Walking Therein

Movie Review "300"

We love history, so it's only natural we would love this movie. Ok, well, we liked it. I would like to get the edited version, though. I didn't even mind the fact that the King consulted the 14ish young oracle, just the fact that she was pretty much naked. I call see-through naked. It may as well be. That and the following scene between the King and his Queen are not ok for an adult to view, imho. 

The movie starts off mostly in legend. It tells of how Spartans were trained and had quite an unreal episode with a rather demonic large wolf. The battle scenes are great. The portrayal of how the Spartans defeated King Xerxes over and over was great. Modern movie techniques and CGI make you feel like you are there. A no-holds-barred attitude, like the Spartans would have had, bring war to a whole new level. They were great warriors. Being a Warrior was their life, their breath. You can feel it. You experience it. A note: The Spartans are clothed in 'more of a diaper" as one of the girls said and a long cloak, but they are bare-chested.

The love King Leonidas of the Spartans had for his wife was wonderful to see. She was a strong woman, though subject to her husband and her king.

I am not sure I agree with the way they cast King Xerxes. It was interesting to wonder, though. He did have the world in his hands, and I have no doubt he was a depraved man, deep in sin. We were just wondering how Queen Esther fit into that. A few of the scenes cast him as effeminate and sporting makeup and lots of dangling jewelry, though perversely the ultimate God-King. He had all-power to do as he wished - except to the Spartans. He even had to pay a traitor to defeat them. Being the perverse man that he was portrayed as, there are very sinful scenes that you won't want to view. We fast-forwarded through them. And another scene besides that.

We don't mind blood and battle. The perversity of King Xerxes and his cohorts made this a movie to remind you of Sodom & Gomorrah. The acceptance of nakedness and trust in the gods - even aknowldgement of them - obviously tells of their lack of spiritual understanding of the One True God.  I will say that the Spartans and the Battles were the majority of the movie, though. I found myself realizing that I no longer remember depravity. Then I realized I never knew it to begin with, as low of a sinner as I was before Jesus changed me. The type of history we are taught and even think about when we read the Word is devoid of understanding of the nasty sins that was normal life to many - and is normal life for many today.

In a search for Historical Accuracy, this is what I found:
Again, this isn't something designed to be used in school, but with so much done right, it's a shame an equal number of things are done so poorly, either for artistic license or some other reason.

The Spartan hoplites are depicted in either the "heroic nude" or wearing something very much like thong underpants, which is laughable. Why do their helmets (except Leonidas') lack crests? Did they forget them at home, with their body armor and tunics? The ephors are shown like a band of evil Emperors from STAR WARS, leprous and perverted. Their absolute corruption and malevolence must be designed to make Leonidas shine all the brighter.

The traitor Ephialtes, the Judas of Thermopylae, has been rewritten into a diseased, hunchbacked, half-breed in whom rejection by Leonidas instills a crazed desire for vengeance. (This scene doesn't hold water: the king turns Ephialtes away because he isn't able to hold a shield in the phalanx, but there's no reason this Ephialtes couldn't have served capably as a skirmisher, armor-bearer, messenger, waterboy, hair stylist (ha), or whatever.) The Immortals, Great King Xerxes' crack troops, are drawn heavily stylized, with pitch black cowls, black shields, and armored facemasks, more like Halloween goblins than the Persian elite. The Persian host did NOT include elephants, alas, despite what is shown in volume five. Xerxes himself is perhaps the greatest departure from reality. Rather than an arrogant Achaemenid prince, he is drawn as a towering, body-pierced, Nubian smooth-talker. Most disconcerting."

We watched the 1964 version, The 300 Spartans, a few years back, and I have yet to research if it is true to history, and we have not compared it to this one, though it will be interesting to do.

 Leonidas' words at the end of the movie sums up the spirit of the entire movie and the fight that 300 brought to a nation against all odds: "The world will know that free men stood against a tyrant, that few stood against many, and before this battle was over, that even a god-king can bleed." and "My children, gather round! No retreat, no surrender; that is Spartan law. And by Spartan law we will stand and fight... and die. A new age has begun. An age of freedom, and all will know, that 300 Spartans gave their last breaths to defend it!" His final, dying words were, "My Queen! My Wife! My Love."

My children - all of them - love battle scenes (not for blood and gore, but technique, I suppose) They love playing bow and arrow or sword-fighting. It is pretty neat to watch Eric out there, fighting invisible orcs and shooting his arrows at the speed of light. He falls, rolls and dives before he stands again and conquers the next group of tyrants. It's even funnier to see Jocelyn running down to the driveway after Caleb, carrying a "spear" and chuck it across the yard about 20 feet.

I have also heard over and over in the past 3 weeks (from the older girls, btw) since we saw it, "Spartans!!! What is your profession?!". They crack me up. 

blesings! - Jacque

Our children did not watch this movie in its entirety (I didn't either, actually). Our children 13 and under did not watch anything but battle scenes. Whether it is entirely historically accurate in them or not, the movie shows a great strategy, courage and determination to stand up and fight against evil. By the end, the Spartans will still stand to fight evil and refuse to bow to it in face of certain death.

Untitled Comment

9:45 PM, Thursday, October 4, 2007 .. Posted by quietcajun

We saw both of those movies and they were pretty good, albeit bloody! I was interested in the Sparta movie b/c I had just finished reading "Assumptions that Influence Our Lives." (I think that is the title!) It had a whole thing about Sparta... so I thought, with that in mind they did not portray the Spartans as being blood thirsty enough!

My 2 cents

11:03 PM, Thursday, October 4, 2007 .. Posted by Sawickis

My husband and I watched this movie and loved it. There were things that were definately disturbing. Although after spending half the year learning about his time period I came to the conclusion that there were quite a few things that were disturbing in that time. I was able to overlook the oracle too, although I didn't appreciate the nudity. I couldn't overlook the scene between the King and the Queen. It was totally unnecessary to the story and didn't belong. We actually skipped through it. But other than those things I really like the movie. There is my review.

*Kristie*