I am of Iranian decent, but did not hate this movie. Unfortunatly, the critiques of this movie tend to be one of two opposite extremes. While I am proud of my ancient Perian/Iranian heritage, the Achaemenids, Parthians and Sassanians were not beyond reproach as many Iranians of today see them. Xerxes was not “Great”. When we label every Pre-Islamic Persian king as Great, we degrade the memories of those men and women who truly deserved that epithet – such as Cyrus, Darius or Khosrow-Anushirvan.
Let us remember, the Persians were the aggressors. Even if the mainland Greeks aided their compatriots in the Ionian revolt. Those compatriots were a conquered people. The stand of Leonadis and the Spartans was a paragon of valor, honor and sheer military discipline. Even Iranians should hale such a display. This stand can be likened to that of Ariobarza, who defied Alexander and checked his advance on Persepolis, only later to be slaughtered with all his men. Much later, Babak Khorramdeen undertook similar heroics in his stand against the Islamic rulers of Iran.
HAVING SAID ALL THAT.
I realize this movie is based on a comic book, which is the main line of defense for those who loved it. However, the comic book is based on real history and a magnificent episode in history at that. There are many movies with ancient warfare scenes, but the main thrust of this movie is a brave last stand against insurmountable odds. That really happened and that is what the movie is trying to convey. So why try to falsify it with inhuman, monstrous-looking soldiers. This takes away from the reality behind the true, heroism of the Spartans. Why the need for the embellishment and historical inaccuracy – even for a comic book. Are people that immature that they can’t learn about a story unless it has some monsters and larger than life, fantastical creatures?
Yeah, Yeah… I know. This is a movie. It was made for entertainment.
The problem is that many of the historically illiterate – and there are many – will see this and take most of it to heart. Basically, 300, is history for IDIOTS.
I thought the images were spectacular. Gerard Butler was outstanding as Leonadis, but the rest of cast left much to be desired. The narrator and fellow Spartan was a joke. There were also many clich√©s. Ephthialtes, hunched over and grotesque, following the army in the distance, smacked of gollum from Lord of the Rings. The real Ephthialtes wasn’t deformed and betrayed the Spartans out of simple greed.
Here are a couple of facts for those testosterone-filled jackasses who will see Leonadis and his Spartan warriors as the quintessence of manliness. The Spartans encouraged their soldiers to F%$k each other up the arses in order to improve camaraderie. The theory was, if you stick your wanker up your fellow soldiers a-hole, you’ll be MORE willing to save his life in battle. How’s that for a morale booster.
I know most movies are not totally historically accurate, but in Gladiator, Commodus and the Romans were not depicted as demons or disfigured goblins; in Braveheart, the English were not shown as savage cannibals. I think what truly upset me about this movie is the physical and ideological depiction of the Persians. They were not Black Africans; the Immortals were not leprous zombies; Xerxes was not an 8-foot tall, half-naked, flaming homosexual; and the Persians did not carry around the skulls of conquered kings.
Certain inaccuracies are acceptable, such as in Braveheart where William Walace defeats the English in a pitched battle, while in reality it was an ambush over a bridge. The problem with the gross distortions of the Persians is that many of the ignorant will believe it. Let’s face it, there are many in America who get practically all their knowledge of history from film and TV – and I don’t mean the history channel. This indeed doesn’t much differ from the misrepresentation of America that the Islamic Republic spews out. However, Americans should know better.
Basically, why embellish this history. The true glory is the real history. The true glory is Leonadis and the Spartans standing up to thousands of men, not mindless monsters and slaves right out of Lord of the Rings. However, Leonadis DID NOT fight for democracy. Democracy and equality had no place in Spartan society. It was only in Athens, that democracy took root. Leonadis stood his ground because of the Spartan code. Iranians must realize that this episode in history was telling the story of Greek resistance. That in itself is not degrading to Persians. The unparalleled benevolence of Cyrus the Great – the Greatest Monarch in History – is another story.
I know most don’t want a history lesson, but this may be the only time many read history.
50 some odd years after the Persians Wars, the Spartans went to war with their “Greek Brothers”, the Athenians, and defeated them. The Athenians didn’t recover until they combined their navy with that of PERSIA – the great enemy of Greece – and annihilated the Spartan navy.
The biggest anti-climax of all was that Themistocles, the true hero and savior of Greece – the one who rightly saw that Greece could not survive a Persian invasion without a navy, and led the defense against Persia – was later ostracized from Athens and ended his days in the service of the Persian king, advising him how to screw his fellow Greeks.
I like the real history, with all its ambiguities and not so nice endings.
For those who say I should go watch the History Channel, I say to them, if you want to see men battling inhuman, grotesque, out of this world beings, go watch Lord of the F&$king Rings.
