By Isaiah Smith/entertainment editor
Prepare for glory! 300, based on the graphic novel of the same name by Frank Miller, gives a bloody, dramatic
look at the battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C.
Despite glaring historical inaccuracies, this glam look at the Spartan/Persian conflict is well worth a look.
The film centers on King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) as he leads a group of 300 Spartan soldiers—against the high priests’ will—to defend Sparta from the Persian hoard.
This film is visually stunning. The sweeping shots of both tranquil countryside and bloody warfare show the duality of life in Spartan society where only the most beautiful and perfect survive for a not-so-
beautiful life as a soldier from the age of 7.
Ironically, the soldiers rode triceratops, which was ridiculous. Fear not, it was a rhinoceros.
The depiction of the Persians has a whole sadomasochistic vibe with overly-pierced freaks and monsters with body modifications turning them into living weapons.
The emperor Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) looks far more imposing with at least a dozen piercings in his face alone and a fashion sense with the motto if it is not gold, do not wear it. Santoro gives a chilling performance, making it easy to believe he is some maniacal emperor with delusions of being a god.
King Leonidas makes his stand against the massive Persian army in a narrow canyon where numbers will not make a difference. The scenes leading up to the battle show the more human side of these soldiers as they march to defend their Sparta.
Adding another layer to the intricacies of this story is Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) desperately trying to send the rest of Sparta’s army to stand with her husband on the frontline. She is met with political opposition and shows how strong a Queen would have to be in such a hopeless situation.
Every guy in Sparta wears only red briefs and a long red cape over well-defined bodies, so even though 300 is a war movie, there is plenty of eye-candy for the ladies.
I thought the war was a fascinating choice of topic for a movie because this battle is what set the ball in motion that led to the creation of one of the largest, most successful democracies in human history.
The fight scenes are bloody—very, very bloody, sometimes excessively so. But, hey, anyone who has played Mortal Kombat has to realize bloodshed is necessary to win a fight. A few scenes have gratuitous nudity, so people with more … delicate sensibilities should skip this film.
I loved it. However, sometimes 300 got so serious and dramatic that I just had to laugh.
I understand stylizing the film to make it look like the graphic novel, but someone should have reigned in the enthusiasm of the Spartans a bit because I was not the only one in the theater laughing.
300 gives a bloody, inaccurate look at a real event in human history, just the way I like it.
I give this film four stars. The film is a bit too dramatic for the full five, but more than worth admission.
