The finest visual effects can’t erase the familiarities of past historical epics.
Gerard Butler: King Leonidas
Lena Headey: Queen Gorgo
Rodrigo Santoro: Xerxes
Dominic West: Theron
David Wenham: Dilios
Vincent Regan: Captain
Michael Fassbender: Stelios
Tom Wisdom: Astinos
Andrew Pleavin: Daxos
Andrew Tiernan: Ephialtes
Written/Directed By: Zack Snyder
Release Date: March 9, 2007
Running Time: 117 minutes
Rated R for graphic battle sequences throughout, some sexuality and nudity.
300 is a genuinely good film that is wounded by being overstuffed, overstocked, and overdone in virtually every department. Sometimes it is impossible to ignore preliminary reviews, and they arrived in full force prior to opening day of this wide release. It was being hailed as a “masterpiece” and given “4 stars” by various critics. Let me say this. I was entertained, but the fanboy nation needs to settle down. After viewing the TV spots which displayed early ratings, I saw this with high expectations. Because of that, I found 300 extremely easy to criticize.
Based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City), this story follows the courage of the Spartans during the Battle of Thermoplyae in 480 B.C. After the Godlike ruler Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) of Persia threatens to conquer Greece unless they surrender, King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) gathers 300 of Sparta’s finest warriors to face insurmountable odds in confronting Xerxes and his endless amounts of soldiers in the Grecian mountain pass of Thermoplyae. By fighting in this particular area, it would enable the Spartans to take full advantage of their small numbers. The Spartans obviously lost, but they dealt a permanent blow to the Persians which would echo on for centuries and motivate the Greek city states to establish the first democracy.
This is not meant to be historically accurate so eliminate that complaint from your brain immediately. Since this is based upon the graphic novel, it focuses its attention more on legend and myth, instead of simply sticking with cold hard facts. This was a very gray, vague, and hazy battle in terms of knowing what actually transpired. For instance, the exact numbers of either side are unknown, although most people assume the Spartans had 300 men. As for the Persians, I have read that their Army consisted of anywhere from 100,000 to 1,000,000 troops. No one would deny that a million sounds better. It makes little difference, the odds were huge. Another aspect that is uncertain is the fighting style of the Persians. In order to appeal to a wider audience, that fighting style has been exaggerated in true comic book fashion.
The influences of this film are so blatant that a deduction in points from the final rating is imperative. For starters, I could not stop thinking about Gladiator as soon as the presentation began. I shouldn’t have to say that the plots have similarities, at least in terms of being historical epics. Gerard Butler has a hairstyle and beard that definitely resembles Russell Crowe in Ridley Scott’s epic. Furthermore, Queen Gorgo reminded me of Maximus’s wife with her overall appearance. They are both brunettes that wear similar clothing, are very voluptuous, and extremely attractive. Our heroes also both have sons around the same age. Finally, Leonidas sounds like a cross between Maximus and William Wallace in Braveheart during his encouraging speeches and ferocious attitudes towards combat.
Having said all that, Gerard Butler was still riveting in his viciously resolute performance. While Butler has contributed to several mainstream films already, such as The Phantom of the Opera and Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, he has now made his name known worldwide. With this role, Butler’s career should surely skyrocket. The haughty Leonidas is a passionate, unwavering, and resilient leader. If not for the unfortunate truth that his character is prevented from being anything other than a glorified two-dimensional martyr, Butler could have been more memorable than the breathtaking CGI work.
Lena Headey’s resume is filled with unquestionable duds like The Cave, Imagine Me & You, and The Brothers Grimm, so by portraying Queen Gorgo, she took a step in the right direction. She has significantly larger screen time as oppose to the wife of Maximus in Gladiator, and that is a positive difference between the two. As far as depth and poignancy are concerned, Headey’s blazing performance is a highlight of this film, and a salute to a women’s place in what was a man’s world. Most of the acting from supporting side was solid all around with Dominic West (Hannibal Rising) as the sneaky Theron, David Wenham as the narrator Dilios, and Rodrigo Santoro as the femininely evil Xerxes.
This is a special effects masterwork in every way. Zack Snyder’s blue/green screen backgrounds and heavily saturated and stylized coloring are effective and mesmerizing. This is a visually delightful feast with images drenched in juicy yellows and reds, yet infused with touches of previous cinematic offerings. The computer enhanced picture instills a wonderfully modern tone and texture to the the inflated vision of this classic clash. One will make comparisons to the graphics in Sin City, as well as the horrendous Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow with the elegant and captivating approach of its illustrations. The evident methodology of style before substance will give the casual moviegoers everything they have been trained to admire: hypnotizing imagery, ardent dialogue, and violent battles.
Zack Snyder has crafted a man’s movie. That is not say females won’t enjoy it, but 300 prides itself on being manly as hell with loads of brutality, brawny combatants chiseled out of stone, a hard rock score, and plenty of vivid kills. As a filmmaker, Snyder is gradually improving and growing more intelligent as time rolls along. His Dawn of the Dead remake was commendable, but this sophomore mainstream submission better exhibits his many talents. He has generated some of the most aggressive and satisfying battle sequences in years. Each stance and scuffle between the Spartans and Persians is unique and clever with slow motion bedlam and buckets of spilled blood. As soon as Snyder can balance plot development with flair, he will become a terrific director. He’ll have his chance in 2008 when the long awaited graphic novel Watchmen is released.
This is not the first film about the Spartans famous Alamo-esque stand. The 300 Spartans from 1962 also retells the battle, but this 300 has that easily beat any way you slice it. Miller wrote the novel because he was inspired by that film. The basic premise might have come from that version, but everything else was built to be attractive. Snyder and Miller spent 90% of the time using a blue screen, shot on location one time, sat in post-production for nearly a year, and used digital technology companies from all over the globe. 300 is available in IMAX for a reason. Many facets have been altered and switched to “look cool”, in the words of Snyder (even certain battle formations). The crew went that extra mile for the big box office triumph, and it shows.
What makes graphic novel adaptations so spectacular? In recent years, these films have been basically unstoppable. Is it because the pictures in the book make it easier for the director to be faithful? Perhaps the chosen filmmakers just put forth more heart to the projects. Whatever it may be, 300 succeeds in delivering ample amounts of excitement, despite some noticeable flaws. It suffers from being overhyped, and it will no doubt be overrated. Honestly, I can’t think of enough words that start with “over” to describe this film. Did Snyder reinvent the genre like he intended? No, but it was a worthy effort.
The 411: 300 is action-packed with luxuriant visuals, invigorating characters, and pleasurable gore. The technical specifications have been brilliantly realized, and executed with precision and care. That alone is worth the price of admission. This is an average Gladiator meets The Lord of the Rings movie, but not a masterpiece. It is a palatable, but fleeting piece of eye candy. I had fun watching it, and I like movies like this, but I have a bunch of historical epics in my collection that I prefer more. I would urge viewers to examine more than just the CGI here. I can see myself watching this maybe a couple more times in my life, but nothing beyond that.
