In the future dystopian film V for Vendetta, the director James McTeigue uses specific techniques in both Domino and the Fight scene. McTeigue is able to influence and educate his audience of the pure strength of the power of an idea. Through using cinematography techniques, such as montage and soundtrack, McTeigue is able to support the significance of the power of an idea. The character V undertakes the role of change that this totalitarian regime needs. V plays as the anti-hero character that has been affected by this gruesome government and their selfish ways. V acts as the light in the dark to enhance the impact of the director’s intention on to the viewers. In today’s society, we see many links between different examples that we are experiencing in our current world today. For example, the Black Lives Matter Movement that is currently taking place in most major American cities. There are similarities between this future dystopian film and today’s world. The quote “People shouldn’t be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people”, has been used to motivate and inspire a change within this society we are living in today.

In the Domino scene, montage and soundtrack are two prominent techniques that the director James McTeigue has used to convey his intention of the power of an idea. Both of these techniques work alongside one another to enhance each other’s impact on the viewer. Montage works superbly in this scene because it creates a contrasting element within the film. It shows a point of difference compared to the rest of the film. McTeigue used the combination of the soundtrack and quick-paced montage clips to create a scene that will capture the viewer and drive the director’s intention of the power of an idea. The scene begins once the shot of V’s black leather gloved hand, places the first domino on the cold concrete floor. He has created montage in the scene by cutting together clips of people from a corrupted, unstable society fighting back and actually enforcing a progressive change. Once the scene begins the soundtrack starts. It consists of a combination of low and powerful cello and violin, that play at a fast-paced speed *(Allegro) to match the quick-paced montage shots. While watching this scene, the viewer will experience their heartbeat getting faster and their breathing will get heavier. With the combination of dramatic soundtrack and montage shots, it creates an effect on the viewer. A dense feeling in the viewer’s chest will begin to form. This tends to happen when the director’s intention gets set into motion and falls into place. In the domino scene, McTeigue uses the method of combining specific and effective montage shots, such as flash-forwards and flashbacks to manifest the idea and to present to the viewer that the director’s intention is finally assembling together. McTeigue combines the future and the past. They work alongside one another to express the director’s intention of the power of an idea. “400 years later an idea can still change the world”. The ‘idea’ that this quote is expressing, is the concept of the power of an idea and how one idea, with enough drive and passion can “change the world”. Once V sets the dominos in motion, it symbolizes that V has sparked a ripple in the pool of society. It reveals to us that V is the idea, and how a single idea can create a chain of waves that will inspire a change in a broken, corrupted society. Throughout the dominos scene, McTeigue has successfully communicated his intention, through using the technique of montage. The dominos represent the government and how with one single idea, the government can collapse with the power of the people. “It’s like I could see the whole thing, one long chain of events that stretched all the way back before Larkhill. I felt like I could see everything that happened, and everything that is going to happen. It was like a perfect pattern, laid out in front of me. And I realised we’re all part of it, and all trapped by it”. When Finch states this quote, he is implying the montage shots and how everything is being brought together within this scene. The combination of past, present and future all shown alongside one another fulfilling McTeigue’s intention. “I realised we’re all part of it, and all trapped by it.” McTeigue is expressing to the viewer that the people of this totalitarian regime are trapped and that they’re only just realising it. This is V’s purpose in this film, to educate and disrupt the system of government. To enforce a positive change within the society. When Finch says “one long chain of events that stretched all the way back before Larkhill”, he is reiterating the quote “400 years later, an idea can still change the world”. McTeigue has chosen to represent his intention through the use of montage and soundtrack to support the overall symbolism of this overwhelming scene.

In the second scene, Mcteigue has once again used the techniques of montage and soundtrack to support his intention of the power of an idea. McTeigue has chosen to portray V’s strength through the symbol of his mask. When they end up facing each other at either ends of the room, Creedy states “Now that it’s done with, it’s time to have a look at your face. Take off your mask.” V responds with a blunt and bold “No”. With V confronting and refusing to remove his mask, he is demonstrating holding his ground and actually standing up to the higher power of government. In this moment V represents the power of one single idea. He is justifying a quote that he previously stated earlier in the film, “People shouldn’t be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people.” Mcteigue’s intention comes across very strongly in this example. V embodies the intention of the power of an idea through fighting and challenging the hierarchy of the government. Once Creedy orders his armed guards to “kill him”, V then gets shot with hundreds of rounds of bullets. The viewer will experience a feeling of shock, seeing their courageous hero being killed. But that’s not the case. V ends up surviving all of the bullets. There is then a shot of V’s face taking a big deep breath in, preparing to fight back. V then states “My turn” and launches his knives into the two armed guards directly in front of him. We then get a glimpse of Creedy showing vulnerability. This is an example that McTeigue has used to show that the government has been defeated and V has found the weak spot. McTeigue then begins to incorporate the combination of soundtrack and montage. The scene then cuts back and forth between the slow motion montage shots of V slaughtering and defeating his enemies. When you think V is supposed to be dead, he then states, “Beneath this mask there is more than flesh, Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof.” This quote, supported by the cinematography techniques of montage and soundtrack, is able to summarise McTeigue’s intention of the power of an idea. To show to the viewer that no matter how unattainable an idea may seem, it will always be able to come to life with enough passion and drive behind it. The soundtrack plays a huge part in supporting Mcteigue’s intention. We first hear the soundtrack get introduced once V begins fighting his enemies. The music consists of fast-paced orchestra-like violins. They create a mood within the film that the viewer will remember. The soundtrack in this example reinforces McTeigue’s intention of the power of an idea with the music leading into a crescendo. This is symbolic of the directors intention coming to fruition. With the blend of soundtrack and montage working in unison, the viewer will be able to understand and comprehend the directors intention.

James McTeigue has used an array of techniques and methods to get his intention of the power of an idea across to the viewer in the film V for Vendetta. He is able to make societal links to today’s society, by showing us an example of a corrupted government that needed saving, much like the American government that we see today. The character V was able to imagine and manifest the change that he was going to lead and pursue within the society that he was a part of. Through the techniques of montage and soundtrack, McTeigue was successful in developing and expressing his intention of the power of an idea within this film.

*(Allegro) “at a brisk speed”