300
3/4
Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, Rodrigo Santoro
Rated R for Graphic Battle Sequences Throughout, and Some Sexuality and Nudity
"300" is a cult classic; an adrenaline cocktail that was born to have rabid fans. It is violent and bloody, and all the better for it. There is nothing subtle about this blend of machismo and brutality. It doesn't seek to be anything other than it is: a deliriously over-the-top action movie designed to get the fists pumping and the blood flowing.
In Ancient Sparta, war is not just a hobby or a necessity. It is a way of life. From birth to death, men prepare for war and women breed soldiers. One day, a Persian emissary (Peter Mensah) comes with one request for the Spartan King Leonidas (Butler): earth and water. In other words, the Persian king Xerxes (Santoro) requests submission and a small tax in exchange for their city-state not to be obliterated. Now, Spartans are a proud people, so Leonidas kills the messenger and his bodyguards and prepares for battle. Unfortunately for him, the Ephors (priests to the old gods) deny him permission to go to war. So he and 299 of his best warriors are left to defend Sparta. His wife, Queen Gorgo (Headey), appeals to the council to send in the rest of the army, but she faces fierce opposition from Theron (West), who has designs on being king himself.
This really isn't a plot-centric movie. There's just enough story to facilitate the action scenes, which are numerous and go beyond over-the-top. That's actually the film's problem; the action scenes eclipse the story to the point when the film pauses to explain the plot back home, we wish it would shut up and get back to the bloodletting.
It's not for lack of trying on the part of the cast. Lena Headey is perfect as the strong but loving Queen Gorgo. It's a shame that few women in film are given as much gumption as her because she's just as badass as the men (as Leonidas points out, the women would probably be happy to fight along side the guys). Dominic West is at his sleazy best as Theron; he's a formidable adversary who gets us to hate him with no effort.
On the male front, the acting is just as strong. Gerard Butler was an unknown at the time of the film's release, having appeared in only in supporting roles in movies like "Lara Croft: The Cradle of Life," "Reign of Fire" and "Timeline" (although he did play the title role in the musical version of "The Phantom of the Opera," but that movie wasn't exactly a massive hit). Still, he balances the line between macho and farce, and knows exactly how to shout the movie's numerous quotable lines. Rodrigo Santoro (whose character is almost entirely computer generated---Xerxes is at least 8 feet tall with a deep, booming voice while Santoro is only 6'2" and has a soft voice) is a terrific villain; he's menacing and exotic. Terrific support is provided by Vincent Regan as Leonidas's dutiful captain, David Wenham as Dilios (who, in addition to fighting, narrates the film) and in a small role, future acting all-star Michael Fassbender (who is front and center for one of the film's funniest jokes).
While it may not be Zack Snyder's best film (that would be "Watchmen") or his biggest ("Man of Steel"), it is his most enjoyable film. It cemented his ability as a director of skill, and he uses dozens of filming techniques to maximum effect. Playing with light, extravagant and lavish creatures and sets, and most importantly, playing with zooms and film speeds. He knows exactly how far to push the limits of the action for maximum effect.
Historically, this film is hardly accurate. Well, sort of. When it comes to setting up the plot (which establishes Spartan culture), it's pretty dead-on. But in the battle sequences, fantasy takes over. That's a good thing, because realism has no place in a movie like this. Unless it helps the film's agenda.
Upon its release, "300" was controversial. Ideologically, there were attacks from both sides of the political spectrum. Some thought it was fascist, others thought it glorified war. Some thought it was discriminatory towards people with disabilities (the character of Ephialtes, played by Andrew Tiernan). Still others thought it was racist towards Persians, and in the words of British film critic Steven Rea (not to be confused with Neil Jordan regular Stephen Rea), a "cross-section of Western stereotypes of Asian and African cultures).
Over here, people saw it as a metaphor for the Iraq war. Conservatives hailed it as showing the necessity of staying the course no matter what the cost, while liberals claimed it as showing the cost of fighting when it's an exercise in futility.
Ultimately, "300" can't be seen as a political or racial metaphor. Nor should it be. It's simply too ridiculous to be taken seriously. This isn't one of those movies that has something to say. Snyder's only agenda is to craft an action movie that gets the adrenaline pumping. And to that end he succeeds marvelously.
Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, Rodrigo Santoro
Rated R for Graphic Battle Sequences Throughout, and Some Sexuality and Nudity
"300" is a cult classic; an adrenaline cocktail that was born to have rabid fans. It is violent and bloody, and all the better for it. There is nothing subtle about this blend of machismo and brutality. It doesn't seek to be anything other than it is: a deliriously over-the-top action movie designed to get the fists pumping and the blood flowing.
In Ancient Sparta, war is not just a hobby or a necessity. It is a way of life. From birth to death, men prepare for war and women breed soldiers. One day, a Persian emissary (Peter Mensah) comes with one request for the Spartan King Leonidas (Butler): earth and water. In other words, the Persian king Xerxes (Santoro) requests submission and a small tax in exchange for their city-state not to be obliterated. Now, Spartans are a proud people, so Leonidas kills the messenger and his bodyguards and prepares for battle. Unfortunately for him, the Ephors (priests to the old gods) deny him permission to go to war. So he and 299 of his best warriors are left to defend Sparta. His wife, Queen Gorgo (Headey), appeals to the council to send in the rest of the army, but she faces fierce opposition from Theron (West), who has designs on being king himself.
This really isn't a plot-centric movie. There's just enough story to facilitate the action scenes, which are numerous and go beyond over-the-top. That's actually the film's problem; the action scenes eclipse the story to the point when the film pauses to explain the plot back home, we wish it would shut up and get back to the bloodletting.
It's not for lack of trying on the part of the cast. Lena Headey is perfect as the strong but loving Queen Gorgo. It's a shame that few women in film are given as much gumption as her because she's just as badass as the men (as Leonidas points out, the women would probably be happy to fight along side the guys). Dominic West is at his sleazy best as Theron; he's a formidable adversary who gets us to hate him with no effort.
On the male front, the acting is just as strong. Gerard Butler was an unknown at the time of the film's release, having appeared in only in supporting roles in movies like "Lara Croft: The Cradle of Life," "Reign of Fire" and "Timeline" (although he did play the title role in the musical version of "The Phantom of the Opera," but that movie wasn't exactly a massive hit). Still, he balances the line between macho and farce, and knows exactly how to shout the movie's numerous quotable lines. Rodrigo Santoro (whose character is almost entirely computer generated---Xerxes is at least 8 feet tall with a deep, booming voice while Santoro is only 6'2" and has a soft voice) is a terrific villain; he's menacing and exotic. Terrific support is provided by Vincent Regan as Leonidas's dutiful captain, David Wenham as Dilios (who, in addition to fighting, narrates the film) and in a small role, future acting all-star Michael Fassbender (who is front and center for one of the film's funniest jokes).
While it may not be Zack Snyder's best film (that would be "Watchmen") or his biggest ("Man of Steel"), it is his most enjoyable film. It cemented his ability as a director of skill, and he uses dozens of filming techniques to maximum effect. Playing with light, extravagant and lavish creatures and sets, and most importantly, playing with zooms and film speeds. He knows exactly how far to push the limits of the action for maximum effect.
Historically, this film is hardly accurate. Well, sort of. When it comes to setting up the plot (which establishes Spartan culture), it's pretty dead-on. But in the battle sequences, fantasy takes over. That's a good thing, because realism has no place in a movie like this. Unless it helps the film's agenda.
Upon its release, "300" was controversial. Ideologically, there were attacks from both sides of the political spectrum. Some thought it was fascist, others thought it glorified war. Some thought it was discriminatory towards people with disabilities (the character of Ephialtes, played by Andrew Tiernan). Still others thought it was racist towards Persians, and in the words of British film critic Steven Rea (not to be confused with Neil Jordan regular Stephen Rea), a "cross-section of Western stereotypes of Asian and African cultures).
Over here, people saw it as a metaphor for the Iraq war. Conservatives hailed it as showing the necessity of staying the course no matter what the cost, while liberals claimed it as showing the cost of fighting when it's an exercise in futility.
Ultimately, "300" can't be seen as a political or racial metaphor. Nor should it be. It's simply too ridiculous to be taken seriously. This isn't one of those movies that has something to say. Snyder's only agenda is to craft an action movie that gets the adrenaline pumping. And to that end he succeeds marvelously.
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