Glory seeker trends.

Rating: 8/10 (10 January 2008)

"More a man the more stripes he wears, glory seeker trends. Bodies fill the fields I see, the slaughter never ends."
Such is the case with "300." One of the most testosterone fueled flicks to ever come out. There is literally enough machismo here for every Clint Eastwood movie to have ever come out. But is that a good or bad or bad thing?
The bad of "300" are the incredible historical liberties it takes. The way the Spartans are portrayed, the way the Persians are portrayed, the way good and evil is portrayed, it is all very simplistic and doesn't at all merit the actual historical event. Basically good looking equals good and ugly equals bad. Many of the Persians are even shown as being monsters or mutations of sorts. Then the Spartans, people in peak physical and mental condition are filled with honor and respect. At one point King Leonidas even laughs at the Athenians for being "philosphers and boy lovers" despite the fact that "boy loving" was standard in Sparta and life in Sparta was from from democratic of tranquil. In fact for many residents it was dangerous and outright unfair.
If fact the film, and Frank Miller's graphic novel, takes so many liberties with history and portrayal that it would be better served in a fantasy universe with allusions to the real 300 Spartans. Walter Hill's "The Warriors" does something like that and it served the film well. As a result, the creative liberties then wouldn't seem excessive and much of the offense many people take from this film would be gone. I found the fact that people are offended by this film kind of silly as the exaggerations are obviously intentional and not ignorant stereotypes. On the flip side that fact that "300" takes place in a real historical setting is also silly given all those liberties it takes. It would simply better better served in a fantasy setting like "Lord of the Rings" (which contains many allusions to Europeans history).
The good of "300" is the incredible production value. Shot on three blue screen sets with one actual outside location (just like the Star Wars episodes I, II, and III), yet it gives George Lucas a serious run for his money. This is what blue screen is all about, folks. The cinematography is spellbinding and the action sequences are nothing short of a series of jaw dropping spectacles of first-rate choreography and special effects. Many shots are taken directly from the graphic novel's static images, but are translated onto screen and put in to motion amazingly well. Simply put, the movement that you imagine while reading a graphic novel is realized here with startling accuracy.
Also good are those historical liberties. I know I said that they are bad a paragraph back, but these liberties do serve a critical purpose. The idealistic portrayal of the Spartans and the monstrous portrayal of the Persians is the result of one key thing: the story is told from the point of view of a Spartan soldier. Thus, of course, he will praise his brothers in arms and the people listening (other Spartans) will be pleased to hear that their king defended their land. Whether this is nationalistic and fascist propaganda or the stuff that legends are made of is ultimately your call. It can be seen both ways. If you watch "300" with historical context in mind (and are annoyed at all the inaccuracies) you'll see it as militaristic propaganda with disposable heroes. However, if you watch the film as a fantasy that shows sacrifice and honor you'll see it as a legend being born with heroes that are sure to be praised in the generations to come. --- 8/10
Rated R for violence and sexual content. Ages 13+