Original artwork, not a still
Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof.
— V for Vendetta · 2005
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
V is telling his killers they are shooting at the wrong thing: the man can die, the idea he stands for cannot. It is the film's thesis in two sentences. The line is quoted wherever people argue that a movement outlasts its leader.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for V for VendettaShow the scene
In the final act of V for Vendetta (2006), V comes face to face with Chancellor Sutler, and the secret police chief Peter Creedy shoots Sutler dead and orders V to take off his mask. V refuses and kills two of the Fingermen sent to unmask him, and Creedy and his men then open fire. V, who wears a bullet-resistant vest, survives the volley and kills the rest. The line is addressed to Creedy by name and adapts a speech from the graphic novel, where V tells Inspector Finch that there is only an idea under the cloak.
Sources (3)
- Wikiquote: V for Vendetta (film)V; Creedy and Sutler confrontationReference checked
- V for Vendetta Wiki: VGraphic novel summaryReference checked
- V for Vendetta Wiki: Peter CreedyBiographyReference checked
Context reviewed
