300 good but a bit too pro-war

Rating: 5/10 (29 March 2007)

300 is a visually and aesthetically well-made film. Whoever styled King Leonidas must have studied the ancient Greek statues very closely (I particularly like the accuracy of the pointed beard). Great use of technology, lighting, music and effects (although a bit overkill on the slow-motion sequences).
However, I couldn't help cringing throughout the entire film, thinking how some of the lines sounded like something you hear on Fox News. References to 'freedom' kept bringing to mind 'Operation Freedom Force' as Fox News dubbed it, whereas all other news medias around the world labelled it for what it was: the war on Iraq. Forgive me for being cynical, and I'm all for a good sword flick here and there, but it's no accident that this film is out now, considering the current political climate in the U.S. surrounding their concerns about nuclear proliferation in Iran. We must all be very careful and see this film for what it is: a good action-packed film, and not read into the subliminal pro-war messages.
When I went to Thermopylae (as all Greeks do), I read the inscription and it brought tears to my eyes - just like visiting WW1/2 sites in northern France did, as Auschwitz and Hiroshima did. Why? Why did all these people have to end their lives so tragically?
Instead of glorifying war and bloodshed we should be using this to make us remember that war is wrong. That mankind have got it all wrong and that we need to look at things through different eyes; not ones with borders, nationalities, faiths, colour, creeds, etc. but as humans. We have to say: What are we doing to each other? Is all this death that necessary?
It's good to rehash history but it has to be done responsibly, like Ridley Scott did with "Black Hawk Down" for example.
History is here to teach us, but this battle happened in 480BC, which sadly tells me that the lessons are lost and we haven't moved on as a civilisation...