One Nation Under a Raving Lunatic

Rating: 5/10 (13 March 2007)

Zack Snyder's gleefully insane adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel, "300" just may be the first movie to appeal to both radically hawkish hard-line conservatives and to the most outgoing section of the gay community. Zack Snyder, it seems, is a uniter, not a divider. "300" is over-the-top visually and thematically, morally corrupt, erotically jingoistic, and infected with both nihilistic and fascist sensibilities.
In an attempt to make the onslaught of computer generated images appear more like film, Snyder decides to add a faux-graininess to many of the more elaborate shots, which makes much of them hard to see. Of course, some of these images aren't without their artistic merit, often visually transfixing and compelling in their composition. Overall, he does a commendable job in his literal translation of comic book images to the big screen (much in the same vein as the far superior "Sin City.") Some of it (like most of the well staged and fantastically gory battle scenes) is amazing, but much of it (even the Spartan soldiers' abs look computer generated) is just plain silly.
For a movie that attempts to be so trailblazing from a visual perspective, the storyline stays alarmingly close to the conventions of both macho-man war epics and comic book action films. The dialogue is mostly screaming and vague speeches about "honor and liberty and justice" backed-up by glaring and pompous music. It makes the script from "Gladiator" seem like Shakespeare in comparison. As far as the cast goes, the beautiful Lena Headey lends herself nicely to the film's aesthetics and acts as if she is staring in a far more refined historical epic. In the lead role of mad King Leonidas, Gerard Butler does a wildly entertaining impersonation of someone doing a spoof on a young and robust Sean Connery. He's the only one seeming to have fun with the self-seriousness of the whole endeavor, and dare I say it, this could be a star-making role for him.
Lambasting "300" for historical inaccuracies would be like condemning "American Idol" for not allowing presidential candidates to debate on the show between songs. History is not what this film is about. In some ways it feebly tries to channel the spirit of Greek myth. In its celebration of physical beauty, view of courage as how loud you can scream and how many people you can decapitate, and idolizing the mentality of "freedom at any costs," it appeals to both ancient Greeks and unfortunately, a certain segment of the modern audience. Ultimately, this is just another film that fetishizes death and martyrdom over the innate will to survive. Even Mel Gibson's equally violent "Apocalypto" recognized man's unshakable will to live. Willing a glorious death is no way to spend one's life, and as entertaining as much of it is, "300" panders to our basest desires of self annihilation.