Words: Giuila Lombardo

As we just left Halloween weekend behind (and the most passionate of us are already decorating their houses for Christmas), LDN thought it would be worth dedicating this Movie Soundtrack Wednesday to – arguably – one of the best thriller movies of all time with Bonfire Night just ahead of us.

‘V For Vendetta’ is an absolute masterpiece and a cult horror/thriller movie directed by James McTeigue (‘The Matrix’) and starring Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry and John Hurt. The film, based on the 80s comic serial/graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd, attracted the attention of two big names in the cinema world, so much so that it was produced, and then adapted, by ‘Matrix’ creators Larry and Andy Wachowski.

The story is set in England, in a near-anti-utopian future, where an oppressive dictatorship reigns supreme, led by the High Chancellor Adam Sutler (John Hurt). In this gloomy and oppressive scenario are inserted two similar characters, Evey (Natalie Portman) and V (Hugo Weaving). Evey is a girl who became an orphan at an early age and who hates the tyranny surrounding England’s situation at that time, while V is a mysterious man hiding behind the mask of Guy Fawkes.

The composition and the direction of the soundtrack of the film are by the Italian composer Dario Marianelli (‘The Brothers Grimm’, ‘Pride And Prejudice’, ‘Atonement’). In addition to the original compositions, there are two beautiful tracks of classical music (Tchaikovsky’s Ouverture 1812 and Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony) plus some well-known pieces. To mention a few: ‘Cry Me A River’ by Julie London, the famous ‘The Girl From Ipanema’ and ‘Corcovado’ both with Stan Getz, Astrud Gilberto and João Gilberto. Furthermore, enriching the soundtrack, ‘V For Vendetta’ features ‘Street Fighting Man’ by The Rolling Stones, known as their most “political” song, as well as ranked 295th on the list of the best songs of all time.

‘V For Vendetta’ is a film that traces two paths and intersects them perfectly, leaving the two protagonists to travel on their different ways but still joining in the same desire, more or less expressed, to rebel against an unsustainable dictatorship. The protagonists are two characters that present an incredible transparency and the narrative is powerful and perceptible. In ‘V For Vendetta’ you can see in the narrative, founded on hatred and revenge, all the visceral elements of the plot, a plot that follows the true face of the film: an idea of a suppressed and shredded freedom.