300
March 10th, 2007
Filed Under: Comix, Kool Stuff, Reviews, movies
This movie adaptation of Frank Miller’s comic 300, which is itself based off of the accounts of the Spartans that resisited the invasion of the Persians, was nothing short of cinematic visual eye candy! Lots of kool scenes and sequences to watch here. However, it’s plot is only 20-25 minutes long and so that leaves lots of gory action to take up the rest of the nearly two hour film. It’s not for people who either:
a) hate comic book adaptations,
b) need intelligent dialogue & plot twists,
c) is a parent concerned about the level of violence in films,
and
d) an Iranian living in Iran.
Yeah, on that last note, I don’t think Iranians really care for the portrayal of the Persian Leader as a flamboyant wanker commanding an army of bootleg Foot-clan members, but hey, it is an AMERICAN produced movie so what did they really expect?! Besides, my Greek buddy Spyros told me the story was very accurate… except, however, he didn’t confirm the gay part of Hellenistic society back then, instead insisting on the fact that HE is not gay (take note of the all the smiles by the ladies surrounding him), and he is a native Greek afterall. So, that clears up that I guess.
*GRIN*
There’s an undertone of jingoism in the movie that I could easily do without, but overall I enjoyed the film for what it was: a non-stop bloody action flick.
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9 Responses to “300”
Magda
Well I liked this movie. I wasn’t trying to read into it, just observing the Sparta man in action. I think it was a great action flick!
Dave
I feel the Spartans leather underpants really stole the show, strange how all them Greek men wax their chests (You know the Greeks invented being gay, it’s an incontrovertible fact*)
*may not be true
stergiana
The movie was really good and I loved the acting of both Leonidas and his wife! Well…there were some “Hollywood” touches like the monsters that appeared with the Spartians in almost every fight… This was silly. As regards tha Spartians…I am sure Xerxis shouldn’t be so vulnerable…
As regards tha comment above…A Greek would say : Osa den ftanei i alepou ta kanei kremastaria! (check it out)
lauren
I liked the movie just for the Aesthetics. It’s not everyday that you see special effects like this. I would give it a 4 star rating, just for those reasons, but as far as story line it wasn’t mind blowing.
: ) L.
Andrew M.
I’m a bit torn about it. Like many, I thought it was visually stylistic. I, a comic geek and Greek American (family comes from Mani…near Sparta), will automatically compare to the original graphic novel and what I know of the history.
History- it’s gone back and forth on scholars on how close. But…I don’t think Roman scholars turn to William Shakespeare when the are looking for “definitive history” of Caesar.
Graphic novel-it followed the GN closely. I was skeptical after being a bit bored by Sin City (that movie followed TOO closely). I thought this was a good interpretation and next step. It took the core story to the level a movie can go in terms of visuals and sounds.
Thing I did not like- MONSTERS. WTF??? OK…I have seen a lot of political readings into this (most by people who didn’t read/know about the graphic novel). Still…the only “monsters” in the graphic novel was…the elephants. That crab hand guy and the minotaur…stupid. That was just asking for people to get pissed.
Political “controversy.”
I read a lot about how this was an attack on Muslims, including a blog trashing it and comparing it to Nazi propaganda. Hey, I hate Bush right wing politics as much as the next (thinking) guy, but this was a PRE CHRISTIAN and PRE MUSLIM time frame. Also the fact it’s based on a story from 1997…way before the current state of sorry ass world affairs, supports this. I can see Iranians pissed because Xeres was a national hero (same as we would be pissed at a foreign film trashing George Washington)…but I think anyone who states it was “Christian vs. Muslim” needs look at the film more objectively without an agenda (like the idiot blog I refer to)…and look at historical context (and possibly read a history book now and then).
Maybe the film should not have tried to follow Frank Miller so closely on how Xeres LOOKED and gone with more traditional Persian armor or clothing (as the 300 Spartans 60s movie did). Might have helped bring this Xeres “wanker-ness” down if he didn’t look the part.
Loved the action, acting, story, and music. Surprised to hear modern music…but it gave it a nice kick ass feel to it.
Mixed reviews…overall I loved it. A bit put off by portraying the Persians with “monsters” but the film did end with the whole thing being a story told…something that could have been brought out more. The storyteller would make the “enemy” seem like “monsters” in this war.
I give it a B+..and damn near an A.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/08/arts/EU-A-E-MOV-Greece-300.php
for Greek press reviews.
Dimitris
It’s very interesting to listen to the western world (and in this case Americans and Irish) talking about Ancient Greeks being gay. What’s more interesting though is that those talking, either didnt even exist as a nation back then or they were eating roots and sleeping in caves. But the funniest of all is that they were actually inspired by these stories and happily adapted them nowdays in their lives.
Gay Bastards
Dimitris
oooh by the way… the movie was good and the story quite accurate but with the usual Hollywood bullshit.
..:JJP
Just so there’s no misunderstandings, I was actually making reference to the fact that in the begining of the movie “300″ how the Spartans tried to make it very clear that they were straight “strong” men while the men of Athens were questionable in that regard. I thought that was kinda funny considering the fact that throughtout the rest of the movie, no matter how subtle or unintended, there was all this male titilation going on among the Spartan warriors. It’s okay to be in the closet, just don’t hate your Athenian neighbors is all I’m saying.
Ok, I’ll now return to eating my delicious roots from the comfort of my pimped out cave…..
Dimitris
haha the roots were for Dave!
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