300: A Movie Review
Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 12:22 am
OK. So I saw 300 twice (once in IMAX, once on a regular screen). On opening weekend.
Madness? Nah…
300 rocks. From start to finish. It is very rare to find “mainstream” movies that well-rounded.
First of all, let us be clear. I have been a fan of Gerard Butler since way back when in 2001 when the Attila mini-series was released by HBO, so I’ll admit I was the slightliest biased. It is even entirely possible that I wouldn’t have gone and see 300 if not for GB. But it doesn’t mean that I think all of his movies are good (some were, to be quite honest, not really up to par).
Another thing: I’ll make references to the movie proper. I suppose that with a story more than 2 500 years old, I can afford to. It’s not like it’s recent news, anyway…
Having 16 years of Classical piano under my belt, I always pay special attention to a movie’s soundrack. I might like the soundtrack or not, but any original score has to fit in the movie it lends its force to. For 300, Tyler Bates’s score does that, and more. It ups the ante on Hans Zimmer’s Gladiator soundtrack, bringing a truly gritty feel to the movie. It also borrows a bit from Howard Shore’s Lord Of The Rings trilogy, with epic vocals that give it a hauntingly majestic presence.
Yet there is also a wee bit of self-deprecation there, that we also find in other aspects of the film. One sequence particularly stands out. At some point in the movie, we see Leonidas and his Spartans marching towards the Persians. Each of the Spartans’ synchronised steps are silent, and there is a very “electric synth” counterpoint when they move forward. It has been much decried as anti-climactic, but I find it rather accurate. It makes me think, in a way, of the start of We Will Rock You by Queen. It’s as though the soundtrack were winking at us: “Hey, remember, this is all great, but don’t forget we’re not trying to be historically accurate.”
Which brings me to another much-debated point: historical accuracy. There is another article here which tells its tale better than I ever could, and since I do not claim to be an expert on Greek History either, I’ll simply bow and let other more qualified people do the job: http://www.gerardbutler.net/news/news_m ... ewsID=2338 . I’ll add this, though. Whoever thought 300 would be historically accurate didn’t read Zack Snyder’s interviews. In them, he always claimed that all he ever wanted to do was making a helluva fun, gory movie which would literally translate Frank Miller’s work to the big screen. If anything, people ranting about historical inaccuracies should take up their argument with Miller, not Snyder and co. Now, I’m not defending Miller (who’s got political views I find manichean at best), but I’m trying to come up with as fair a review as possible.
Now, a word on the general aesthetics of the movie. I have to say right off the bat that I don’t like violence overmuch in movies, seeing as it is too often placed there for gratuitous reasons or for shock value. But the thing is, the violence in 300 actually serves a purpose: we are catapulted smack in the core of the action, and a bloody war it is. I actually admire Zack Snyder for his unflinching approach towards violence. He doesn’t shy away from anything, that lad, and the very images that might seem apologetic to some, I actually find a staunch reminder of the actual cost of war. People die there, and there’s no panning to the daffodils as the most gruesome scenes come.
This is a R-rated movie (in the United States anyway – here in Quebec it got a PG-13). It deals with strong, serious issues. If you’re not prepared to face that, don’t go see this movie. And most certainly, don’t bring your kids.
Yet for all the blood splattered over the screen, it is presented in such a way that, yet again, we are reminded that we are seeing a movie. On the first battle sequence at the Hot Gates (Thermopylae, that is), we are treated to a uninterrupted shot of Leonidas doing his ballet of death among the enemy ranks. With careful application of slow motion and fast-forward, and a very liberal amount of CGI blood, we are forced to see it on a second degree. Some reviewers have described it as a “video game come to life”, but it is more than that. In a way, it gives us a glimpse of the so-called “zone” some military find themselves in when in the heat of combat (it is also possible to feel that when you are extremely concentrated in a sport, for example). But since this “zone” is something not many of us get to experience, it also feels quite alien to us when translated over to the big screen.
Another element I need to underline in this process is the colour palette used to render the images. While it is clearly a reference to Frank Miller’s work, the subtle blend of soft yellows, earthy browns, strong blacks and slashing reds Zack Snyder calls the “crush” helps us to realise that we are indeed watching a movie. There are no brilliant blues to colour the sky or vivid greens in the fields. Everything is stark, minimalist, and – dare I say it – eminently Spartan.
If we take into account the aforementioned reserves we put on historical accuracy, it is then easy to understand where the aesthetics of the movie go. Barring Xerxes and possibly Theron, all the opposing forces to Leonidas are depicted as being monstruous, horrible to look at. It is in accord to the main guideline of the movie: what we are watching is actually a firecamp tale told by Dilios, the sole survivor of the 300 Spartans. It is a tale meant to rise troops against the enemy, a tale meant to inspire in men of all Greece the will to fight against the mighty Xerxes. Of course there are going to be hyperboles and exagerations. Of course Ephialtes is going to be the ugly hunchback we get to see. Of course Leonidas is going to be described as a man in the prime of his life, with rippling abs for all to see. And of course Xerxes is going to appear as this mighty, greater-than life megalomaniac.
Once we get that, it is remarkably easy to take all the rest in stride.
And now I would like to comment on the actors’ performances.
Gerard Butler as Leonidas is quite simply outstanding. And that is not the fangirl speaking. He truly put layers on what could easily have been flat cardboard dialogue. Leonidas’s gruff love towards his son is splendidly shown. And while in the whole movie he never wavers from his strong idealistic position towards the war and his devotion for Sparta, we see in his final, heart-wrenching frame that his every action is fueled by a deep, abiding love for Gorgo, his wife and queen. As Dilios leaves to rise Sparta, he asks Leonidas if there is any message for the Queen. And the King aswers, as he presses a crude necklace to Dilios’s palm: “None that need be spoken.” Gerard Butler is of those quiet character actors who can express more in a glance than some in a full-fledged speech.
Lena Headey as Gorgo is a nice addition to the movie. In the graphic novel, the Queen only speaks one line. In the film, Gorgo has been fleshed out and given a true dramatic role. Though some critics have said that the sequences in Sparta were off-putting, diverting from the main action, I actually find them enlightening. Her good-bye love scene with Leonidas, done in artsy black-and-white flashes, is what I’d expect from two spouses who know the man is quite literally marching to his death on the morning. And as Leonidas fights at the Hot Gates, Gorgo fights the corrupt politicians at home. She is ready to do everything that it takes to support her husband. And earlier, when the Persian messenger shows surprise that Gorgo dares to speak, implying that Spartan men are less manly for it, she says with quiet strenght: “It is because only Spartan women give birth to real men.” Though I do not condone many aspects of the Spartan way of life, I have to say that this is an awesome message to today’s women: don’t accept bullshit and speak out for yourself, because no one will do it for you.
The rest of the cast takes their cue from the King and Queen, giving impressive performances. David Wenham as the narrator, Dilios, exudes a quiet sarcasm. After loosing an eye, he reassures his King worried about this, ahem, “scratch” by telling him: “’Tis but an eye, Sire. The Gods saw fit to give me a spare.” Michael Fassbender as Stelios has a very tongue-in-cheek humour. At some point, he slices an arm off a Persian envoy who promptly screams: “My arm!” And Stelios remarks: “It is not yours anymore.”
Dominic West as Theron has the corrupt politician act down pat. He is sly, self-serving and utterly creepy, which is awesome in the context of the film. He asks everything of Gorgo, but ultimately gets paid back in full, in a wonderfully satisfying scene. And a special mention must go to Rodrigo Santoro as the almighty Xerxes. He is the very image of what some call “terrible beauty”. His most revealing line (and the most disturbing one if we care to analyse it only a little) is: “I am not cruel, like your Leonidas. He commands that you stand. I only ask that you kneel.”
I cannot name everybody, because it would be both a tedious and unnecesary task. Suffice it to say that all the other actors have done a very fine job of it all, and given three dimensions to what could easily have been a purely “Good versus Evil” scenario.
What can I add?
Well, nothing much except the fact that I salute the actors’ dedication to live up to their characters. They had to submit themselves to a guesome training programme to get the physique required for the role, and it pays off. Sometimes, it feels as though we’ve stepped in an ancient Greek pottery, what with all those men in their most glorious apparel (though for modesty’s sake they do don the leather codpiece). But the potential “Chippendale” effect is nil, because at some point the actors got so comfortable in their costume – or lack thereof – that they strut about with a very matter-of-fact attitude, so much that we, too, come to entirely forget that we are watching almost-buck-naked manflesh and step into the ride. It becomes natural, and it is us, coming out of the theatre with all the layers of clothing a chilly March weekend requires, who feel overdressed.
One very last word. It probably wasn’t intentional, but I find it a sweet irony that a movie about Greek warriors would be released in March. It is, after all, the month of Mars, the God of Warfare, who is the Roman equivalent to the Hellenic God Ares. Fitting, that, for a movie about Spartans, the ultimate Greek warriors.
Methinks Ares approved of the offering, if the box-office figures are any indication…
Madness? Nah…
300 rocks. From start to finish. It is very rare to find “mainstream” movies that well-rounded.
First of all, let us be clear. I have been a fan of Gerard Butler since way back when in 2001 when the Attila mini-series was released by HBO, so I’ll admit I was the slightliest biased. It is even entirely possible that I wouldn’t have gone and see 300 if not for GB. But it doesn’t mean that I think all of his movies are good (some were, to be quite honest, not really up to par).
Another thing: I’ll make references to the movie proper. I suppose that with a story more than 2 500 years old, I can afford to. It’s not like it’s recent news, anyway…
Having 16 years of Classical piano under my belt, I always pay special attention to a movie’s soundrack. I might like the soundtrack or not, but any original score has to fit in the movie it lends its force to. For 300, Tyler Bates’s score does that, and more. It ups the ante on Hans Zimmer’s Gladiator soundtrack, bringing a truly gritty feel to the movie. It also borrows a bit from Howard Shore’s Lord Of The Rings trilogy, with epic vocals that give it a hauntingly majestic presence.
Yet there is also a wee bit of self-deprecation there, that we also find in other aspects of the film. One sequence particularly stands out. At some point in the movie, we see Leonidas and his Spartans marching towards the Persians. Each of the Spartans’ synchronised steps are silent, and there is a very “electric synth” counterpoint when they move forward. It has been much decried as anti-climactic, but I find it rather accurate. It makes me think, in a way, of the start of We Will Rock You by Queen. It’s as though the soundtrack were winking at us: “Hey, remember, this is all great, but don’t forget we’re not trying to be historically accurate.”
Which brings me to another much-debated point: historical accuracy. There is another article here which tells its tale better than I ever could, and since I do not claim to be an expert on Greek History either, I’ll simply bow and let other more qualified people do the job: http://www.gerardbutler.net/news/news_m ... ewsID=2338 . I’ll add this, though. Whoever thought 300 would be historically accurate didn’t read Zack Snyder’s interviews. In them, he always claimed that all he ever wanted to do was making a helluva fun, gory movie which would literally translate Frank Miller’s work to the big screen. If anything, people ranting about historical inaccuracies should take up their argument with Miller, not Snyder and co. Now, I’m not defending Miller (who’s got political views I find manichean at best), but I’m trying to come up with as fair a review as possible.
Now, a word on the general aesthetics of the movie. I have to say right off the bat that I don’t like violence overmuch in movies, seeing as it is too often placed there for gratuitous reasons or for shock value. But the thing is, the violence in 300 actually serves a purpose: we are catapulted smack in the core of the action, and a bloody war it is. I actually admire Zack Snyder for his unflinching approach towards violence. He doesn’t shy away from anything, that lad, and the very images that might seem apologetic to some, I actually find a staunch reminder of the actual cost of war. People die there, and there’s no panning to the daffodils as the most gruesome scenes come.
This is a R-rated movie (in the United States anyway – here in Quebec it got a PG-13). It deals with strong, serious issues. If you’re not prepared to face that, don’t go see this movie. And most certainly, don’t bring your kids.
Yet for all the blood splattered over the screen, it is presented in such a way that, yet again, we are reminded that we are seeing a movie. On the first battle sequence at the Hot Gates (Thermopylae, that is), we are treated to a uninterrupted shot of Leonidas doing his ballet of death among the enemy ranks. With careful application of slow motion and fast-forward, and a very liberal amount of CGI blood, we are forced to see it on a second degree. Some reviewers have described it as a “video game come to life”, but it is more than that. In a way, it gives us a glimpse of the so-called “zone” some military find themselves in when in the heat of combat (it is also possible to feel that when you are extremely concentrated in a sport, for example). But since this “zone” is something not many of us get to experience, it also feels quite alien to us when translated over to the big screen.
Another element I need to underline in this process is the colour palette used to render the images. While it is clearly a reference to Frank Miller’s work, the subtle blend of soft yellows, earthy browns, strong blacks and slashing reds Zack Snyder calls the “crush” helps us to realise that we are indeed watching a movie. There are no brilliant blues to colour the sky or vivid greens in the fields. Everything is stark, minimalist, and – dare I say it – eminently Spartan.
If we take into account the aforementioned reserves we put on historical accuracy, it is then easy to understand where the aesthetics of the movie go. Barring Xerxes and possibly Theron, all the opposing forces to Leonidas are depicted as being monstruous, horrible to look at. It is in accord to the main guideline of the movie: what we are watching is actually a firecamp tale told by Dilios, the sole survivor of the 300 Spartans. It is a tale meant to rise troops against the enemy, a tale meant to inspire in men of all Greece the will to fight against the mighty Xerxes. Of course there are going to be hyperboles and exagerations. Of course Ephialtes is going to be the ugly hunchback we get to see. Of course Leonidas is going to be described as a man in the prime of his life, with rippling abs for all to see. And of course Xerxes is going to appear as this mighty, greater-than life megalomaniac.
Once we get that, it is remarkably easy to take all the rest in stride.
And now I would like to comment on the actors’ performances.
Gerard Butler as Leonidas is quite simply outstanding. And that is not the fangirl speaking. He truly put layers on what could easily have been flat cardboard dialogue. Leonidas’s gruff love towards his son is splendidly shown. And while in the whole movie he never wavers from his strong idealistic position towards the war and his devotion for Sparta, we see in his final, heart-wrenching frame that his every action is fueled by a deep, abiding love for Gorgo, his wife and queen. As Dilios leaves to rise Sparta, he asks Leonidas if there is any message for the Queen. And the King aswers, as he presses a crude necklace to Dilios’s palm: “None that need be spoken.” Gerard Butler is of those quiet character actors who can express more in a glance than some in a full-fledged speech.
Lena Headey as Gorgo is a nice addition to the movie. In the graphic novel, the Queen only speaks one line. In the film, Gorgo has been fleshed out and given a true dramatic role. Though some critics have said that the sequences in Sparta were off-putting, diverting from the main action, I actually find them enlightening. Her good-bye love scene with Leonidas, done in artsy black-and-white flashes, is what I’d expect from two spouses who know the man is quite literally marching to his death on the morning. And as Leonidas fights at the Hot Gates, Gorgo fights the corrupt politicians at home. She is ready to do everything that it takes to support her husband. And earlier, when the Persian messenger shows surprise that Gorgo dares to speak, implying that Spartan men are less manly for it, she says with quiet strenght: “It is because only Spartan women give birth to real men.” Though I do not condone many aspects of the Spartan way of life, I have to say that this is an awesome message to today’s women: don’t accept bullshit and speak out for yourself, because no one will do it for you.
The rest of the cast takes their cue from the King and Queen, giving impressive performances. David Wenham as the narrator, Dilios, exudes a quiet sarcasm. After loosing an eye, he reassures his King worried about this, ahem, “scratch” by telling him: “’Tis but an eye, Sire. The Gods saw fit to give me a spare.” Michael Fassbender as Stelios has a very tongue-in-cheek humour. At some point, he slices an arm off a Persian envoy who promptly screams: “My arm!” And Stelios remarks: “It is not yours anymore.”
Dominic West as Theron has the corrupt politician act down pat. He is sly, self-serving and utterly creepy, which is awesome in the context of the film. He asks everything of Gorgo, but ultimately gets paid back in full, in a wonderfully satisfying scene. And a special mention must go to Rodrigo Santoro as the almighty Xerxes. He is the very image of what some call “terrible beauty”. His most revealing line (and the most disturbing one if we care to analyse it only a little) is: “I am not cruel, like your Leonidas. He commands that you stand. I only ask that you kneel.”
I cannot name everybody, because it would be both a tedious and unnecesary task. Suffice it to say that all the other actors have done a very fine job of it all, and given three dimensions to what could easily have been a purely “Good versus Evil” scenario.
What can I add?
Well, nothing much except the fact that I salute the actors’ dedication to live up to their characters. They had to submit themselves to a guesome training programme to get the physique required for the role, and it pays off. Sometimes, it feels as though we’ve stepped in an ancient Greek pottery, what with all those men in their most glorious apparel (though for modesty’s sake they do don the leather codpiece). But the potential “Chippendale” effect is nil, because at some point the actors got so comfortable in their costume – or lack thereof – that they strut about with a very matter-of-fact attitude, so much that we, too, come to entirely forget that we are watching almost-buck-naked manflesh and step into the ride. It becomes natural, and it is us, coming out of the theatre with all the layers of clothing a chilly March weekend requires, who feel overdressed.
One very last word. It probably wasn’t intentional, but I find it a sweet irony that a movie about Greek warriors would be released in March. It is, after all, the month of Mars, the God of Warfare, who is the Roman equivalent to the Hellenic God Ares. Fitting, that, for a movie about Spartans, the ultimate Greek warriors.
Methinks Ares approved of the offering, if the box-office figures are any indication…
