A masked anarchist, a fascist Britain, and two very different routes to the same explosive night. Here is how Alan Moore's graphic novel and the 2005 film compare.
The Book
V for Vendetta
by Alan Moore
The Film
V for Vendetta
Directed by James McTeigue, 2005
🔀 What Changed
Spoiler warning: this section discusses plot changes, including the ending.
The graphic novel, illustrated by David Lloyd, is set in Britain in the 1990s after a nuclear war, with a fascist party called Norsefire in power. The film moves the story to a near-future setting and recasts the regime's leader, Adam Sutler, as a more openly authoritarian figure. In the book, V's politics are explicitly anarchist and the story questions whether his violence can build anything lasting. The film leans toward a story of resistance against an oppressive state, and its finale shows a crowd in Guy Fawkes masks watching Parliament destroyed. In the book, V dies and Evey takes up his role in a more ambiguous close, with the future left open.
🎙️ What the Author Said
Moore's opposition to the film is well documented. He publicly distanced himself from it and disputed producer Joel Silver's claim that he supported the project. He asked that his name be left off the film, and the credits instead cite the graphic novel as illustrated by David Lloyd. This followed his earlier break with Hollywood adaptations of his work. He has said he has no wish to be associated with film versions of his books.
“Moore asked that his name be removed from the film.”
Two versions of the same masked revolutionary, one on the page and one on the screen. Which one wins your vote?
