300 (Single-Disc Widescreen Edition)

Ok I know what you're thinking. You look at the DVD cover and you see a 90% naked, screaming, digitally-enhanced guy and the title splattered in blood across the front. And you've heard the rumor that it's not shy to flash you throughout the movie. There's usually more skin showing at any one time than there is clothing. But this was their culture. It's historical. That said, I would agree that this movie probably isn't healthy for anyone who can't handle all the violence and exposure. Fair warning.But if you can see past that, or rather, see the sheer beauty and artistry in every shot, than you'll be able to really appreciate this movie a lot more. Because all this is mere eye candy to help express the underlying character sketch of a lost society where honor, freedom, courage, and human dignity were the pillars. Where you lived and died for that which you loved. Where the citizens walked free and proud under the sun, unafraid. The stark contrast between Sparta and the Persian's slavery, terrorism, and intimidation serves as a reminder of why we as Americans or British or Canadian, whatever your nationality might be-if you live in a society that believes in freedom and fights to defend it and to ensure that those who live under slavery and fear are liberated, that is the purpose of our society. Not to be rich or technologically advanced, but to live our individual lives in peace as free human beings and to ensure that that opportunity is available for everyone, to ensure that no one need live in fear.That ideology combined with the incredibly inspiring story of these 300's bravery in the face of overwhelming odds is what makes this movie so personal. We've all been to the place where we wonder if it's really worth it, if we're going to make it. Our circumstances might be different, but the feeling is mutual. It's at those times that I've turned to the example of Leonidas and his soldiers, who believed in something so much that nothing could deter them, not even death. Then I think to myself, "Is this problem really that insurmountable? Am I going to let it take away my freedom?" Because let me tell you, if you let your circumstance control your actions or your faith and belief in yourself, you have made yourself it's slave.Ok enough with the moralizing. On to the movie itself. There are so many elements that I love about it. As aforementioned, the artistry is incredible. Mind-blowing, really. I couldn't believe the texture and detail of motion in the shots, even if they were CGI. You just have to see it to believe it.The acting is not bad at all. In fact, I think it's the best performances I've seen from either Gerard Butler (Leonidas) or David Wenham (Dilios, the narrator). I especially loved Lena Headey's character (Queen Gorgo). I loved how she is just as personally strong as the soldiers to show that the strength was a part of the entire society, not just the military. She is treated with respect out of love: the citizens don't drop to the ground as she passes them in the street, but they acknowledge her with respect as a human being. And she has just as much place in the government and political affairs as Leonidas. Great way to show that manly men don't need to keep their wives under their thumb. And also that great men usually have a great woman behind them.Now you might expect that a movie that relies so heavily on it's visuals might be lacking in the screenplay. But oh my gosh is this ever not the case! There are so many incredible lines full of inspiration and truth. Perhaps my favorite is when Leonidas is torn about the imminent war. "What must a king do to save his world..", he asks. Queen Gorgo responds with, "It is not a question of what a Spartan citizen should do, nor a husband, nor a king. Instead, ask yourself, what should a free man do." Beautiful.I think "300" received a lot of stereotype as a testosterone-driven guy movie full of blood and boobs. But it is so much more than that. If you're too easily visually impressionable to see it objectively, than maybe you're not one for the Spartan ranks. But if you want an action-packed story, unbelievable artistry, and a moral that will inspire you to greatness, then Spartan, prepare for glory!

Before going to see "300" this afternoon I watched the 1962 film "The 300 Spartans." I have a strong affection for the marching music in the film and the shot of Leonidas leading the Spartan phalanx for the last time, plus an enduring sense of injustice at the Persians dispatching the last Spartans by wave after wave of cartoon arrows. I had read Frank Miller's "300" when it was first published in five issues so I knew what to expect. This film is not history: it is art. Granted, we are talking post-modern art, but that still counts as art in a world where computers are as important as cameras when making a movie.The Battle of Thermopylae was fought in 480 B.C. The Persian army of Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) is invading Greece with the largest army the world has ever seen. With the Spartan army prohibited from marching north because of a religious festival, King Leonidas (Gerald Butler in fine form) heads for the natural bottleneck on the main road between Locris and Thessaly with the 300 men of his bodyguard. After three days of battle the Spartans were betrayed by a man named Ephialtes who showed the Persians a mountain path that led behind the Greek lines. While the rest of the Greek soldiers retreated, the 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians were slaughtered to the last man. Simonides composed a famous epigram that was engraved as an epitaph on a commemorative stone placed on top of the burial mound of the Spartans at Thermopylae: "Go, stranger, and tell the Spartans, That we lie here in obedience to their laws."Miller was inspired by historical events but was not constrained by it in telling his story. In his version Ephialtes (Andrew Tiernan) is no longer a poor shepherd but a deformed figure who was born to parents who fled Sparta rather than leave their infant on a rock to die, adding elements of pathos and irony hitherto unseen with regards to the character. Nor is this movie the attempt to faithfully bring Miller's art to life that we saw with "Sin City," which is perfectly fine with me. Besides, director Zack Snyder's film reminded me more of lots of other films, from "Gladiator" to "Hero," more than it did "Sin City." I want to say that what we saw of this type of modern filmmaking in "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" has been refined, but that would be quite an ironic comment to make about such a gory and gritty film. Ultimately, the movie is rather impressionistic in nature, emphasizing graphic images over everything else, which brings us back around again to the idea that "300" is art and not history.I was quite pleased the overall "300" met my expectations. During the first part of the battle Snyder ("Dawn of the Dead") resorts to the rapid series of cuts that I have come to deplore in contemporary action films because I can never tell what is happening. I understand that a battle is a sea of chaos, but if I cannot tell what is going on I become distracted. I want to see what is happening in order for the scenes to become memorable to me. Fortunately the rest of the movie takes full advantage of slow motion technique we see in the trailers and television spots for the film. In fact, "300" makes better use of slow motion than any film I can remember, mainly because the point is not to prolong the suspense (e.g., the end of the fight in "Rocky II"), but to let you see what is happening (e.g., River's fight scenes in "Serenity"). Think of watching big hits in football in slow motion replay and you get a sense of how Snyder is able to strategically slow down the action to see not only the power but also the grace of the violence.Looks are everything in this film, so the Spartans fight bare-chested, the better for their muscles to ripple, while the Persians might be the most overdressed warriors in cinematic history (although I admit that I have to wonder where the Spartans were hiding their helmets on the long trip from Sparta to the Hot Gates). "300" is a film that glories in visual excess as the army of Xerxes becomes a computer generated million man march and the pass at Thermopylae exists between towering pillars of rock. This may or may not be the most computer generated figures on the screen at one time in the history of the world, but I have to believe "300" offers the biggest piles of corpses we have ever seen. As if quantity was not enough to overwhelm the Spartans, Leonidas and his men are confronted by a towering Xerxes and a host of monstrous men and animals. The net result may well be the best comic book movie to date, despite the fact the hero is a historical figure and not a superhero.This adaptation plays up a subplot regarding what is happening back at Sparta while Leonidas and his body guard face annihilation as Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) attempts to play politics with Theron (Dominic West), who complains about the legitimacy of the king's actions rather than deal with the reality of a Persian army coming to crush Greece. But it is hard to care about such machinations in the face of the historical record and the fact that the drama is happening at Thermopylae and not back in Sparta. There are notes sounded about saving Greece from the Persians and civilization from the evils of Asian mysticism, but the legacy of the Spartans has nothing to do with their role in the development of democracy. Almost two millennium before the Alamo there was this story of a group of warriors that sacrifice their lives in a battle so that their people could win the war. The story of the 300 Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae is that of the first great last stand.