V's wardrobe is simple: Everything is black.

Use this checklist to keep track of what you have and what you need, then check out the rest of the lens for more information about V and recommendations for where to get the stuff.

__ The Mask.

To be seen without the mask would be unthinkable. This is the only part of the costume that is absolutely mandatory. Don't worry, though. It's also easy to get.

__ Black cape.

Well, I guess the cape is pretty important too. No getting out of that, is there?

__ Black hat.

Chances are you don't have one of these laying around. So look for some guidance in finding or making an affordable hat below.

__ Black hair.

There are two things to know about the hair. First, you don't need a special V wig. Any standard (cheap) witch wig will do, if you cut it off roughly at the shoulders. Second, depending on your hair, there's a good chance you can look really cool with no wig at all. Take a closer look at the picture of V above.

__ Black shirt and pants.

You don't need my help with this. You have these in your closet. But on the off chance you don't, consider buying sweats for under $10. Or treat yourself to a pair of Black Levi's 501s. It's about time.

__ Black socks and shoes.

We had great success with plain black shoes. Of course, some calf-height police or military boots would be more impressive, but aren't they always? If you've got 'em, wear 'em. If not, don't worry about it.

It started out as a comic in 1981, was published as a book a decade later, and now, at the age of 25, has been updated and made into a movie about freedom, tyranny, and personal integrity.

The Wachowski brothers, famous for their Matrix series, first wrote a screenplay for V for Vendetta back in the 90s, and it's said that it was very true to the graphic novel. For this movie, though, they re-wrote it, and there is controversy about whether it lost something in this re-write. What do you think?

Memorize some of these great lines, for the perfect costume accessory.

Remember, remember,
the fifth of November,
gunpowder treason and plot.

I know of no reason
why the gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot.
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Dominic: What do you think's going to happen?
Finch: What usually happens when people without guns stand up to people *with* guns.
-----
Evey Hammond: ...artists use lies to tell the truth while politicians use them to cover it up.
-----
Evey Hammond: Are you, like, a crazy person?
V: I'm quite sure they will say so.
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V: Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof.
-----
V: A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having!
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V: People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.
-----
Finch: If our own government was responsible for the deaths of almost a hundred thousand people... would you really want to know?

Alan Moore, co-author of the original comic book, objected strongly to the movie, as he has to all film adaptations of his work. From the Wikipedia article:

After reading the script, Moore remarked that his comic had been "turned into a Bush-era parable by people too timid to set a political satire in their own country.... [This film] is a thwarted and frustrated and largely impotent American liberal fantasy of someone with American liberal values standing up against a state run by neoconservatives — which is not what [the comic] 'V for Vendetta' was about. It was about fascism, it was about anarchy, it was about [England].">

Co-author and illustrator David Lloyd supports the movie. In an interview at Newsarama.com he says this:

"It's a terrific film. The most extraordinary thing about it for me was seeing scenes that I'd worked on and crafted for maximum effect in the book translated to film with the same degree of care and effect. The "transformation" scene between Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving is just great. If you happen to be one of those people who admires the original so much that changes to it will automatically turn you off, then you may dislike the film - but if you enjoyed the original and can accept an adaptation that is different to its source material but equally as powerful, then you'll be as impressed as I was with it."

Guy Fawkes

It's said that Guy Fawkes was the only man who ever entered parliament with noble intentions.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, England was struggling with its departure from the Catholic church. Religious oppression was strong, and there were assassinations, negotiations, conversions, and ever-changing policies. The conspirators who were involved in the November 5 plot with Guy Fawkes were unhappy about the treatment of Catholics and the Church, and sought to kill King James I of England, along with both houses of parliament, to bring about a new political environment.

After the plot was subverted, Guy Fawkes was tortured mercilessly, and Catholics were subjected to even worse treatment, until toward the end of the century, they began to be seen as less of a threat, and persecution waned.

British Parliament: Gunpower Treason and Plot

This is a great interactive site from the British government with lots of details about the gunpowder treason and plot.

One of the coolest parts is a page that shows various people involved, and the relationships among them, in a really creative, interactive way. You've gotta check it out.