Anarchy is a word that is mostly associated with negative connotations. It is a state of disorder, without the limitations of law or governance. This does not sound ideal until you live in a controlled world where you have no freedom. Anarchy is a powerful tool to create change because of its ability to unite people and frighten those in power. I would even go as far as to say that anarchy is a natural part of society that must occur in order to stop injustices. Therefore people should not be afraid of anarchy and should in fact embrace it when necessary. This is the theme for the 2006 film V for Vendetta. Set in a dystopian future England, the movie paints a bleak picture of a world ruled by the oppressive Chancellor Sutler. The protagonist is a freedom fighter known only as V, who utilises anarchy to achieve his goal: the liberation of his country. Director James McTeigue uses the cinematography techniques of camera work and dialogue, to show the catalystic properties that anarchy has to create change. This is particularly prevalent in two scenes, the Domino scene and the Final Fight scene.

In the Domino scene, McTeigue uses a montage in order to show all the pieces of Vs’ plan falling into place. Dominos are used to symbolise this, and we see V placing them down throughout the scene. It starts with thousands of replicas of Vs costume being delivered to houses all over London. This event sparks chaos in the city, with the montage showing us various scenes where people are rising up against the government. In one shot we see a man who is robbing a store with the mask on. He yells “Anarchy in the UK!” before firing a gun. The director’s intention with this was to show how anarchy sews the first seeds of defiance, and hint at what is about to be unleashed. V places another domino.
Flashbacks are also used in the montage. While Inspector Finch is talking about his experience at Lark Hill he says “It was like I could see the whole thing, one long chain of events that stretched all the way back before Lark Hill. I could see everything that had happened and everything that was going to happen”. As he says this we see a procession of shots depicting things that have happened in the past, such as the execution of the original Guy Fawkes, V coming out of the fire at Lark Hill, and the Chancellor ceasing power. The flashbacks show how all the events of the past have built up to the present. The viewer sees how people have been pushed and pushed by the cruelty of the ruling few, until tensions finally boil over, resulting in all-out anarchy. McTeigue purposely uses flashbacks, paired with Finches’ ominous dialogue to show all the events that have to lead up to the insurrection. The montage makes the audience feel as though the chaos is inevitable. Through this, we see that if you oppress people for long enough, eventually anarchy will erupt. Yet another of Vs’ dominos is added to the count.
The rebellion that has arisen causes those in power to become desperate. During the montage, we see glimpses of this, first with Mr. Creedy accepting Vs offer with the white cross on his door, and then with the Fingerman who killed the little girl wearing a V costume. When this happens, Detective Finch says “With all this chaos someone will do something stupid and when they do things will turn nasty”. By creating anarchy, V has caused an uprising, which is what this montage and dialogue show to a great effect. At one point McTeigue even uses real footage from the Brixton riots, which happened in 1981 over racial inequality in England. This draws the audience’s attention towards the fact that this sort of thing happens in real life and could even be considered a natural part of society. This is especially relevant in current times with the Black lives Matter movement, which shows how effective anarchy can be. Finally, all the dominos are laid down, and in one flick V sends them tumbling to the ground. A high angle shot is used to show what all of Vs’ dominos have become. The symbol is a red V in a red circle with a black background. It is strikingly similar to the symbol for anarchy which is a red A in a red circle. Having Vs’ insignia so closely resemble this well-known emblem, further emphasises the fact that V represents anarchy which was the director’s intention.
By pairing this concept with a likable freedom fighter like V, McTeigue aimed to change people’s perspectives on the subject, so that it can be viewed as a tool for change, not destruction.

The strength of anarchy lies with its ability to scare those in power into changing. They are few, and we are many, and when we band together under a common goal we can achieve anything. This concept is explored in the Final Fight scene of the movie V for Vendetta through the camera work and dialogue. As the protagonist V goes to meet with his enemy Mr. Creedy, we see the Chancellors’ speech being broadcast all over the city. Contrary to what we have seen throughout the movie, people no longer huddle in front of the tv in anticipation, instead, their houses are empty. This is the first sign that anarchy is afoot. The chancellor’s speech, which is about the ‘terrorist’ V, is very ironic. It seems to be more about him rather than V. “Tonight we must remain steadfast. We must remain determined. And most of all, we must remain united.” Sutler says this as we are seeing all the vacant houses, and we know that the people are no longer afraid of him. They are united indeed, just against him, opposed to under him. By using these two cinematography techniques, McTeigue helps the audience see the positive side of anarchy.
It then cuts to a close up of a small, pathetic man with a black bag over his head. When the bag is whipped off, the viewer is instantly filled with revulsion, as they realise that this cowering man is the Chancellor. The feeling is reciprocated by Mr. Creedy who says “disgusting” before disposing of him. This exchange shows how anarchy caused Creedy to become desperate, ultimately causing the death of the main antagonist of the film.
After the Chancellor is dead, V will not back down. A wide-angle shot emphasises how outnumbered he is by the soldiers, it seems there is no way he could win. The improbability of V making it out of this situation is voiced by Mr. Creedy: “What are you gonna do? We’ve swept this place, you’ve got nothing but your fancy knives and karate gimmicks. We have guns!” The camera work and Creedys’ dialogue causes the viewer to feel a creeping sense of hopelessness, as the odds continue to stack against the hero. However, after the men unleash their weapons upon him, V remains standing. A close-up shot is used on Vs’ mask to create the most impact as V says: “my turn”. At this moment we see that no amount of gunfire can bring him down. This represents how anarchy will prevail against those who wish to oppress us, for despite seeming to be alone he has a whole nation of people standing behind his cause, and this gives him strength. The slow-motion effect and long trails of light on his knives exaggerate the beauty of V’s fighting as we see his opponents fall one by one. When V finally reaches Creedy, who questions why he (V) is not dead, he simply replies “Beneath this mask, there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask, there is an idea Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof”. The idea he is referring to is anarchy, which he has successfully incited in the city. McTeigue deliberately chose to use these camera techniques and dialogue to make the audience realise that anarchy is not always evil, it can be used for good.

Sometimes beauty comes from the ugliest of things. If we want our freedom we will have to stand up and fight ugly. James McTeigue understood this. He chose to make the character V, from his movie V for Vendetta, represent anarchy in order to exemplify how it can be used for good in the real world. In order to do this effectively, McTeigue utilised the cinematography techniques of camera work and dialogue. In the Domino scene, the use of montage and foreshadowing script helped the viewer to draw parallels between the events of the movie, and society. The Final Fight scene had a mixture of wide angles and close-ups coupled with ironic dialogue which made V’s heroism more impactful. Both these scenes guided the viewer towards a lesson “people should not be afraid of governments, governments should be afraid of people”.