V for Vendetta has been a movie that was hard for me to comprehend. I believe I was in my third year in high school when this movie came out. It was upon seeing it for the second time that I have come to understand the main idea of the DC blockbuster hit based on a graphic novel. In the start of the movie, I can already see media's role in shaping the futuristic British society. In relation to this, I am reminded of the image seen in the introduction of "Media and the Social World" wherein a teenage girl wakes up and goes through her daily routine which involved her heavy dependency on media. In the movie, something similar is shown, that people, both young and old, live their daily life dependent on media (mass media in this case) for up to date news, current affairs, and entertainment.
Media is portrayed as a fundamental part of the ordinary citizen's life. As the reading says, some say that media has become the dominant social institution in contemporary society giving the idea that it has reached a point of displacing older institutions such as schools and religious institutions. This seems to be the case for the people in the movie.
Media as an institution has the power to shape the beliefs of the people. It can easily be manipulated by those who hold power over it. News channels in the movie alter the truth in order to control the situation. Adam Sutler's authoritarian figure has command and control over what is broadcasted through television. He does not want any chaos. It was a smart thing for the character of Hugo Weaving to infiltrate a TV station in order to broadcast his message to everyone. Through this medium, he opens the minds of the people to the fact that something is wrong and that change is needed.
I believe that terrorist acts should never be used to convey a message or an idea that will shape society's thinking, but the way I see it now is that V was desperate. Desperate times call for desperate measures and for him, the end justifies the means. People had to die in the process, but for V the acts he committed and the terrorist plot he planned for was a necessary evil, a propaganda that was instilled in the hearts of the people. Through the use of mass media, he calls the people to join him near the Parliamentary, a symbol which has long been forgotten. Even Deitrich followed V's act by using humor to convey a message, a message that Adam Sutler is stupid and can be stopped. Eventually, Deitrich is dealt with accordingly by the government. It is already too late for the government because the message and idea brought about by mass media already reached the people. Even after the disappearance of the famous talk show host, the people have not forgotten V's plan on November fifth. The blowing up of Parliamentary was a symbol that there is indeed something wrong with this country and something had to be done about it. I then realized that the authoritarian Adam Sutler resembled Adolf Hitler.
Mass media made V's execution of his plan possible. His words may be a few given his limited time to broadcast but his message came across to everyone, including a young girl in the movie. V as an agency is able to act independently of the current patterned arrangements which seem to influence and limit the choices and opportunities of the citizens as individuals.
Mass media has a very powerful use in waking the mind up to certain realities. It pushes people to act against structures which dehumanize them. This made possible that a revolution be started out by V's single idea. The movie would not have been great nor would it have been called to being if it were not for the existence of media. Media is the source of information which influences our daily values, norms, and beliefs. The social effects of mass media in particular may have positive or negative effects and this definitely depends on how one uses or utilizes the power of media. This movie reminded me strongly of Jose Rizal, the Philippine's national hero. He had the guts and the intelligence to challenge the abusive Spaniards. It was through his books, a print medium, that he was able to awaken the minds of the people of the sad reality of the Filipinos.
Mass media has a very powerful use in waking the mind up to certain realities. It pushes people to act against structures which dehumanize them. This made possible that a revolution be started out by V's single idea. The movie would not have been great nor would it have been called to being if it were not for the existence of media. Media is the source of information which influences our daily values, norms, and beliefs. The social effects of mass media in particular may have positive or negative effects and this definitely depends on how one uses or utilizes the power of media. This movie reminded me strongly of Jose Rizal, the Philippine's national hero. He had the guts and the intelligence to challenge the abusive Spaniards. It was through his books, a print medium, that he was able to awaken the minds of the people of the sad reality of the Filipinos.
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