[thenightwriterblog] The Night Writer: 300 reasons

[notify at powerblogs.com]

Posted by The Night Writer:
300 reasons 
http://thenightwriterblog.powerblogs.com/posts/1173636886.shtml


   I was among the 90 percent male audience at a 9:00 p.m. showing of
   [1]300 over the weekend. Some of the guys there were younger men and a
   few looked a little geeky and there were one or two older ones I might
   have pegged for still being in residence at their mom's house, but
   most appeared middle-aged and normal -- a category I hope the others
   thought that I fell into. Having read Steven Pressfield's "Gates of
   Fire" and Frank Miller's graphic novel that the movie was based on I'd
   been eagerly awaiting the release of the latest movie version of the
   Battle of Thermopylae (I even rented 1961's [2]The 300 Spartans, made
   when Hollywood thought "epic" also had to mean "plodding"). Here's my
   brief review of the movie and some thoughts that have occurred to me
   since it ended.
   Overall the movie was very good. The look of the film was definitely
   unique and strongly resembled Miller's book, which was the intention.
   The "graphic novel" artistic treatment (and it is artistic) mitigated
   the gruesomeness of the ultra-violence to some extent, and while it
   was bloody (and came close to over-using the slow-motion) I felt it
   was a believable rendition of what hand-to-hand combat in close
   confines with sharp-edged weapons would be like. It's definitely not a
   date movie unless your girlfriend also happens to like field-dressing
   roadkill, but there is a discernible plot and some inspiring and
   intense performances that makes this a good story. Additionally, it is
   a thought-provoking examination of duty, honor and patriotism that's
   short on speeches and long on demonstration.
   I was disappointed with the gratuitous scenes with naked women; the
   scenes fit within the story but appeared to be driven more by a
   marketing formula for the target audience than from story-telling
   license. The scenes between King Leonidas and his wife, and in the
   seductive blandishments offered by King Xerxes to the traitor
   Ephialtes, easily could have been shot with a bit more discretion. Not
   that this is a movie for younger teen males anyway, but the nudity
   definitely would be a distraction from the more laudable themes in the
   film. Otherwise "300" is an inspiring and entertaining movie for
   action film fans and those who will draw some conservative political
   allegories from the story.
   While much is made of the battle being between a small group of free
   men and an invading slave army of a couple hundred thousand, I thought
   there was little effort to frame the historical significance of the
   effects on Western Civilization if the fledgling Greek city-state
   democracies had been absorbed the Persian empire. Ironically, Spartan
   society was probably less "free" than the Persians; while it is
   portrayed as an egalitarian meritocracy, it was also rigid in its laws
   and cruel -- some might say eminently practical -- in its
   single-minded warrior ethos. At the same time it made a religion out
   of exalting honor, duty and courage and "300" makes that point with
   all the subtlety of a Spartan xiphos.
   King Leonidas is the standard-bearer and champion of this creed, even
   to the point where he breaks the rigid letter of the law in order to
   ultimately defend its spirit, standing firm against the alternating
   threats and flattering of his foreign enemy and standing in disgust at
   the treacherous collaboration of his own Council of Elders that sought
   accommodation and surrender to the apparently overwhelming enemy
   (based on the portrayal of Council, duty and honor weren't universally
   revered in Spartan culture as the politicians manipulated events for
   their personal gain and grudges regardless of the cost to their
   country). For Leonidas, while freedom may be ripped from a Spartan's
   dead fingers, it must never be willingly released due to fear,
   complacency or indolence.
   The movie also helped me see another important point. The Spartan
   warriors are all very fit and well-muscled, conditioned to their
   "Spartan" existence of war and striving. While my own body bears
   little resemblance to theirs, I know that I was born with the same
   number of muscles in my body as they had; the difference is in how
   they developed what they were given. Similarly, I think we all start
   with the same capacity for faith, duty and honor within us and these,
   too, can be trained, exercised and built up to astonishing and
   awe-inspiring levels. When we do, even just a handful can change
   history.

References

   1. http://300themovie.warnerbros.com/
   2. http://www.amazon.com/300-Spartans-Richard-Egan/dp/B0001NBMDK/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/103-6290117-8335847?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1173662307&sr=1-2