I am not a war movie person. I don’t like the idea of wasted lives, gratuitous violence, hopelessness and it’s not my idea of a good time, which is funnily enough, the reason I go to the movies.
300 was none of those things. It was the glory of a battle, the battle of Thermopylae.
In the Battle of Thermopylae of 480 BC, an alliance of Greek city-states fought the invading Persian army at the pass of Thermopylae in central Greece. Vastly outnumbered, the Greeks held back the invader in one of history's most famous last stands. A small force led by King Leonidas of Sparta blocked the only road through which the massive army of Xerxes I could pass. After three days of battle, a local resident named Ephialtes betrayed the Greeks by revealing a mountain path that led behind the Greek lines. Dismissing the rest of the army, King Leonidas stayed behind with 300 Spartans and 700 Thespian volunteers.
Yes, there was a copious amount of blood, and yes, lives were lost. But unlike war movies that are all about raising anti-war, anti-Bush or anti-God sentiments, 300 accurately captures what war is about.
It’s about men.
You see modern men have bought so much into the Myths propogated by the Feminist Movement, that they are tyrants and barbarians, that they are no longer encouraged to have any sense of self. Suppressed of their natural born sense of commitment, honour, pride, resilience and loyalty, they have become weak and are held in contempt by women, other men, and tragically, themselves. As a friend of mine put it, “Men have been socially emasculated by the very beings that want heroes.”
300 takes you back to a place and a time when men were men. In the movie, everyone had abs, but the abs were just a physical reminder of what they actually had – guts.
They had the guts to stand up for what the believed in and follow their leader into a battle they knew they would lose.
They had the guts to laugh in the face of danger and make light of the huge army they were facing. In biblical words, they were as grasshoppers to them.
And they counted it for glory to get a chance to die for what they loved – their women, their children, their country. And if they had been a God- knowing people, they probably would have been equal to or surpassed David’s 30, who didn’t just defeat hundreds of Philistines but brought back the foreskins of the fallen to prove it!
And I really can’t talk about this movie without talking about Xerxes, the ultimate villain. What makes him really evil is his duality. It’s easy to spot and defeat a man who is pure evil, but with Xerxes, you didn’t know, especially if you lived outside a clear Judeo-Christian paradigm as the Greeks did. Was he really God? (Leonidas took care of that question when he chucked his spear and made his army see him bleed, like a man). Is he male or female? Is he cruel or kind? Ally or enemy?
You don’t know, and what you don’t know, if you are living in 600BC, you fear.
The cinematography is beautiful, with stop-motion camera and copper plate CGI set design giving a surreal element to every shot. Gerard Butler excelled as Leonidas, the commander, the king and the man.
If I had to pick a genre to put 300 in, war wouldn’t be it. I would think action- fantasy. For it’s in the fantasy realm that the men who should be in the world really are, full of character and vigour, taking bold steps to make their world a better place, against all odds.
5 comments:
Fantastic review, and as a dude I must say you've got it dead right ... Men do indeed need to start acting like men once again
Frank Miller is considered the guru of comics. I'm not suprised that 300 is more fantasy than war.
Thanks Reel Fanatic. There is a book called "Wild at Heart" by John Eldredge you may want to read, if you are interested in this subject.
Mal: Totally! The movie does so much justice to his genius. I am glad they kept the genre, instead of making it another Troy or something.
haw haw! i am glad you like this film miss nalinee.I am surprised.The only ones who are supposed to be able to appreciate this film are comic book geeks and fan boys.;) But i am even more surprised by how seriously you view the subtext of this film. The reviewers who have damned this film for being all style and no substance ought to bow in shame if they were to ever read your review. :)
Xerxes was a marvellous chracter. But i found Ephialates just as intriguing.A character who is at once repulsive as he is pitiful.He reminded me of Gollum in LOTR.
I am alittle baffled by your contention that contemporary men are weak and lacking in fortitude and other qualities by comparing them to the spartans in this film, like they are some kind of a benchmark.The Spartans were a special breed.no doubt. They were great warriors.And here in true comic book fashion, have been elevated to the status of superheroes. Their portrayal here as admirable and even inspiring at moments, is something i'd take with a pinch of salt.This isn't of portrayal of real men, but rather caricatures of limited depth.This is just my opinion though. :)
Wummy - thanks for your deconstruction and enjoying my review.
I see your point about the comic perfection of the characters and agree that they are larger then life in many ways. But I hold true to the beleif that contemporary men have lost something in their futile efforts to please the left wing feminists (and this includes other men too). This movie just cemented the thought for me, and did not give rise to it. Read Wild at Heart, you will see where I am coming from.
Post a Comment