Adam Susan - Film Adaptation

Film Adaptation

In the film adaptation, the character is named Adam Sutler (a portmanteau of "Susan" and "Hitler"), and is portrayed by John Hurt. His title is "High Chancellor". The Fate super-computer subplot is not featured in the film version.

Sutler's story is described as that of "a young and upcoming politician" and "a deeply religious man and a member of the Conservative party". After the founding of Norsefire, he is mentioned briefly as Under-Secretary for Defence during the "Saint Mary's crisis", thus implying a coalition government between Norsefire and a stronger party. Sutler is elected Prime Minister by promising to restore order to the country after terrorists supposedly killed 80,000 people with a self-ignited bioweapon that created a viral epidemic (it is later revealed that Norsefire had actually launched the attack). He then uses the supposed terrorist threat as a pretext for genocide, along with an ongoing propaganda campaign in the state-run media, to cow the public into silence and appoint himself High Chancellor, turning the country into a single-party republic with himself as its autocratic head of state.

As in the graphic novel, Sutler lives in an underground bunker in self-imposed exile and leaves the day-to-day operation of his empire to his lieutenants. For most of the film he is only seen on television, until the end when he finally appears in person.

A decade later, when Sutler watches himself lampooned in a farce on a talk show, he is enraged and orders the show's host, Gordon Dietrich, arrested in the dead of night (he was later killed after a Qur'an was discovered among his belongings. Some viewers are confused by Dietrich's appearance with other "dead characters" at Parliament at the end of the film though this could be symbolic as the regime's fall brings justice to all those killed by it.

Sutler blames Creedy for the failure to stop V and threatens to fire him, also leveling threats and blame against other members of his council, including head detective Mr. Finch. He refuses to listen to any of Finch's observations about V and his plans, nearly all of which turn out to be completely correct. As November 5 nears, Sutler's rants become increasingly furious, indicative of his waning power. Intent on securing more power for himself, Creedy subsequently makes a deal with V to assassinate Sutler. Creedy and his men kidnap Sutler from his bunker and bring him to V in the London Underground, where Creedy personally executes Sutler, shooting his hated boss in the head at point-blank range. In sharp contrast to the powerful and charismatic man Sutler portrays himself as at a distance, he is revealed to be a coward when dragged from his bunker and faced with his end.