Comments | eric_hinkle: So I finally saw 300

eric_hinkle

So I finally saw 300

Mar 25, 2011 13:06

And I have to admit, it's not as "totally awesum!" as its defenders say or as horribly vile as its critics say. That said, it's not really a very great movie, being basically 2 hours of Spartan musclemen bejabbering vile, depraved, dark-skinned and inhuman Orcs Persians before they all die. Really, if you just remind yourself that this is a very ( Read more... )

weirdness, heroic fantasy, movies, hollywood

Comments 14

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eric_hinkle March 25 2011, 18:11:15 UTC

Yeah, I wouldn't have minded seeing a few Spartans in armor. I guess this was a case of pre-gunpowder Bulletproof Nudity.

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eric_hinkle March 26 2011, 14:01:33 UTC

I think that was an "as told by the Spartan narrator" bit to help display the 'otherness' and nastiness of the Persians.

Remember something about 300: anonymous March 25 2011, 19:04:07 UTC

As the director put it: "This isn't history. It's Opera."

Opera that DOES follow the ebb and flow of the real Battle of Thermopalye fairly closely -- "The battle is fairly accurate; just the visuals are surreal." And the surreal visuals are faithful to the Frank Miller original.

And remember the framing story: This is being told to other Greeks about to engage the Persians at the Battle of Plataea by the only Spartan to come back from Thermopalye. (And in the director's words, "he (the narrator) isn't about to let reality get in the way of a good Story."

Leonidas' last stand at Thermopalye is already becoming a Legend, and in his retelling (and to encourage his fellow Greeks), it has become a Myth. A Myth of Heroes, Larger Than Life.

I'm not even going to touch the horde of freaks and mutants, beyond saying that this is obviously from the Warhammer 40K universe and Chaos had infected Persia.Remember the Greek ideal of the Perfect Human Physique. And Greek cultural arrogance towards all Barbarians (i.e. Non-Greeks) as not ( ... )

Re: Remember something about 300: eric_hinkle March 26 2011, 14:09:05 UTC

He says opera, I say 'heroic fantasy as opera', I guess it's all the same.

Though now I wonder what Conan: the Opera would look and sound like. Pity Richard Wagner is dead; that would have been right up his alley.

Though I suppose someone could get Marilyn Manson to do Elric of Melnibone as a rock opera...

cabbitwocky March 26 2011, 01:25:18 UTC

You want a real treat? Go pick up the Rifftrax for it, and enjoy. :D

eric_hinkle March 26 2011, 14:07:10 UTC

I keep hearing about this "Rifftrax" but I don't think I've ever actually seen or heard one. What is it, a amateur hour version of MST3K?

And welcome back online, cabbitwocky! It's been too long since I've seen you or the smiling albino gorilla. ;)

mrbirthday March 27 2011, 23:00:53 UTC

I keep hearing about this "Rifftrax" but I don't think I've ever actually seen or heard one. What is it, a amateur hour version of MST3K?

Actually, they are done by the very same people who were behind MST3K.

cabbitwocky March 28 2011, 05:58:18 UTC

Oh far better than amateur hour MST...it's the spiritual successor to it! Mike Nelson actually runs it, and Trace Beaulieu and Kevin Murphy have been on most of them to provide additional commentary as well. Basically, it's a way for them to do hit movies without paying royalties. All they're selling you is the MP3, you have to have the movie yourself.

And thanks! I've been lurking for a while, but life has been crazy busy and I'm afraid I've been negligent in my posting/commenting duties.

"Xerxes" faolruadh March 26 2011, 03:02:09 UTC

Do you think the upcoming prequel to "300," entitled "Xerxes," is likely to be any good? This one is supposed to feature the Battle of Marathon. Maybe they could also include Salamis and have the Persians send an armada of sea-dragons against the Greek navies.

Re: "Xerxes" eric_hinkle March 26 2011, 14:02:56 UTC

We'll have to wait and see what the movie is like. That said a counter-film, showing the invasion of Greece from the Persian PoV might be good to view if it's well done.

ironbadger March 26 2011, 09:39:24 UTC

Okay, lets see ( ... )

eric_hinkle March 26 2011, 14:05:49 UTC

Thanks for the commentary, it does help with how to view some aspects of the picture.

And the bit with collecting human "monstrosities"? I did know about Tiberius and a few of the Roman Emperors, but I had never heard before that it was a Persian thing. Then again, the very few books I've read that were at all sympathetic to the Persians are either written by Iranians in love with their imperial past or Western scholars that feel the same, so they might have quietly edited such an unflattering bit out.