--NO SPOILERS   

 V for Vendetta explores one man’s courage to stand up to a government that continues to isolate its constituency.   Not unlike the Frodo character in Lord of the Rings, V is one insignificant human that inspires a nation and changes the course of its history.  Hugo Weaving (The Matrix) plays the enshrouded V, who, within the course of a year turns the tide of a fascist and oppressive dictatorship.  On a more symbolic level, the movie reminds viewers how seemingly insignificant violations of liberty can lead toward the consolidation of power and the downfall of democracy. 

On a historical note, one need only know a tad bit of British history to really appreciate the metaphor behind the lead character V. 

 The Facts:

 Guy Fawkes (April 14, 1570–January 31, 1606) was an English soldier and a member of a group of Roman Catholic conspirators who attempted to carry out the so-called Gunpowder Plot in 1605. The plot was an attempt to assassinate King James I of England (James VI of Scotland) and the members of both houses of the Parliament of England. To do this, Westminster Palace was to be blown up during the formal opening session of the 1605 Parliament, in which the king would address a joint assembly of both the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Guy Fawkes was in large part responsible for the later stages of the plan's execution. His activities were detected, however, before the plan's completion. Following a severe interrogation involving the use of torture, Fawkes and his co-conspirators were executed for treason and attempted murder. Guy Fawkes is remembered with Guy Fawkes Night on November 5