Contextual differences over V is for Vendetta
TheoryGuy, today, while talking about the upcoming film V is for Vendetta, mentioned he was well-pleased that it had a bunch of unknown Brits (I paraphrase here but yous get the pov) as the main characters (apart from Natalie Portman as Evey) since that would not detract attention from the story.After I got home, I checked on IMDB who these "unknown Brits" were only to find they were all too familiar. For those readers who follow cricket, one of the earliest times I saw Hugo Weaving (who plays "V") was on this show, where he played the legendary English cricketer Douglas Jardine. I was about 6 years old so my first-ever memories of him are vague (but fear not readers, being utter sports junkies my family owns the series on VHS and I've seen it since). Since then, he's been in heaps of films, including Bangkok Hilton (which I watched as part of my Australian politics class in undergrad--brilliant example of constructing the other as objects to be feared!), Priscilla Queen of the Desert (a drag queen), the Matrix films (Agent Smith)and LOTR (the elf king). I'd count him as one of the most recognisable faces on film (which probably says a lot about the films I watch)
Stephen Fry ("Deitrich") has also always been around from his marvellous turn as Lord Melchett (and others) in Blackadder (see Beer for a classic example), his excellent Jeeves in Jeeves and Wooster to Mirrormask, H2G2 and most recently, Tristram Shandy. Stephen Rea ("Finch") is one of those actors who pops up in major (the Crying Game, which remains one of the best films I've seen) and minor (Michael Collins) roles all the time. John Hurt ("Adam Sutler"), I've seen in films since I was in high school (starting with Playboy of the Western World as part of a high school English class to 1984, where he played Winston Smith).
My sister (the one in Maine) is convinced there're not too many British/Irish/non American actors so you end up knowing/seeing them in numerous films which adds to the recognition process (This was after we both immediately identified the Lion in the recent Narnia film, as soon as he started speaking).
Oh, I think both Stephen Rea (Northern Irish) and Hugo Weaving (born in Nigeria but an Aussie) would be rather miffed as being described as
"British" :-)
posted by Priya @ 11:44 PM
5 Comments:
Entirely off-topic, but are either of you interested in joining me at the All Girl Army? Spread the word!
Also, we should meet up for drinks at the Big Ol' Conference. I present on Wednesday (ugh).
Had terrible grammar in the last comment so here I go again:
Am over 23 (by far :-)) and I'm not really keen on stuff that's only for one sex/gender (and excludes the others) so I'll pass on joining the AGA, thanks.
Hate Big Ol' Conference, as you call it, right now since I'm supposed to have two (why? why?) presentations and neither of them are done.
LOL you people actually delete comments...i think this is the first time I have seen that...
I thought I was the only one able to id Liam just by voice! LOL
Yeah those actors in V are not as unknown as some would have you believe....odd sort of label for them I think.
LN pretty much made our (lil sis and mine) experience of Narnia.
Yes, V folks are familiar but I reckon I'll be going to see it all the same. Should be fun!
I'm not presenting, so I'm all for drinks. Especially since I've got to pretend to care about being a discussant and chair that day. COuld be worse, though--I think GS is presenting in the first sessions, at 8:30am or something.
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