Film Review: 300 @ Empire Theatre, Capitol 7
In 1962, the glorious and quintessentially classic story about the Battle of Thermopylae was told in the Ben-Hur-styled epic The 300 Spartans. Forty-five years later, that same story of antiquity has been given a not-so-subtle shot of steroids in Zach Snyder’s 300. Rather than being shot on location halfway around the globe, 300 was simply shot in a single green room in Montreal, following the lead of Robert Rodriguez’ Sin City.
Snyder’s 300, also adapted from a Frank Miller graphic novel, digitally animates virtually every frame of the movie, placing the characters in sweepingly surreal and picturesque landscapes. And, as was Sin City, 300 is drowning in comicbook-like blood and violence. Snyder, fresh from directingthe electric zombie-hit Dawn of the Dead, is no stranger to such brutality.The visceral result of his and Miller’s collaboration is nothing short of breathtaking. The canvas that Snyder produces—largely re-created from Miller’s drawings—is beautiful. Every scene is meticulously wrought to ensure an awe-inspiring aesthetic. Such aesthetic, such spectacle, is what is most captivating. The simple story follows King Leonidas (played by Gerard Butler), of the ancient Greek city-state Sparta, in his attempt to defend the Greek islands from the invading Persian armies.
Due to political circumstances that are quickly glossed over by the film, Leonidas is left with a mere 300 soldiers to pit against an alleged million invading Persians (historians believe that the number could have been, at most, 500,000) at the narrow of Thermopylae.
These 300 men are not just soldiers, as the audience is often reminded: they are Spartan. Historically, the Spartans are renowned as having the best-trained troops in the historyof the world—raised from birth with the single goal of becoming an elite soldier.
This ideal is at the heart of 300’s story as it focuses on portraying the bravery, valour, and noble sacrifice of these men. The acting is strong, but it’s no match for the virtual scenery. Butler does a decent enough impression of Russell Crowe’s Maximus from Gladiator, but to be fair, he’s given far less to work with, as the focus is intentionally placed on any given scene’s aesthetic.
Lena Headey, who plays the Spartan Queen, stands out with an impressive performance as a conflicted wife, mother and politician, as does David Wenham (formerly Gondor’s not-sofavouriteson Faramir in Lord of the Rings). His narration propels the story through any weak points and his portrayal of Spartan commander Dilios is arguably the most stirring in the movie. Overall, the cast of 300 is compelling and believable, were it not for Rodrigo Santoro’s turn as Xerxes, the malevolent Persian King. The character is reduced to ambiguous winks, pouts and wails that make him literally laughable.
Not strictly Santoro’s fault, his role exemplifies the film’s portrayal of Persians as a whole. The Persians are physically demonized, making them monstrous and evil. Though many of Leonidas’ inspirational speeches are concerned with protecting Greek freedom from the conquering powers of the East, the film’s attitude toward the Persians is essentially imperialistic. The film portrays non-Greeks as inhuman and barbarous. By the film’s very nature, everything is sensationalized to enforce an agenda of visual stimulation; however, such a portrayal is certain to raise the eyebrows and ire of some. That said, it’s exactly this pervasive virtual bombardment of the senses that makes watching
300 so much damn fun. 300 is exciting eye candy. Sometimes you wonder whether the few moments of exposition are simply there to allow you to catch your breath and whisper your disbelief to the person in the seat next to you.
No doubt there will be those who hate the movie: those offended by its brutal content; its arguable undercurrents of Western propaganda, or even by its historical inaccuracies and liberties. But 300 is a rousing story—a simple, roaring tale of heroism-against-all-odds that is so engaging and visually potent, that it literally leaves you breathless.
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