It’s actually a funny story. I sat down to watch V for Vendetta, with fresh eyes, after seeing it many years ago, only to stumble upon this mural a few weeks later, with Guru.
I was immediately taken with it. Right in the middle of the Grand Army of the Republic was V. What a powerful message!
For those who are unfamiliar with Star Wars (very few I'm sure), the idea of the Grand Army was to protect the Republic, but that failed after the death of Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas who had commissioned the Army. The Sith, who was responsible for his death, took control of it and ultimately used it against the Republic and the Jedi Order.
It is, in a way, fitting that the artist of the mural would see a V figure in the Grand Army. Especially in today’s society, with the rise of Trumpism: political figures who use social networks and the media to push their own agendas, while trying to convince the public that their versions of what a society should look like, is for the good of all people. In V’s world, Fascism was the rule of the day. The high chancellor, Adam Sutler deprived his people of their freedom, using violence and terror to keep them in line. V, who escaped a concentration camp, takes revenge on the high chancellor and those apart of his government.
It is no wonder that George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984, is at the top of the bestsellers list for 2017, while a figure like V from V for Vendetta is popping up on everyone's list of saviors for the modern world.
This mural makes you wonder...who will stand up for the people now? We have the courts, we have the marches, we have other politicians speaking up, but we need a voice. We need a leader who will lead by example. We need a Justin Trudeau. The question is...who?