Conflicted experience

Rating: 8/10 (12 March 2007)

I'm conflicted over this film.
On the one hand, you've got one of the most testosterone driven films you'll ever see. Watching this movie, you want to go out, eat some raw meat, drink whiskey, get in a fight in a bar, and ravish a woman. This film has more machismo than a Rocky marathon on TBS. It's pulsing with enough masculinity to make you question your sexuality.
Heh.
On the other hand, you've got a masturbatory film full of patriotic verve and cock-suredness (!) that it confidently and self-righteously pummels you with the message that freedom is bought with blood. A good message, and a true one, don't get me wrong. But 'subtlety' is not in this film's vocabulary.
At it's best, this film is awe-inspiring. The music pulsates with heavy rock beats, the violence is thick and heavy, and the acting is overpowering. There is no subtlety in this film. It does what it intends to do: show the unimaginable heroism of the battle of Thermopylae, and kicks freakin' ass in the process.
At it's worst, though, it's absurdly juvenile. Zack Snyder (the director) is a like a kid who's been given the keys to a cinematic kingdom. He uses every trick of the industry. He does too much, too soon. He pushes this film too far, and tries too hard. There is simply too much cool for the one-hour and fifty-seven minutes.
Ultimately, though, this is a film that has one mission: to kick ass. And it does.
But in the process, this film can be absurd. Almost violent-kitsch. For instance, slow motion can be used to great effect...if you know what you're doing. Kubrick, Kurosawa, and Scorsese have all used it effectively. Mel Gibson has made the effect a major part of his directorial repertoire. It's became a bit of a trademark for him.
The difference between these directors and Snyder, though, is that Snyder uses it in almost every scene. It's done so much in this movie that it has no emotional impact. Like the close up, slow motion works best to emphasize, to enhance. used too much, it becomes a cheap ploy. Instead of heightening the drama of a scene, it distracts from the film and takes the audience out of the moment. It's sole purpose, in this film, is to make action shots "cooler". Which is great if you're a 16 year-old, video game playing male. But if you're not, this film will leave you wanting more.
Like everything else in the movie, the acting is over the top. Gerard Butler is imposing as King Leonidas, but there are times where it seems as though he's yelling everything. I get that he's trying to motivate, but as someone watching a movie, you're left with the thought of, "enough already". For a stoic warrior, he's the most impassioned man on the screen.
But you know what? At the end of the day, this is the kind of movie that's meant to simply be enjoyed. It's not meant to be deep, or overly analyzed. There are flaws, yes. But this movie was designed for you to sit back, chill out, and say, "damn. That's awesome." And more often than not, that's exactly what your reaction will be.