Movie Review: 300
History but not history. Go see it.
by Ralph
The movie is fairly historically accurate from the Greek side of things, but it's not a movie meant to be a history lesson. The Persians are ugly and bad to contrast with the Greeks who are free, tall, muscled and have straight white teeth. Having said that, this is a "graphic novel" which means basically a comic book version using the historical battle of Thermopylae. The battle including the very end is actually pretty accurate and many of the quotes from "fight in the shade", to "Tell the Spartans here according to their laws we lie." are too. So, you get a little history, a little comic book styling and drama and a lot of battle and blood. I think if Leonidas and his family and soldiers had just a liiitle more humanity so that you cared even more about them (like Gladiator, Braveheart, Last of the Mohicans or even Forest Gump!) then this would be an oscar contender for styling and story. In the end though, this is a captivating moving. It is stirring and makes you think about freedom, honor, bravery and fighting for what you believe even if you lose. These are all worthy Hellenistic virtues that have been passed down to us from 2 1/2 thousand years ago. So, I admire the movie for putting life to those ideas while using a bigger than life visual and story style to do it. Maybe I'll see it again!?
by Ralph
The movie is fairly historically accurate from the Greek side of things, but it's not a movie meant to be a history lesson. The Persians are ugly and bad to contrast with the Greeks who are free, tall, muscled and have straight white teeth. Having said that, this is a "graphic novel" which means basically a comic book version using the historical battle of Thermopylae. The battle including the very end is actually pretty accurate and many of the quotes from "fight in the shade", to "Tell the Spartans here according to their laws we lie." are too. So, you get a little history, a little comic book styling and drama and a lot of battle and blood. I think if Leonidas and his family and soldiers had just a liiitle more humanity so that you cared even more about them (like Gladiator, Braveheart, Last of the Mohicans or even Forest Gump!) then this would be an oscar contender for styling and story. In the end though, this is a captivating moving. It is stirring and makes you think about freedom, honor, bravery and fighting for what you believe even if you lose. These are all worthy Hellenistic virtues that have been passed down to us from 2 1/2 thousand years ago. So, I admire the movie for putting life to those ideas while using a bigger than life visual and story style to do it. Maybe I'll see it again!?
