Movie Review: 300

I'm sure most of you know the story...The Persians were trying to
impose their rule over the world, and tiny, poor Greece had not
submitted yet. So the Persians invaded, and Greece decided to fight,
and the Spartans, the best warriors in the land were asked to lead the
armies. The Spartans however, feared sending their army far from home,
because of their slave class ( the helots), and other politics going
on, so the Spartan king Leonidas went north anyway with his bodyguard
of 300, to stop the supposedly million man army of Perisan king Xerxes
at a small mountain pass called Thermopylae, the Gates of Fire. He
held for three days until a traitor revealed a path around the pass,
which they used to surround the Spartans ( the other Greek allies
having retreated) and kill them to a man.

Great stuff...

Frank Miller wrote the comic the movie is based off, and if you don't
know Frank Miller, he's the guy who basically ressurrected Batman back
in the 80's from being a lame comic to being at the forefront of the
comic Renaissance of the late 80's-90's. If you saw Batman Begins,
almost all of the material from it is from his Batman Year One series.
He also wrote Sin City, and the last two Robocop movies ( which were
drastically altered with rewrites).

Visually, the film is incredible, having been filmed and then having
the back scenery etc drawn in. This gives the movie a surreal look
which really works. The tones of greys and browns lets the red and
gold of the Spartans stand out, as well as the black and silvers of
the Persian Immortals.

The performances are strong, with Gerard Butler as an excellent
Leonidas. He is able to deliver his lines with a dryness and a matter
of factness that shows the Leonidas was confident without being
reckless, and knew the quality of men he lead, without being arrogant.
David Wenham (Faramir from LOTR) and Vincent Regan (Troy) and the rest
of the Spartans also follow this mode...they know they are good, and
they are confident, and they prove it. The battle sequences are
excellent, showing the skill of the Spartans both in a phalanx and in
individual combats.

I think the only weakness of the film is the subplot back in Sparta,
where the Queen tries to rally the Spartans to send their army to the
north to rally to Leonidas. I think the resolution of it was fast, and
almost seemed thrown in as an afterthought.

I also must warn you that this is more a dramatic movie with action,
then an action movie with some drama. This means that the conclusion
may not be as climatic as it might have been had the story been a work
of fiction, but I am reminded strongly of the ending of Braveheart,
with the Spartan Dilios leading the charge of the Spartan army at
Platea being like the charge of the Scots at Bannockburn...

Overall, the movie rocks. I will probably see it again in the theatres
and will be sure to pick it up on DvD when it first comes out.

postscript: What I think will be amusing is the interpetation that
will be given to the film in light of today's political stage. I have
heard that in Europe people walked out on the film because they were
outraged by the "message", while some people have likened George Bush
to both Leonidas and Xerxes. I don't believe you can make an issue of
the story with today's world....you could do the same with Lord of the
Rings and many other tales.

On 9 Mar 2007 12:34:38 -0800, "keifer113@gmail.com"
<Keifer113.DeleteThis@gmail.com> wrote:
]Great stuff...
]
]Frank Miller wrote the comic the movie is based off, and if you don't

History channel has done a 2 hour show on it. The whole fact-fiction
thing. It convinced me to go see the movie.

]postscript: What I think will be amusing is the interpetation that
]will be given to the film in light of today's political stage. I have
]heard that in Europe people walked out on the film because they were
]outraged by the "message", while some people have likened George Bush

Maybe they were just illiterates suddenly realizing this is
Literature ?

JimP.
--
http://www.linuxgazette.net/ Linux Gazette
http://crestar.drivein-jim.net/testy/ Feb 22, 2007 1E AD&D
http://www.drivein-jim.net/ March 2, 2007: Drive-In movie theatres
http://poetry.drivein-jim.net/ poetry blog Feb 15, 2007