"300" gives blood and guts for glory

Rating: 7/10 (30 April 2007)

"300" delivers an all out, adrenaline pumping, macho blood-fest of massive proportions that is rarely seen on film. From the start, this film intends on taking the viewer to the limit.
One has to take a breath after the film's conclusion because a person cannot handle such a testosterone pummeling.
"300" is based on the graphic novel of the same name by Frank Miller. The same man that gave us "Sin City." The graphic novel and film are very loosely based on the historical Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. In this battle 300 Spartans attempt to strategically take on the estimated million strong army of the invading Persians.
From here the film divulges into a type of fictional history, yes an oxymoron. The basic idea stays the same, but there are many creative liberties taken. For example the Spartans fighting against giant monsters and other creatures.
The war against the Persians is forbidden by the gods, but the Spartan King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) does not want to see his people enslaved or killed. Breaking the law, he leads the 300 best Spartan warriors to battle in order to make a statement strong enough to persuade the rest of his countryman to go against the gods and declare war.
"300" is directed by Zack Snyder. This is a director to really keep an eye on. His two films "300" and the re-make "Dawn of the Dead (2004)" have been excellent. Snyder has shown a mastery of his craft.
What Snyder does tremendously is recapturing the art of Frank Miller's original graphic novel. Just as "Sin City" did in order to mimic the frames of the graphic novel, "300" was entirely shot with a blue/green screen.
This allows Snyder to articulately copy the pages of Miller. The backgrounds of the film are vibrant with color and resonate with the ominous blues of the night and the ceremonious golds of the day. This will please many the fans of the graphic novel as it has striking similarities.
Snyder also meticulously shows scenes in slow motion. Many times this would cause me to complain as most films either overuse slow motion or misuse it. Slow motion has thus become overdone. Alright, it is probably overly abused in "300," but the film develops a specific style from slow motion shots that makes the film what it is.
The slow motion used by Snyder also allows the viewer to see what is being displayed during the action scenes. Too many times movies show rapidly cut action scenes where the viewer did not comprehend anything that happened. In "300" most of the action is shown in slow motion and the viewer can see the action in all of its bloody glory.
Plus the slow motion is just flat out cool. Slow motion has not been used this well since "The Matrix." "300" is obviously not a film that is going to build deep characters. Just about all of the soldiers are interchangeable and blend in with their exposed and ridiculously defined muscular chests'. Seriously, some of those muscles probably don't even exist.
Without a doubt, "300" caters to a specific audience. If you are not intrigued by intense action at a breakneck pace with blood gushing from every direction "300" is probably not for you. If that does intrigue you then "300" will satisfy your bloodlust.