Oh, the sweet, sweet sound of clarity.After watching the manipulative masterpiece V FOR VENDETTA, I am overflowing with gratefulness to God for giving us His Word, the Bible. Without it, we would truly be stumbling in the darkness. The film has so many ploys to seduce us, so many theories to unravel, so many lies to expose. We need the “the true light” (John 1:9) to see where we are going!
I wrote about V FOR VENDETTA when it first came out in theaters, so if you want, you can read my essay by clicking here. This entertaining and dangerous film has a lot of ideas about terrorism and politics, with a decidedly secular humanist bent. We discussed a wide range of topics: from the original creators’ intent to the modern adaptation by the screenwriters, the cinematic language of the film, the political and academic “arguments” it makes, and finally the biblical response to all of this.
We learned that Alan Moore and David Lloyd originally set out to create a comic book dealing with the issues of Anarchy and Fascism, directly influenced by the Thatcherite government of Britain in the 1980s. We also discovered how Andy and Larry Wachowski modernized the story into what Moore calls a “Bush-era parable,” focusing more on politics and Evey’s relationship with V, as well as her subsequent transformation into a terrorist. We also heard from Natalie Portman, who commented on different interpretations of the film.
We talked about the political statements made in V FOR VENDETTA, which insist that a religious, conservative government would become oppressive and totalitarian. We learned the meaning of the terms Fascism and Terrorist and how they are applied inconsistently today. We also talked about the very concept of the meaning of words, and how modern education is pushing a confusing mindset of pluralism. Finally, we delved into the logical fallacies (bad arguments) the film presents, and discovered the weaknesses in each one of them.
And then, like a breath of fresh air, we opened God’s Word.His love and clarity shone bright like the sun and melted away all the clouds of confusion. The “wisdom” of man was revealed to be false, and God’s truth was lifted up. And the real message of the movie was revealed: that man fears judgment. We read from the Bible that we are no longer slaves to fear (Romans 8:15) and that perfect love drives it out (1 John 4:18). We learned about God’s righteous judgment, and how men reject it and approve of others who do so (Romans 1:32). We also focused on 1 Timothy 6:3-5, where man’s wisdom is refuted once and for all. In the end, we dwelt on our response to others’ sinful behavior: that we must give grace, mercy, and forgiveness, just as Christ has forgiven us (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
We ended, as always, with a time of prayer for the filmmakers and actors. We prayed for them to be exposed to the truth, and to be drawn to stories that explore themes of goodness, nobility, and honor.
This was our first Double Feature! So we all come back on Monday night and watched the excellent, disturbing, yet profoundly moving film UNITED 93. This more than anything is the modern “answer” to the ambiguity of V FOR VENDETTA. The obviously evil attacks on our country on September 11, 2001 have left us a divided nation. Today, unbelievably, there is confusion as to who our enemies really are. This film not only clarifies that, but honors the average Americans on that flight who stood up and fought back. UNITED 93 is a film you need only see once. But it needs to be seen.
After the film, we watched news footage captured on 9/11, with the lead-off being “we’re just getting word of a plane that crashed in Pennsylvania…” This solidified the day in our minds. Five years later, we did the unpleasant act of opening old wounds, so we could be broken enough to pray God’s heart over our nation and the world. We prayed for the United States. We prayed for the president. We prayed for the families and friends of the innocents killed that day. And finally, we prayed for our enemies; that those who would do us harm in the name of their ideology would come to know Jesus. This verse typifies that prayer:
2 PETER 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. I would like to thank each and every one of you for coming to our meetings. God has great things in store for us. See you next time at The Decoder Ring. Take Care.
