The 300, A Movie Review

Frank Miller's graphic novel come to life on the big screen doesn't live up to the promise of Sin City.

The art direction is phenomenal and the Spartans, led by King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), are imposing physical specimens of perfection - ripped abs, blazing scars, and piercing eyes. The scenes where the Spartans line up like models at a fitness photo shoot are imposing. The scenes of brilliantly choreographed combat are equally memorable, filling the screen with beautiful brutality, and images of desperate courage. It looked like the living comic book of a heroic tale when viewed without the story and when viewed in absence of the on-screen caricatures of the Persian Army.

That's where the problems begin. Reality, in this case, is more amazing than fiction. The movie pitted depravity against character by making modern moral judgments apply to ancient times. It presupposes that homosexuality and gender confusion is such a feared 'condition' that the audience will side with the Spartans who are free of its taint. When truth be told, the Spartans engaged in the deplorable acts of incest and pedophilia to an extent at least as great and perhaps greater than the Persians and that sexual identity wasn't part of the issues of battle during that time. Frank Miller rewrote history to make a modern-day bigoted comment in a completely inappropriate manner.

Why wouldn't the truth stand as banner to the bravery of the 300 of Thermopylae? The truth that the Persians as invaders needed to be stopped and the Hot Gate, a small pass from the beach into

Sparta was the best defensible position is dramatic enough. There is no doubt that King Leonidas undertook one of the most inspired, brilliant, and courageous last stands in the history of warfare. There is no doubt that the Spartans were the most well-trained soldiers of the time.

Knowing these truths there was no perceivable reason, other than propaganda, to politicize the war so much. The council wasn't against Leonidas, the army hadn't stood down, the citizenry hadn't given up hope. He delayed the bulk of Xerxes forces long enough for the rest of the army to assemble, get into position and fight against the invaders. He stood his men in front of the juggernaut and laid down his and their lives for his people and his lands. He led by example and died with honor, not backstabbed by councilmen with agendas filling some imaginary role substitution Miller created to make an anti-peace statement deriding our own present-day Congress. The Persians were human and they didn't force any more slaves into their war than the Greeks conscripted on their own side. The Persians weren't transgendered freaks and demons. Dehumanization of one's enemy is a propagandist's trick, not used by great chroniclers of which Miller is not.

The individual historical inaccuracies are many - too many for this short review. The propaganda is thick and sickening, a movie made as a modern-day recruiting film, not a work of art or a worthy historical lesson, even dramatized as it could've been.

The Art Director should be given royalties, but the director and writer ought to be fired.

- rick on a Movie Rant

Comments

[Cherise]

Excellent blog as always, Rick. I know we've talked about this, but I have to say that I so didn't get any of that political propaganda from the film. I went to see a movie based on a comic book, 'loosely' based on history. That's what I saw. I didn't go to the movie expecting to be enlightened on the Persians or Spartans, I went to be entertained and for me it served it's purpose.

[Success Warrior]

I think I'll pass on seeing it. But then, I pass on most of them. =)

I did see Pursuit of Happyness though and enjoyed it.

[CV Rick]

I want my fiction to be entertaining and thoughtful. When it's based on fact, I want the fact solid and the reasons for stretching it to be clear.

[Graeme]

Great review Rick. I have had people tell me I just didn't understand the whole graphic novel thing. That could be. I agree 100% with your review.

I saw "The lives of Others" last night. It was brilliant.