Both are fictionalized retellings of the Battle of Thermopylae in the Persian Wars.
The carefully crafted big battle footage and even bigger glistening bodies of 300 makes it more than worth watching Leonidas lead his men to the glory of death against overwhelming odds, doomed by the forces of Xerxes and history.300 is a 2006 American epic historical action film based on the 1998 comic series of the same name by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley. The way Snyder presents it may not be perfect, but it is visually fascinating and overall entertaining. Snyder’s take on the film is a fantasy, the way the battle would have looked in the minds of the Greeks, as they tell the story of the 300’s sacrifice.
Her role is pivotal, probably a lot more pivotal than it would be were this actual history.īut this isn’t history. As Leonidas throws himself in the way of the Persians, it’s her job to rally her people into committing themselves to the fight, using his sacrifice as an example. Lena Headley is both sexy and strong as Butler’s wife, her desperation to bring him home alive is well tempered by how proud she is to be married a willing to march into death.
When he bellows for his men to follow him into hell, his voice is chilling and full of raw power. Gerard Butler’s Leonidas dominates the film, his presence is palpable whenever he’s on screen. In 300, giving a great performance means more than simply saying your lines convincingly. The movie clocks in at 117 minutes, but I can’t help wondering if maybe there’s a longer cut of it out there somewhere, one which does a better job of creating depth by putting more in those gaps.Īnd while the script may be a bit thin in places, 300 gets great performances. There are spaces where no doubt in the comic Miller has white lines between panels, but in the film there’s just a big “something’s missing” feeling. The movie occurs in frames, which aren’t always perfectly connected together. Snyder sticks too closely to the Frank Miller comic on which the film is based for that to happen. It's too grandiose, too bombastic, too distant. You can’t get that feeling unless there’s a real investment in the journey of the film’s characters. There’s no moment like the one in The Two Towers where you stand on the battlements and look out over a seething mass of enemies and really feel rattling sound of death walking towards you. It lacks the kind of raw tension that you get from better against the odds battle movies. It has to be, because though the story is interesting, it’s also thin. With 300, it’s ultimately the look that’s everything. Black Snake Moan may have Christina Ricci on a chain, but in between all the blood and guts, 300’s careful costuming and sensuous style is intensely erotic. Guys aren’t likely to forget a brief scene in which Leonidas consults an Oracle, a mostly naked woman who connects to the spirit world through series of artistically erotic contortions. Snyder has a similar eye for female sensuality, with women clad in wispy fabrics. Women who see it may cringe at some of the film’s brutality, but they’ll also swoon over the hundreds of ripped abs and statuesc bare bodies posed and on display throughout the movie. The costuming is fabulous, as are the bodies Snyder has put under the fabric. The Spartans in co-writer/director Zack Snyder’s 300 are kind of like Klingons, only prettier. For Spartans, it’s the natural thing to do. Only the greatest warriors on Earth could hold off an army of millions with only 300 men. A group of fighters so fierce they prefer death to surrender, no matter the terms. This is the story not of freedom fighters, but of a stubborn man and a stubborn people obsessed with honor, glory, and war. Looked at that way, to me 300 is actually more interesting. Leonidas will not stand for his people to bend knee to anyone, no matter how sweet the pot. But this is Sparta, a nation of warriors bred for blood.
When Xerxes and his multi-nation army show up on Sparta’s doorstep and demand allegiance, they also offer King Leonidas and his people the freedom to live the way they want. Despite a lot of screaming to the contrary, King Leonidas and his men are really just fighting to keep a bunch of loudmouthed Persians from tromping across their lawn.