In 2005, when the movie V for Vendetta was released into theaters, V became the modern-day vigilante. But according to Matthew A. Jonossaint, because V keeps his mask on, he never fully succeeds as a vigilante.
Many people who enjoy V for Vendetta like it for the sense of anti-government messages it sends and the revolution that is created in the film. On Dec. 3, Jonossaint broke down the film into what he found within the portrayed messages, at the “Contours of Knowledge” conference.
Jonossaint addressed several topics in his discussion about V for Vendetta; one of which was how the character V describes a revolution taking place that will cause a radical change within an oppressive society. In the eyes of the people being oppressed, V became an iconic symbol, representing “one last inch of hope,” as said by Jonossaint. But in the end, V remains a masked character, which undermines his efforts at revolution.
Though Jonossaint described many likable traits in the film, he described how V for Vendetta focuses on a revolution that does not fully succeed. Instead, it is only continued by the public, who, like V, keep masking their own private lives.
