broadcast makes it clear that she has issues with the police state that the country has become. And she has every reason to feel that way. Evey lost both of her parents at a very young age to this totalitarian regime. As Evey tells V her story, we’re given a flashback to the terrifying night that the Fingermen (Britain’s secret police) came to blackbag her parents, who were politically active in opposing the Norsefire Party. The arrest, which can only be described as a home invasion, plays out like a scene from a horror movie. The terror on young Evey’s face can’t be unseen.
#8: The Government’s Response to the Attack
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On the night that Evey first meets V, the masked vigilante offers her a front row seat to his first major act of resistance - the destruction of the Old Bailey. For High Chancellor Sutler and his government, this is their worst nightmare - a symbolic attack that they fear could inspire the public to rise up. And so they handle it as they do everything else, by spreading lies and falsehoods to pacify people, while simultaneously cracking down. Witnesses are detained, the music played during the event is immediately blacklisted, and surveillance is drastically ramped up. Most egregious however, are the lies that they spread about the nature of the explosion via BTN. Maintaining order is their highest and only priority.
#7: Evey's Incarceration
After being black bagged, Evey wakes up in a mysterious facility. In a truly traumatic scene, she cries as her head is shaved and she’s thrown into a small, damp cell. She’s taken out only to be tortured and interrogated. It’s a painful reminder of the sort of treatment people receive in unjust legal systems and dictatorships. In a twist however, it's revealed that V was behind it all, having recreated the experience of a Norsefire facility to free Evey of her fears. Understandably, Evey struggles to forgive him. What makes these moments even more disturbing is the fact that countless people, including V, have been subjected to the same and worse.
#6: Deitrich's Arrest
As a public figure and popular talk show host, Deitrich has a certain amount of clout. He plays by Norsefire’s rules and leads a life of relative luxury as a result. But like Evey, Dietrich secretly disagrees with the government on most issues. Inspired by V’s acts of resistance, Dietrich throws out the government approved script for his show and broadcasts a scathing parody of Sutler, the Norsefire leader. He expects a slap on the wrist and to have to make a public apology, but that very night he learns firsthand just how swift and brutal Sutler’s retribution can be. Watching from under the bed, Evey is essentially forced to relive the night her parents were taken.
#5: The Story of Adam Sutler
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Fascism and fear walk hand in hand … as this harrowing cautionary tale shows all too well. Disguised as William Rookwood, V recounts to Inspector Finch how Adam Sutler rose to power. Sutler was a charismatic conservative politician, who harboured racist and extreme religious prejudices. After secretly developing biological weapons, he unleashed them on his own country and blamed the attack on terrorists - then stepped in to restore “law and order”. Widespread fear created a vulnerable population willing to trade freedom for security. Armed with a complete disregard for human life, Sutler was able to dismantle democracy and transform the nation.
#4: Bishop Lilliman’s Appetites
When V rescues Evey and brings her to his home, he thinks that he’s found himself an ally in his war against Norsefire. And so he enlists her help in the next phase of his plot. Evey serves as bait for Bishop Lilliman, a corrupt church figure who served at the Larkhill Detention Center where V was experimented on. Despite supposedly being there to protect the rights of the inmates, Lilliman turned a blind eye to the atrocities committed there. Well, as we learn in this scene, Lilliman’s crimes are many. He also preys on minors - and has zero issue with forcing himself on them.
#3: The Child in the V mask
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One small spark is all it takes to start a revolution. Subtlety has never been V’s style though... and so he sets London ablaze, both literally and metaphorically. V’s actions inspire a once-docile population to fight back against Norsefire - young and old alike. With his number of supporters growing, V’s message begins popping up in the streets, but it’s ultimately an act of police brutality that leads people to riot. A young girl in a Guy Fawkes mask is caught spray painting V’s logo and is spotted by a Fingerman. When she flees, he fatally shoots her. It’s a devastating moment, especially in light of her age.
#2: Evey Is Assaulted
Based on comics published in the 80s, “V for Vendetta” hit theatres in 2005. But it feels incredibly relevant today. Not only does it address issues such as prejudice, nationalism, mass surveillance, and police brutality, but also sexual harassment and assault. At the beginning of the film, we see Evey leaving her house to see Deitrich. There’s a curfew in effect however, and so being out puts her at risk of both criminals and the secret police. As she turns down an alley, she soon discovers that those two concerns are in fact one and the same. It’s a disgusting abuse of power that’s stomach-churning every time you rewatch it. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable - or dishonorable - mentions. Government Approved Fake News Everywhere A Powerful Reminder of the Importance of Freedom of the Press History Swept Under the Rug When Inspector Finch Starts Digging into Government Operations, He’s Told to Drop It Evey Threatened After Being Caught Escaping Deitrich’s House, She’s Told to Give Up V or Be Killed The Hanging of Guy Fawkes Talk About a Grisly & Shocking Way to Start a Film In-Party Intimidation Even Within Norsefire, No One Is Safe
#1: Valerie's Story
During her time in captivity, Evey finds the journal of a past prisoner hidden in the wall of her cell. Written on these scraps of toilet paper is the heartbreaking autobiography of a gay woman who watched Norsefire rise to power - and who knows their cruelty and prejudice firsthand. As if being shunned by her parents wasn’t bad enough, Valerie tells of how she and her partner led a life of fear under the party’s leadership, culminating in them being arrested due to their sexual orientation. Valerie’s life ends in misery and pain in a Norsefire facility, where the government carried out horrific experiments - and buried their victims in mass graves.
