'V for Vendetta' - James McTeigue Q&A

The first-time director discusses his adaptation of Alan Moore's critically acclaimed graphic novel.

Mar 17 2006

James McTeigue made his name working as assistant director on 'Star Wars: Episode II – The Attack of the Clones' and the three 'Matrix' movies. He's now been given the opportunity to direct his first feature film in the shape of graphic novel adaptation 'V for Vendetta'. The TOMB visited the set of the film last year, and managed to grab a word with the affable Australian about his vision of a totalitarian Briatin. Here's what he had to say…

What's it been like shooting on the streets of London?

Really good actually. We had heard stories that it was hard to shoot in London but it was actually really... well I won't say it was easy because it was a massive operation, but all the different bodies came together and all acquiesced and made the filming part of it very easy for us. It was great, because the story is so London-centric - it's great to be here after being on the stages in Berlin. It's great to come here and let the film breathe a bit and use some London landmarks and really get the essence of what London is.

How did you end up making your full directorial debut with this film?

Towards the end of the 'Matrix' films, we started talking about it, because you can't be in the whole 'Matrix' circle and not talk about graphic novel and comics. So we started talking about how 'V for Vendetta' was very prescient. The boys [the Wachowsi brothers] had written a script before the whole 'Matrix' thing got going and so we though it might be good to dust it off and bring it up-to-date. We thought it would be a good film to do in the current political climate, to hopefully say something about what's going on at the moment.

How true is it to Alan Moore's original story?

I think it's pretty true; true to the themes of the original story. When you write a novel you can go into the audience's imagination and have complete subplots that can carry on, but when you do an adaptation for film you have to keep in mind that it's always going to be two hours long, so you can't adapt the graphic novel word for word. But what you hope to do is to stay true to what Alan Moore was trying to say. I think he was trying to project where he thought we would be if government is left unchecked. What could happen.

What have you been most looking forward to putting on screen?

The whole descent of the Vs, coming from all over London. I thought that was a great graphic image, and it was so exciting when we were standing in London two nights ago and they started to bring the Vs up onto the set. I saw the first couple of guys walk past me and I thought 'well here they are,' but then I turned behind me and all the way back to Trafalgar Square, past No.10 Downing Street, there was this big line of white faces coming out of the darkness, and I thought 'yeah, that's pretty cool. This will be good to shoot.' But there are a lot of really great graphic images in the novel as well, and also some really beautifully written scenes that have made it into the script.

What's your favourite scene?

I guess there are a lot of favourites, but there's a really nice moment when V comes to visit Delia Surridge, who is the sort Robert McNamara character, you know, the person that knows that they've been a part of something and at the time they thought they were doing the right thing, they absolutely believed that what they were doing was correct, and even some years later they still have the idealistic notion of what they were trying to achieve, but they knew their day of reckoning was coming, and I think there's a really beautiful scene between V and Surridge where she is trying to explain the sins of her past. It's really beautifully written in the graphic novel and in the script it's really beautifully written too.

What did Natalie Portman bring to the role of Evey?

She brought a great intelligence to the role, and obviously, she's an amazing actor. And it's one of those things where you first think, 'you know who could be great in the role as Evey?' and I first thought of Natalie. Was it because I'd sort of worked with her in the past? I guess that had something to do with it, but I thought she'd be fantastic, and she's proved to be fantastic; she's brought a depth and intelligence to the role that I couldn't have possibly hoped for with anybody else.

You changed your leading man halfway through. Was that difficult?

It was fine. James [Purefoy] is a great actor, and I hope I work with him again at some point. You know, the mask is a difficult thing, and Hugo [Weaving] has brought something to it as well.

What actually happened with James?

I think the mask is a difficult thing. That's what I'd say about it.

How did you think Hugo adapted to taking on the role previously played by someone else?

He's a great physical actor, as you probably know from 'The Matrix' films, and he took to it immediately. His physicality, his intelligence - and he's sort of part of that 'Matrix' family and world that I've worked with for a long time, so we have a second-hand language which is also very good. I can express something to Hugo in a couple of words and off he goes and does it and usually gives you something even better.

Have you enjoyed working with the British actors on the film?

It's been great. I've been lucky, because the film has been completely cast out of England and the actors here are extraordinary. Coming from Australia, we have this funny hybrid of English and American films, so I've always kept up with English films, more so than if you're brought up in America I guess. So when I came here I already had a band of actors I thought would be great to have in the film, and for the most part, I got them in, which was sort of extraordinary.

You worked with George Lucas on 'Attack of the Clones'. Do you ever feel that you've picked anything up from him, like those famous directions 'faster' and 'more intense'?

Well yes (laughs), I think if youre smart about it you take a little bit from everybody you work with and George is obviously a complete visionary, and there are things I took from that experience in the same way I took things from working with the Wachowskis or the same way I took things from working with directors in Australia. I think you take a bit from everyone and hopefully it all ends up in the back of your mind. I've been lucky to work with a lot of really great people, but I also hope that I end up with my own visual style as well.

'V for Vendetta' is out today. To read our set visit in full, click here.

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