Portman's Bald, Bold Leading Debut

March 16, 2006 — -- Natalie Portman's recent, expletive-filled "Saturday Night Live" rap may look tame after folks see her lead a revolution in "V for Vendetta."

After more than a decade in supporting roles, she breaks out in a commanding role in this depiction of a woman who resorts to violence to avenge her parents' deaths and overturn a British totalitarian regime.

Expectations are strong for the film, which is produced by Andy and Larry Wachowski in their first effort since their groundbreaking "Matrix" series closed up shop. "V" opens Friday.

Once again, they're presenting a grim view of government as an entity exerting far too much control over its citizens. In this futuristic society, the leaders approve all news reports, songs and art, and exert a curfew over the citizens while monitoring their every conversation.

For the filmmakers, Portman was an easy choice for the pivotal role of Evey, who goes from living a quiet life to entering the revolution.

"She's an amazing actress. … You need to believe the journey that character goes on, and I think Natalie lets you really believe it," said director James McTeigue. "She's your guide through the narrative. … It's really about her presence and her intelligence."

Portman has gone from the matriarch in the "Star Wars" series to playing an awkward young woman in "Garden State," but chose a story that resonated with her youth for her first major leading role.

As she explained it, she was born in Israel and has spent a lot of time trying to understand how violence is used in our society. The chance to explore the issue further in this movie was an immediate draw.

"I was really excited at the idea of getting into the mind of someone who would use violence and who goes through that transformation," the 24-year-old told a group of journalists in New York. "I'm so into nonviolence, but then I always wonder, what would drive people who seem like normal, good, smart people to believe that they can commit acts of violence?"

In "V for Vendetta," the politics are fictional but were inspired by former U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's regime when the original graphic novel was penned in the 1980s.