double feature

today I saw V for Vendetta and Ethnic Notions. I don't know anything about the graphic novel V is based on, but I was pleasantly surprised by the movie. instead of being too scary in a Holocaust-type of way, it was jumpy and tricky and political. in this England-of-the-future, the US has already devolved into civil war and environmental chaos while the UK retains some semblance of peaceful life, albeit fully controlled by a fascist chancellor. everything about the political situation rings true; the government is an amalgamation of present and past leaders. forget about Natalie Portman's shaved head - it really doesn't matter. this is her best role since The Professional - she plays an everywoman victimized by the system and unsure of whether or how to fight back. the movie is inspiring and almost feels radical at times, except for its tendency to remind you of its comic-book origins. Ethnic Notions is a Marlon Riggs' documentary about cultural and media stereotypes of African Americans since slavery that fuel the kind of regime portrayed in V. this insightful 1986 movie needs a sequel to bring us up to the present and question how much things have changed in the past 20 years, if at all.