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Marxim in V for Vendetta

Marxism, rooted in the ideas of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, posits that societal evolution is driven by class conflict, particularly between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, advocating for the overthrow of capitalism to establish a classless society. The film 'V for Vendetta' exemplifies Marxist themes through its depiction of state oppression, class struggle, and the revolutionary potential of the working class, particularly through the character V's call for collective action against the fascist government. The narrative aligns with Marxist concepts by illustrating the awakening of class consciousness and the power of the oppressed to instigate change.

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11 views3 pages

Marxim in V for Vendetta

Marxism, rooted in the ideas of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, posits that societal evolution is driven by class conflict, particularly between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, advocating for the overthrow of capitalism to establish a classless society. The film 'V for Vendetta' exemplifies Marxist themes through its depiction of state oppression, class struggle, and the revolutionary potential of the working class, particularly through the character V's call for collective action against the fascist government. The narrative aligns with Marxist concepts by illustrating the awakening of class consciousness and the power of the oppressed to instigate change.

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PervaizAhmed
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Marxism is a theory of history, politics, and economics based on the ideas of Karl Marx and

Friedrich Engels. At the core of Marxist thought is the conviction that societal evolution

occurs through class conflict, particularly the struggle between the ruling class, known as the

bourgeoisie, and the working class, referred to as the proletariat. Marxism promotes the

overthrowing of capitalist structures and the creation of a classless, stateless society where

the means of production are owned collectively.

V for Vendetta (2005), a cinematic adaptation of the graphic novel created by Alan

Moore and David Lloyd, can be analyzed from a Marxist perspective, especially in terms of

its portrayal of class conflict, the function of the state, and the concept of revolution.

The first concept of The Oppressive State and Class Hierarchy (Glaberman, M. (1996)

is shown in the early stage of the movie where a broadcast is shown to justify the bitter

control of the government over its people. The government utilizes its media to sustain the

false sense of safety and calmness among the common people so they feel safe under the

control of the state. There is a scene in the movie where Evey is arrested and interrogated,

which shows the brutality of the police to suppress the public. That is how the fascist state

makes its people aware of their class based treatment and behaviour. The Marxist theory calls

it the tool of the ruling class flexing its power over the working class.

The second example is for the class struggle and the proletariat (Vladimir Ilyich

Lenin, Karl Marx). In this movie, the character V shows the proletariat concepts by calling

the common people to stand up against the oppression of the fascist government. V just does

not want to overthrow the government, but also aims to stimulate the sense of togetherness

and power among the public. In one scene, V says “People should not be afraid of their

governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.” which highlights the key

concept of marxism: The revolution can only succeed when the oppressed class becomes

conscious of its power and unites to challenge the ruling class (Karl Marx, Critique of the
Gotha Programme). There is one scene in which V destories the Old Bailey building to

provoke or ask the people to stand up against the capitalist system and break the class

structure, so there can be no difference among the classes defined by the fascist government.

The third concept is the Revolution and Marxist Liberation (Spickard, J. V. (1992))

which is the end goal of V (the main character of the movie). A marxism concept in which

the oppressed or the working class overthrows the ruling class or the fascist government. In

the whole movie, V showcases the struggle of inspiring the general public for a collective act

and highlighting that is is not about him but about the people of the state that are oppressed.

In the movie, there are different moments where he shows the people their collective power

and what they can do with it. Especially in the final moment, where hundreds of thousands of

people come out on the street wearing the same mask as the V wears, is the result of his

struggles. That goes on to become a revolution and then overthrows the government.

In the whole movie, the narrative is completely in line with the concepts of Marxism

starting from the portrayal of class hierarchy and struggle, the ideological role and

revolutionary perspective of the working class.


References:

1. Glaberman, M. (1996). Marxism and Class Consciousness. Labour / Le Travail, 37,

233–237. https://doi.org/10.2307/25144042

2. Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, Karl Marx

https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1914/granat/ch05.htm

3. Karl Marx, Critique of the Gotha Programme (Karl Marx and Frederick Engels,

Selected Works, Vol. 3, Moscow, 1973, p. 26).

4. Spickard, J. V. (1992). Transcending Marxism: Liberation Theology and

Critical Theology. CrossCurrents, 42(3), 326–341.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/24459977

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