Recycling the Myth

Rating: 8/10 (5 June 2007)

When the Greek writers composed the original version of King Leonidas' stand at Thermoply, Athens and Sparta were locked in a deadly internectine war. The Greek writers recollected upon a time when Athens the Great Democracy stood together with Sparta the Great Autocracy and saved Greece from the Great King of Persia. Greek writers were careful however in treating with the enemy extolling the Persian warriors for their courage in battle.
The original version of this film was released when US and USSR, former allies in World War II, the Great Patriotic War, were deadlocked in struggle for the mastery of the world. the deadly duel between Athens and Sparta was often used as a simile for the conflict between former allies. Why couldn't they work together as before might have been the hidden question.
Today the USSR is gone and the US now a debtor nation is hardly the industrial or military giant it once was. Where once the plains thundered with US troops in an army of millions, President Bush can barely raise an army equal in size to that of Switzerland.
Every civilisation in stress returns to its happier moments. Here we see the Greeks representing the cause of Western Civilisation fending off the hoards of Asia. We can savour the courage of the Greek Alamo, as a sop for US impotence.
The author of the updated version did not do honor to the Greeks who scribed the original tale. I don't believe Herodotus described Xerxes as a pervert. I believe Herodotus claimed that Xerxes' proclamation to the Greek City States before embarking on war was conciliatory in nature. Xerxes even claimed to be an Acadian, IE Greek. Herodotus also extolled the virtue of the Persian immortals who shoot the bow straight, ride in formation and always tell the truth.
The film made perverts out of the Persians and imported part of the Hanibal legend into the tale.
Yet I gave the film an 8 as the story deserves to be told and the character of Leonidas is true to that which history credits.