Moments prior to screening the film 300 a few days back, only one thing was going through my mind: Please don’t suck! After all of this hype, watching the trailer seemingly thousands of times, writing about the film constantly on various websites and even interviewing director Zack Snyder, I would be truly disappointed if I were forced to set this one ablaze as I have countless films thus far in 2007. But I was comforted when I remembered the words of Zack Snyder, who said of his film, “I wanted to do a movie that when you walked out you were like ‘Fuck! That was awesome!’ And like, you wanna kick some ass.”
Upon seeing the film, I am in total agreement with its director – it was awesome! Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Frank Miller (Sin City), 300 tells the story of 300 Spartans lead by their King, Leonidas (Gerard Butler), into the face of an insurmountable invasion at the hands of a million-man Persian army. Despite a lack of support from the Spartan council and a group of creepy elders who communicate with the Gods via a half-naked teenage girl (in a scene that is alluring and tastefully done), Leonidas decides that rather than allow his nation to be conquered into slavery, he must take his best warriors, the Spartan elite, and do what he can to fend off the impending invasion.
From there the film explodes into a highly stylized, intense battle royale in which the Spartans, with their flair for battle and their constant arrogance, take on the vast Persian army led by the God-King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro). The battle scenes themselves are something to behold — they are pulse-pounding and intense, yet not chaotic. Snyder has found a way to slow down the action enough to show us more without making it look over the top. The result is the most stylish and intensely violent action that you will see all year. It is a film so intense, it makes Gladiator look like a Disney flick. But then again, that is what you could have expected if you’ve seen the trailer at least once.
What you don’t expect are the intangibles that Snyder has gotten right in his film. There is more story here than previous Frank Miller book-to-movie adaptations such as Sin City. In addition to the bond between Leonidas and his 300, a sordid plot of political tension also rages back in Sparta between Leonidas’ wife, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) and the leader of the Spartan Council (Dominic West). In addition to that, Gerard Butler, who is a lesser-known actor here in the States (besides his leading role in The Phantom of the Opera), gives a performance that should catapult him to the top of many people’s A-lists. He does more than just shout to his men prior to an impending surge; he is charismatic, irreverent, and ultimately embodies the vision of a Spartan warrior. I would not be surprised if you see much more of him in the future.
Article comments
1 - Kaonashi
I'm bewildered and furious that so far Rotten Tomatoes is giving 300 a 61%. Did we watch the same film as these guys who gave it a rotten rating?
2 - zingzing
there is a certain audience for this type of movie. it seems to be getting pretty good reviews for the type of movie that it is. it's just not the type of movie that most film critics are going to love, and for obvious reasons. the thing is nearly a cartoon.
although i'm not terribly excited about this... i mean, i saw sin city and, while it was good at the time, i don't really remember much about it... i realize that this is the kind of film you have to see in the theater to really appreciate.
3 - Jason of New Movie Friday
Wow, you really loved this movie. While the visuals and battle sequences may have been "kick ass," the film on the whole left me a bit flat. I wouldn't say, "this is the film to see in 2007," but I would tell you that if you are going to see it, you should definitely see it on the big screen. What makes 300 impressive won't be quite so, if you watch this for the first time on your TV at home.
4 - Jindy
I've been scanning the web for weeks now, waiting with baited breath for reviews of 300. I'm a HUGE fan of the graphic novel and I too hoped that the film would deliver all that it promised. Having read loads of reviews, I feel really relieved at all the praise the film has been given. The praise appears justifiable. Great battles, solid script, top notch take on the battle of Thermopylae and the fact that Gerard Butler excels as a leader of men. Some critics however have gone far too wide of the mark in their criticism of this film. I've heard it all from Leonidas being compared to George W. Bush, the film is way too right wing, historical inaccuracy and finally that this film at its very core is anti Persian. HELLO! WAKE UP...this is a comic book adaptation, and a faithful one at that! Miller used Thermopylae as a canvas for telling us of courage, devotion, belief and the fighting prowess of the finest soldiers ever! He himself says the book wasn't accurate to history. Telling the story his way made the tale more easily acessible to the mainstream. The film is said to honour this in the same way. For goodness sake, just take this movie for what it is: what appears to be an amazing movie adaptation of a superb book! Stop the bloody griping and ENJOY! I cant wait to see this when it opens in England!!
5 - Defender
Everyone who cares about the human rights and knows the movie "300" is based on lies and is racist can go to this URL and sign the petition against the racist movie "300". We have gathered enough information and evidence to prove that the "300" is not based on history and the story that is submitted officially is entirely different. I want all the persians and those who believe the "300" is racist to take action and sign this petition.
Sign this petition against the racist movie of "300"
Best Regards.
Defender.