|
Spartan uprising that it purports to tell. Snyder preemptively defends this approach in the press notes by saying, ‘Frank took an actual event and turned it into mythology, as opposed to taking a mythological event and turning it into reality.’ What that means, I’m not entirely sure, but it doesn’t resolve the problem that the film prohibits us from truly submerging ourselves in the images by constantly keeping us aware of its superficiality. We may admire the soldiers’ courage and resilience but we have such little identification with them that it’s often difficult to remember why they are fighting.
We do get an eventual glimpse during the film’s standout scene in which Leonidas and Xerxes meet during a reprieve from battle and Xerxes tries to goad Leonidas into surrendering. When reminded that he is grossly outnumbered, Leonidas responds that Xerxes may have many slaves, but few warriors. Coupled with an earlier scene in which Leonidas greets an army of Thespian volunteers, an interesting sub-text about volunteerism verses conscription emerges. But what’s more prevalent in the mind of the viewers and the filmmakers is the excessive blood and guts and that can only sustain a film for so long.
There are some inciting visual achievements and the pulse-pounding musical score composed by Tyler Bates is impressive not least because it is present through almost the entire film. But the film’s most fruitful accomplishment will be impelling its viewers to head back to the history books and perhaps find a new way of engaging with the film’s inspiration.
Movie Grade: C+
Synopsis:
Based on the epic graphic novel by Frank Miller, 300 is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite. |
