Natalie Portman Takes on Terrorism

March 25, 2006 — -- America's number-one movie last weekend deals with America's number one fear.

"V for Vendetta," which brought in more than $25 million at the box office its first three days, is a politically charged wild ride of a movie. It's got spooky characters, lots of action, and a simple but highly controversial message: Maybe terrorism is right sometimes.

The film, an Orwellian imagining of London in the year 2020, tells the story of a mysterious dissident named V. His accomplice -- not altogether willing -- is a young woman named Evey, played by Natalie Portman.

"I am proud of this movie," Portman said. "I think this film is ultimately, at its base, entertainment, a very entertaining movie. And it also has a lot of ideas about how much a government can limit the rights of its people before the people need to make their voice heard."

The main character in "V" makes his voice heard by blowing up government buildings, earning the film no shortage of controversy.

The film, in which the bad guys are Christian arch-conservatives who exploit fear of terrorism and persecute homosexuals, wears its politics on its sleeve -- and so does Portman. When she appeared on "Good Morning America" during the 2004 presidential election, she wore a John Kerry t-shirt.

But Portman insists the film is non-partisan.

"Obviously, there are many interpretations of this film -- and all of them are valid and any criticism is completely valid," she said. "I've heard Republicans who love this movie."

Conservatives are not amused. MSNBC anchor Joe Scarborough called the film, "a vulgar, ham-fisted attempt at political protest."