The Top Line


An epic historical adaptation of the battle of Thermopylae. The 300 Spartans make a stand against the oncoming Persian hordes and actually change the course of history. A violent and dark movie, with a few sex scenes thrown in – yet it has its lighter moments and touches of humor too. This is Troy and Alexander done right!


The Story


The Persians are coming! By 480 BC, the Persian god-king Xerxes had amassed a massive army to revenge the defeat of his father, Darius, at the battle of Marathon. Xerxes military advisors had convinced him to attack Greece and plunder its countryside. The army met no opposition until it encountered the rocky seacoast at Thermopylae, defended by a small Spartan army and 7,000 makeshift Greek soldiers.


Upon learning from scouts that the Persians were advancing, King Leonidas of Sparta (Gerard Butler) determines that he must send his army to defend his land and all that of Greece. The Spartan army was one of the first professional armies in the world, and their elite troops would be analogous to our Special Forces of today. They were brought up and trained to never surrender and never retreat in the face of the enemy and were a feared force in the region. The culture and lifestyle of Sparta was very simple and, well, spartan (hence the word), although they certainly benefited from the philosophy and knowledge of Greece.


Leonidas consults the sages and their oracle for approval and is denied their blessing to advance towards the coast with his army, as it was special time in the Calendar when the Gods must be worshipped. They were also bribed to do so. Treachery abounds even in ancient times. After speaking with his wife and queen, Gorgo (Lena Headey), he decides that freedom comes with a price and decides to take a journey towards Thermopylae, accompanied by the 300 strong Spartan elite bodyguard. Thus the conflict is set-up.


At this point we’ll cease the plot revelations, other than to say battle commences while politics are played back in Sparta to dethrone Leonidas under the guise of sacrilege for disobeying the Gods.


Impressions


War and conflict is a messy and brutal business, and this film certainly does not shy from those impressions. The battle scenes are filmed in a slower frame mode, so the various stabbings, beheadings and dismemberments are accompanied by enough blood splatter to keep CSI busy for years. Usually in this kind of movie you become numbed to the conflict after the first ten minutes or so – that was not the case in 300.


Director Zack Snyder makes the most of writer Frank Miller’s six-issue graphic novel (aka cartoonist) and moves the plot along at a fairly rapid pace. He injects more than enough humanity into 300 through various plot threads to keep the action fresh. The performance of Lena Headley as Queen Gorga was absolutely outstanding. She plays a strong woman, supportive of her husband and aware of his frailties, and willing to match his commitment towards freedom and doing the right thing.


Gerard Butler’s Scottish accent comes through enough that on a few occasions it overpowers the dialogue (although as a Brit I would notice that more). He shows himself, as King Leonidas, to be a remarkable leader, a master tactician, a loving husband and father, and more than a match for Xerxes and his army. Xerxes, played by Rodrigo Santoro, plays the god-king to be an exotic and confident young man, yet manages to bring out his inner conflicts and self-doubts, which eventually cause his downfall.


Spartans – tonight we shall dine in hell. After days of holding off the Persian army and piling up the dead bodies, the Spartan 300 are left to battle the entire Persian army thanks to yet another despicable act of treason. The dénouement is quite remarkable and I actually heard people around me holding their breath.


Final Thoughts


A violent and gory movie, yet it glorifies freedom, standing up to seemingly insurmountable odds, the strength of marriage and finally “doing the right thing”. I saw several families with 8 and 9 year olds in the movie theatre, which given the violence, sex and implied rape I found totally inappropriate.
The action scenes are amazing and one in particular, where the sky is filled with the arrows of the Persians hurtling down upon the Spartans is masterful special effects.


It’s more than a historical action/war movie – go see it!!


Postscript


Xerxes and his Persian army did eventually descend upon Athens and leveled the city, after spending months pillaging the countryside around Greece. Because of his conceit and indecision the Athenians mostly escaped to the island of Salamis. Much like Thermopylae the Greeks utilized the terrain to their advantage and thoroughly kicked Xerxes behind and send him back to Persia.


Details


Movie Details:

Rated: R
Runtime: 117 Minutes
Written by: Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad and Michael Gordon (based upon the graphic novel by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley)
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Starring:
King Leonidas ~ Gerard Butler (The Phantom of the Opera and Beowulf & Grendel)
Queen Gorgo ~ Lena Headey (Ripley’s Game)
Xerxes ~ Rodrigo Santoro





Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age