Saturday, 17 March 2007

Frank Miller's 300 (2006)



Tag Line:
The world will know of the few that stood against many.

IMoG’s Tag Line:
Come on then if you think you’re hard enough.

The Plot in a Nut Shell:
Based on the Battle of Thermopylae, 300 Spartans stand against the massive invading Persians force.

When a Persian messenger turns up at the steps of Sparta with the decapitated heads of a couple of conquered kings and rudely asks King Leonidas (
Gerard Butler) for Sparta’s submission to the self proclaimed God-King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) Things kick off a little bit.
Leonidas punts the messenger down a well (an unlawful action) and decides to go to war. One slightly problem pops up for him, the high council and some freaky inbred priesty types forbid him to go.
Leonidas basically gives them all the finger, picks 300 of his finest men and tools off anyway.

This film is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller, it looks like and oil painting. Having never been a huge fan of CGI work, I can honestly say that the digital stuff in this film nothing short of amazing.

It’s around 2 hours long and it sails by in no time. The first 15mins gives you a nice little insight to who the Spartan’s were and then its straight into the good stuff.
The battle scenes are excellently choreographed, with the shots slipping into slow motion and back again with thrilling results.
The director,
Zack Snyder keeps the plot and action tight. Never once does he fall into the old “sod the story, look at all this cool CGI stuff we can do”.
The only times the film slows down a tad is when it goes back to Sparta and the back story of Queen Gorgo (
Lena Headey) desperately trying to convince the High Council to send out the full Spartan army to help her husband.
But these moments are a welcome break in pace.

Not much is known about the fighting style and this is something the film makers gleefully take advantage of. Watching these guys fight as one fluid combat unit is utterly brilliant. Since Lord of the Rings, we seem to have been inundated with other peoples attempts at the epics of history but 300 is the only one worthy of notice.


Classic Moment:
There are absolutely loads of them. Choc-o-full of great lines and moments its hard to pick.
The two that stick in my mind is the scene when Leonidas shouts “this is Sparta!” and hoofs the cocky arsed Persian messenger down the Well.
The other is when a Persian scout (having just had his arm cut off by a Spartan) informs them that the Persian force is so massive that their arrows will blot out the sun. The Spartan just smiles and says “Then we will fight in the shade”

How these Spartans managed to walk about with balls so big is beyond me, they must of had wheel barrows to carry their nuts about in.


What’s Wrong with it:
Well as a film not much and I’m refusing to get drawn into the whole historical arguments people are already having about it.

This film is Frank Miller’s 300, based on his research, findings and writing, it never claimed to be a completely cock on retelling of what actually happened.
And to be honest I don’t much care what’s right and what’s wrong.

Round up:
300 is of a caliber worthy of your attention, its been a while something this good has come about. But with it only getting a very limited cinema release in the UK due to Warner Brothers being total bell ends, this film is tragically not going to get the viewers it deserves.


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300 Trailer

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