Chapter 25 of 25 · 2'23"
Sutler's televised address vows that justice will be “without mercy,” and V answers by appearing in the bunker. “I have kept my side of the bargain,” V says, then presents a “farewell gift.” Creedy arrives, demands V remove his mask, and gets a single word: “No.”
❝ Monologue · 5 lines V Kills Sutler and Refuses to Unmask
Sutler broadcasts a speech declaring that anyone caught breaking curfew will be treated as a terrorist, then V appears inside his command bunker. V greets him, says he has kept his side of the bargain, and gives him a farewell gift. When Creedy arrives and orders V to take off his mask, V refuses.
Sutler's speech is pure performance: he promises justice that is “swift,” “righteous,” and “without mercy,” turning curfew-breakers into terrorists by decree. V defeats that language by quoting it back. “I have kept my side of the bargain, but have you kept yours?” reframes the entire conflict as a broken compact, and the “farewell gift” is death. The scene also settles who really holds power at the end: Creedy's men have switched sides, Sutler's rhetoric cannot protect him, and V keeps his mask on. His single “No” to “Take off your mask” is the last word — the regime can kill the man but not identify or define him.
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
“I have kept my side of the bargain, but have you kept yours?”
It admits his own part first, then turns the question, leaving the other man cornered.
Formal
“Our enemy is an insidious one, seeking to divide us...”
One word, insidious, does the work of a whole speech: it makes fear feel like duty.
Formal
“Tonight I give you my most solemn vow...”
The formal vow sounds like reassurance, which is exactly what makes it sinister.
Formal
“I have something for you, chancellor.”
The bland politeness of a gift line becomes a threat in this room.
Neutral
“For all the things you've done, for the things you might have done...”
It charges him for deeds done and deeds intended, which makes the reckoning total.
literary
“...it's time to have a look at your face.”
Calling it a look makes the unmasking sound casual, which is what makes it cold.
Neutral
I have something for you, chancellor. A farewell gift. For all the things you've done, for the things you might have done... ...and for the only thing you have left. Goodbye, chancellor.
Because the idea matters more than the man. If V is only a face, the regime can kill a person; by staying anonymous, he remains a symbol anyone could take up.
He doesn't seem to. He is mid-broadcast claiming the enemy is being defeated when V appears in the bunker, meaning his own security has already turned against him.
It's Sutler's death. V says it is for what Sutler has done and what he might still do, then kills him — a gift framed politely, which makes it more chilling.
It refers to the deal with Creedy: V has agreed to be there so Sutler's own enforcer can strike. Saying it aloud turns Sutler's death into a broken contract rather than an ambush.
