I like movies and I'm especially fond of the Wachowski Brothers. I had only seen V For Vendetta once or twice before but had missed a few crucial scenes. One of the crucial scenes that I had not put together previously involves a nice subversive sub plot. It involves the heroine Evey who (as it appears) has been taken by the fascist regime to be tortured and placed in solitary confinement where her hair is shaved, she is in a 4 x 4 concrete cell, given the bare minimum of slop on a tin plate. She is periodically removed for intensive interrogation with waterboarding "where is the terrorist codename V." "It all ends if you give us a name." She is successfully resistant to the end however, even when faced with her immanent execution. In this darkest hour she has faced death and no longer fears it, even to the point to willingly embrace it. This overcoming of fear is the key point in the scene as she had lived under the cloud of fear and death all her life up to that point. Fear of the regime, fear of speaking out for justice. This fear the charecter V knew very well as he had to overcome it himself. Earlier Evey had longed to be free of this fear and it was this longing that V heard and acted upon. The surprise in the scene then is not so surprising as we discover that it was V himself who captured Evey and placed her in the cell and conducted the tortures and interrrogations. All with the intention to free Evey from the fear that had haunted her all her life. The scene culminates in a life change for Evey as she discovers her new self free of fear.
With this in mind I could not help but think of the story of Christ mirrored in the V character.
Would this not be a key aspect of Christ that he would want to bring out in those who chose to follow him? Would he not want his followers to be free of fear? Fear of the empires that hold power? Free to speak out against injustice without fear?
I find it sobering and disturbing to contemplate but at the same time I am more convinced of this picture of Christ. The picture of the saviour that is my friend but is the friend that loves me enough to imprison me and torture me so that I may over come my fears even unto death.
Who embraces this 'friend' with me?
