Portman's Bald Head? Cool. Her Movie? Controversial.

Does "V" stand for "victory," "virtue," or "vile" and "vapid"?

Some members of the Christian media are treating V for Vendetta as an offensive and "vile" piece of work, while others are celebrating it as a film about moral responsibility, featuring an inspirational Christ figure. Who's right?

There's no denying that the plot is made of volatile elements. The famed graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd was composed as a fantasy commenting on the policies of British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. But Larry and Andy Wachowski have joined with newcomer James McTeigue to update the story—and their revisions have resulted in a subversive, dangerous tale.

V, the rebellious hero played by Hugo Weaving (The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings), is winning viewers' affections by lashing out against this fascist authority. Donning a Guy Fawkes mask, he strikes back at the empire, using knives and explosives. Natalie Portman portrays the disillusioned citizen who just might learn to be a terrorist herself, and together they aim higher and higher, until London's Parliament building becomes their ultimate target.

Liberation stories are usually cause for celebration. And the government in this fantasy is certainly oppressive and cruel, practically begging its citizens to revolt. But these heroes are awfully quick to embrace violence, without much talk about other forms of protest. Should this behavior be encouraged? (Vendetta's filmmakers sidestep the issue of whether bombing buildings might claim innocent lives.)

Many critics defend Vendetta as a timeless sci-fi tale, and it does have the basic structure of a myth about the consequences of oppression. But the filmmakers have gone to too much trouble to make it clear who they hate and what they want viewers to do about it. Can we agree with the storytellers, that fascism is evil, even if it is carried out under the sign of the cross? Sure. But are they guilty of encouraging their own brand of intolerance? Absolutely.

Vendetta's storytellers associate their villains with resistance to Islam, with enforcement of "homeland security," and with objections to homosexuality. It leaves no middle ground: If you are associated with these things, Vendetta implies that you are also in favor of censorship, bigotry, hate, torture, and Holocaust-style executions. While it isn't hard to find evidence of abuses of power in today's democratic governments, it's a bit of a stretch to compare England and the U.S. with the Nazis, and to suggest that we're just a hair's breadth from routinely executing those who are not conservative Republicans.

If you're bracing for the May release of The Da Vinci Code, which portrays the church as a conspiracy to dupe humanity, well, this V beats Da Vinci to the punch, revealing the church as a partner-in-crime with a devilish government. And, of course, the bishop is reveling in pedophilia behind the scenes. Here's another film campaigning for "tolerance" while it wants us to believe that unfortunate exceptions are, in fact the rule. It reinforces cruel caricatures and throws fuel on the fire of intolerance toward Christians. There is no attempt made to suggest that Christianity might be, at heart, about something more desirable than oppression and sexual prejudice.

Is it a coincidence that V's Zorro-like signature looks suspiciously like an inverted version of the symbol for anarchy?

Russ Breimeier (Christianity Today Movies) is impressed by some things and dismayed by others. He writes that McTeigue and the Wachowskis do well with the source material by "punching up the dialogue" and focusing on ideas instead of resorting to "non-stop, sloppy action." He also notes that the filmmakers "pull some strong performances from the leads. Portman shows impressive emotional range … Weaving also pulls off a difficult part …"

But all in all, he says the film "comes off as misguided. What are we to take from this story? Social injustice and denial of human rights are indeed wrong, but do the creators honestly believe that conservatism is the start of a short path to fascism? Are we really one step away from sending minorities and homosexuals off to death camps? Do they really believe democratic governments would covertly inflict a plague upon schoolchildren to incite fear and provide cause for militia rule? Apparently so …"

Catholic film critic Steven D. Greydanus (Decent Films) gives the film an "F," saying it's "ironic that a story that romanticizes a Catholic extremist's acts against an anti-Catholic regime would itself be so anti-Catholic … Is V a terrorist or a freedom fighter? I don't really care enough to debate the point. Let's just say the prospect of a guy in a mask bent on blowing up historic London landmarks to score political points against an evil Christian government guilty of oppressing Muslims doesn't make me feel much like cheering."

But another Catholic film critic, Harry Forbes (Catholic News Service), defends the film, calling it "a reasonably intelligent political allegory, the usual improbabilities aside, with emphasis on character development, ideas, and even a bit of romance, not mindless violence. The vigilante exploits are handled with relative restraint given the genre. … Though vengeance is, of course, unequivocally incompatible with Catholic teaching, the film makes clear that every one of V's victims was, at least, a perpetrator of some heinous action. V is, at heart, a high-tech Zorro or Robin Hood."

He acknowledges that the film is somewhat critical of "America's war," but adds, "[D]espite the subtext, this is very much a fantasy world." Overall, he says, the film is "absorbing" and it "stops short of imparting a universal anti-authoritarian message."

Adam R. Holz (Plugged In) is not so impressed. "At the highest level, Vendetta's prevailing theme of overthrowing—what is by everyone's definition—oppression is a cause most would agree is a worthy one. But below the surface lurk some troubling questions. Levelheaded moviegoers will not, of course, imitate the violent acts they see here. Nevertheless, V makes blowing up buildings look very cool and very justifiable. It's hard to measure or predict the impact such images and ideas might have in today's culture, where blasting buildings to make political statements has become a raw reality."

He adds, "Vendetta not-so-subtly implies that our current government is on course to end up like the one in the film." And he concludes, "They suggest … that the presence of religious people in government necessarily results in abuses such as the murder of homosexuals and people of other belief systems in the name of security."

Michael Karounos (Christian Spotlight) writes, "The movie is preachy to say the least, and harps on three major themes and one minor one: 1) the evil of America; 2) the government control of media; 3) the evil of Christianity; and 4) the innocence of Islam."

He addresses these themes one by one, saying, "What is remarkable about such Leftist fantasies about the presumed guilt of the United States is that all of those evils are in existence today and employed by regimes which were enemies of the United States, such as Saddam Hussein's Iraq."

Maurice Broaddus (Hollywood Jesus) identifies V as "a Christ figure … a person of judgment … and compassion, who calls for a revolution in living and thought." He concludes, "V for Vendetta is so literate, with such a powerful use of language … this easily felt like one of the best movies I ever read. … I don't know if the subversive message of a harlequin terrorist will resonate with an audience; however, anarchy has always been fashionable."

Similarly, Matthew Hill (at the same site) also compares V to Christ: "Not just the Christ of the WWJD bracelets or fish bumper stickers, but the radical, world-changing Christ who was put to death for who he was … but it was all part of his plan, see, like V's dominoes, to create even more radical, world-changing people to be part of his revolution."

But James Harleman (also on that site) had a different view: "The changes to Moore's tale involving how the evil government comes to power seem like obviously shoe-horned critiques against the current U.S. administration, perhaps even playing off the modern myth that the terrorist attacks on 9/11 were staged. While I'm certainly not opposed to intelligent criticism of this or any administration, this imposition and others on the story just seem to distract us from the tale itself."

Matt Wiggins (Relevant) says McTeigue has made "an ambitious movie that does many things very well but falls flat in the emotional aspect. It is a movie that will divide audiences but, more importantly, it will force them to ask questions. It is one of those movies that calls us to greater awareness of and participation in the forces that drive our lives. If nothing else, this makes it a movie worth watching."

Mainstream critics are generally impressed.

She's the Man … to avoid

She's the Man tells the story of Viola Hastings (Amanda Bynes), a girl devastated by the fact that her high school is eliminating the girls' soccer program. In response, she dons a disguise and joins the boys' team, pretending to be her twin brother Sebastian (James Kirk).

Sound familiar? It's actually the latest re-telling of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. But does that mean it's a work of high art? Not exactly.

Tom Neven (Plugged In) says, "What could have been (and, to be fair, at times is) a broad farce about mix-ups, misunderstandings and miscommunication in the end becomes what it hopes to mock: a story of sexual titillation and stereotypes, marred all the more by bad attitudes and foul language."

David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) says, "The fluffy script at times labors under forced humor, and plausibility is at a premium, to say the least. Still, the conceit works, for the most part, thanks in large measure to Bynes' effervescence, making for diverting entertainment whether you're into cleats or couplets."

Mainstream critics would prefer to see Twelfth Night the old-fashioned way.

Find Me Guilty … of a so-so movie

Director Sidney Lumet (Dog Day Afternoon) returns after a seven-year absence with Find Me Guilty, this courtroom drama about a late-'80s court case that lasted two years. Among the 20 men accused of criminal activity in that New Jersey debacle, one (played by Vin Diesel) insisted on representing himself, and he put on quite a show, maddening the judge (Ron Silver) and a mob kingpin (Alex Rocco).

Christian critics have yet to catch up with the film, with the exception of Harry Forbes (Catholic News Service). He says, "At least in The Sopranos or The Godfather, there's character development, as in the most textured dramas dealing with unsavory anti-heroes (think Shakespeare's Richard III). By contrast, Jackie and his fellow goons are one-dimensional. The seamy story and milieu and nonstop expletives further undermine a well-made, but morally ambiguous film."

Mainstream critics disagree on the verdict.

Ask the Dust Goes to Towne

Oscar-winning screenwriter Robert Towne (Chinatown) wrote and directed Ask the Dust, a Los Angeles drama starring Colin Farrell and Salma Hayek. No Christian movie review websites have covered it, but mainstream critics are arguing over its highs and the lows.

Joyeux Noë l— a war story and a wonder

Joyeux Noë l, a French film written and directed by Christian Carion, was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the recent Academy Awards. The movie brings to life the astonishing story of a Christmas Eve truce struck between armies in World War I.

Mark Moring (Christianity Today Movies) calls it "soul-stirring," adding, "Several years ago, I was spellbound by Stanley Weintraub's Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce. It seems like the stuff of urban legend, but it really happened. It also seems like it can only be explained as 'a God thing,' and indeed, how else could something so extraordinary take place without divine intervention?"

Mainstream critics are mostly positive, although a few that feel compelled to lob grenades.

More reviews of recent releases

Sophie Scholl: The Final Days: Andrew Coffin (World) raves, "Sophie Scholl: The Final Days makes Sophie's moving story accessible to the rest of the world. Though the film is unrated, it contains nothing objectionable; only the intensity of the subject matter ought to give parents pause in allowing children to see it. It's a story that serves as a powerful example of faith and courage in the face of great evil. Go see it."

The film continues to be one of the year's best-reviewed by mainstream critics.

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.