Rate 300

[shilsen]

I have a way to predict whether you'll like this movie. Ask yourself the following question: "Do I read history books or comic books?"

I read history books and have probably read ten comics in the last ten years, but I quite enjoyed it. A better predictor, IMO, is whether one can go into the movie with no expectation of historical accuracy or not.

 

[danzig138]

I read history books and have probably read ten comics in the last ten years, but I quite enjoyed it. A better predictor, IMO, is whether one can go into the movie with no expectation of historical accuracy or not.

That's probably a better predictor, yes. I like comics, and I had no expetations of historical accuracy. I still found the movie incredibly dull, and was bored out of my skull by the time it was over. I'm pretty sure my eyes are still trying to recover from the use of the sloooooowwww mooooottttioooooonnnn. . . .

It reminded me of Gladiator. I didn't care for that one either. The only thing this movie had going for it was a couple of pretty good comic book splash page shots.

I worry that the same guy is apparently the guy making Watchmen.

In terms of Frank Miller projects, Sin City was so much better, I can't even describe how much better it was. Marv coming in and kicking the crap out of Persian and Spartan alike would've been way cool.

 

[Sir Brennen]

I have a way to predict whether you'll like this movie. Ask yourself the following question: "Do I read history books or comic books?"

Because everyone knows those two are mutually exclusive

As shilsen said, it's more a matter of expectations. Given all the hype, the look, the feel, the degreee of stylized imagery abundantly apparent in the advertising, I'm surprised that anyone walks in thinking 300 is going to be a realistic, let alone accurate, depiction of historical events.

 

[shilsen]

From memory, it was only the Athenians saying that about the Spartans (since the Spartans through their rather unusual and idiosyncratic society wound up practising institutional homosexuality and pederasty far more often than the Athenians--to 'do it Spartan style' was a euphemism for homosexuality in the Greek world). The Spartans had hosts of other insults they would make about the Athenians and other Greeks, but I don't recall Spartan sources calling out Athenians on that count.

I'm pretty sure you're right. I was misremembering it. Thanks for the correction.

 

[David Howery]

Finally saw this a couple nights ago. Enjoyable popcorn flick. But...

with the state of American education these days, I have to wonder how many people in the audience saw that last scene and went "What? Plataea? Where? Huh? What's that all about?".....

 

[shilsen]

with the state of American education these days, I have to wonder how many people in the audience saw that last scene and went "What? Plataea? Where? Huh? What's that all about?".....

I don't think knowing about Plataea is relevant to understanding the last scene. It was quite clearly narrated that a large Greek army led by the Spartans was facing the Persians. That's all one needs to understand what's going on.

 

[Mallus]

How were the villain and these allies portrayed as "gay-ish"?

Xerxes was a androgynous fetish giant, wearing plenty of makeup, in stark contract to the bearded, oh-so-manly Spartans, and the Spartans deride a group of their allies as boy-lovers at one point.

You keep claiming this without delivering the particulars.

I have, there just isn't much of it in the film. But what is there really stood out, particularly given the context. It's a pretty undeniably homoerotic film --which both is and isn't odd for male-targeted entertainment-- which also distances itself from any overt recognition of its protagonists more, umm, bent activities.

Let me sink to analogy: imagine a film about a group of happy mixed-raced friends, in which the Caucasian main character uses the n-word a few times, and not in the positive brothers-in-hip-hop way. Would that make the film 'racist'? Probably not in and of itself. But it would make some people in the audience ask what was going on...

 

[Dykstrav]

I haven't seen it yet and now you've got me worried about seeing it. I was greatly disappointed in Gladiator.

Don't waste your time or money on this flop. It was terrible.

The characters were very one-dimensional, wherein the complex sociopolitical nature of the Greco-Persian wars was reduced to sexual drive. All the villains were either terribly deformed cowards that couldn't get laid or androgynous borderline transvestites. They are supposed to stand in stark contrast to the "masculine" Spartans, who are all hairless, oily men running around in nothing but their red cloaks and leather codpieces. If you dig the idea of seeing oily Greek meen fighting transvestites, this movie is for you. Otherwise, pass it over.

I glossed over the glaring historical innacuracies (especially the omission of the entire Athenian navy and their involvement) because I went in with the idea that it's historical fantasy. But compound this with the mediocre acting, the almost monochrome backgrounds, video-game-style violence, bleep-bloopy soundtrack, and blatant sexualization of the characters and plot and the result is a movie that makes me want the two hours of my life back.

Some people really dig the visual style. I didn't. I don't think that the Persian Immortals should look like samurai, or that spending hundreds of man hours and millions of dollars to desaturate color images is all that "stunning."

Therefore, 300 has earned a solid, irredeemable zero in my opinion.

 

[Donovan Morningfire]

Anyone going to see this movie with the expecting historical accuracy is going to woefully disappointed, much like anyone expecting intellectual stimulation from a lowbrow comedy.

300 is an over-the-top popcorn flick, essentially a myth thrown up on the big screen. It's not pretending to be anything else. There's a bit of historical accuracy, but that's more of a happy accident than intended.

I gave it a 7.

 

[John Crichton]

Some people really dig the visual style. I didn't. I don't think that the Persian Immortals should look like samurai, or that spending hundreds of man hours and millions of dollars to desaturate color images is all that "stunning."

You thought those were real backgrounds that had to be desaturated? Silly wabbit.

99% of them were never there to begin with.

Just sayin'.