300=Fucking amazing movie

[Edge_Of_Denim]

Actually, Zach Snyder isn't quite a rookie, he re-made "Dawn Of The Dead", which got off to a terrific start but stalled at the mall. He's also got some videos (big surprise) on his resume. So, not quite a rookie, but he's well on his way to becoming a hack. Albeit, a very rich hack. And that, unfortunately, is all that matters in this culture, anyway.

[mellowbonsai]

And even rookies can do amazing things. Michael Gondry, anyone?

[beast]

I did not pay to see 300. It's good to know people. That being said...

I think any reasonably intelligent person will arrive at the conclusion that 300 is an attempt at some kind of blatant political allegory. That being true, I find the entire effort particularly despicable: The enemy is represented as Asian, "Oriental" (I noticed some Mongol warriors), Middle Eastern, African, androgynous (Xerxes), lesbian, ugly (the "immortal" soldiers) and physically deformed (the hunchbacked traitor and the giant), all of whom are seen as irrational and superstitious. What's this? Only handsome and rational straight white men are noble? What's worse, I have serious doubts that the polemic was wholly unconscious.

Especially at the end, what with the "protecting the values, beliefs, and people of Sparta against the forces of tyranny (i.e. terrorism)" speechifying, I felt that the film was one long recruitment video for the Iraq war. Line up boys, BushCo wants You!

I wouldn't have minded this so much had the visuals and other cinematic devices been remotely interesting (or had the movie included some self-criticism regarding the glorification of war - wait- I might be asking too much here). Narration that

patronizes the audience, unnecessary slow motion ninety-nine percent of the time, fashion shoot poses, forced drama (father watching his son die, Gerald Butler's declaration of love at the end) battle scenes as rock videos, and sex scenes as future perfume ads. I can see where the movie gets its influences. It's like the whole of this wretched contemporary culture was regurgitated onto celluloid. And all without a wink of irony.

A $70 million opening weekend. More than the first Matrix took in on its opening. Good job.

Edit: At one time Michael Mann was considering an adaptation of "Gates Of Fire" by Stephen Pressfield, which tells the story of the battle of thermopylae. I'd like to see what a serious and accomplished film artist of Mann's stature would make of this epic story. 300 will inspire nothing in the long run but more idiocy.

1. When a movie has nothing indepth to impart, you can be sure they will impart some shallow issues in order to impress their shallow minded audience. In fact, many Hollywood movies must impart these 'values' in order to remain relevant with their gung ho audience. In 300, Delios said Sparta was fighting for reason etc etc against the Persians. In reality, they were fighting for survival and the whole of Greek was embroiled in hocus pocus mumbo jumbo as anyone else. Maybe even more than the Persians.

2. Gates of Fire was rumoured to be in the works for a long time including Bruce Willis as the lead. With 300 done, that wont see the light of day for another few years.

[beast]

I feel that this film is being given entirely too much credit. There is a complete lack of plot, the entire story is convoluted and shallow. Visually it is interesting but not as much so as sin city which is in the same blue screen dependant category. I also thought it was an obviously amateurish film, which isn't surprising considering the this was a rookie director. All in all I think it caters to the absolute lowest common denominator of movie goer and deserves no more credit than is ordinarily given to a shallow gory blockbuster type film

Hmm, there are plenty of needless gratuitous scenes and pop cultures scenes in this movie to cater to the prepubescent crowd. Let's see:

1. Decapitation - check

2. Hacked off limbs flying - check

3. Mutilation of corpses - check

4. Naked breasts - check

5. Nipples - check

6. Rapes - check

7. Murder - check

8. Monsters and demons - check

[phelen]

I hated the rape scene which it basically was. other than that top film.

[beast]

I hated the rape scene which it basically was. other than that top film.

Top film? Haha!

Anyway, I wont be surprised if the producers wanted some hard core rape scenes but demurred when it would give the movie a "R" or "X" rating.

[NESK]

calling it a rape scene totally undermines the status quo they are pushing.

she fucked him because it was necessary for the plot to convince you that women arent good for anythign else than sex, and supporting their men.

this was a total bro fest of a film. women HAD to be used as sexual sobjects. the queens whole plot was so transparent. i knew shed fuck someone to save her man. which she of course wouldnt suceed in doing because she had to be reduced to some useless cunt of a women who can only effect change by murdering her opressor. and of course the men werent hearing her politics, it wasnt until she slayed that dude and the foreign coins fall out his purse that people can rally behind him being a traitor. that whole scene reeked of mysogyny. dont listen to reason if its coming from a women, listen to the money.

but yo, she looked bomb naked so its all good.

go 300!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[beast]

calling it a rape scene totally undermines the status quo they are pushing.

she fucked him because it was necessary for the plot to convince you that women arent good for anythign else than sex, and supporting their men.

this was a total bro fest of a film. women HAD to be used as sexual sobjects. the queens whole plot was so transparent. i knew shed fuck someone to save her man. which she of course wouldnt suceed in doing because she had to be reduced to some useless cunt of a women who can only effect change by murdering her opressor. and of course the men werent hearing her politics, it wasnt until she slayed that dude and the foreign coins fall out his purse that people can rally behind him being a traitor. that whole scene reeked of mysogyny. dont listen to reason if its coming from a women, listen to the money.

but yo, she looked bomb naked so its all good.

go 300!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haha! You are so right.

But that begs the question, if she is so useless and would spread her legs to save her man, shouldnt Xerxes catch her and threaten to get monster with iron mace for prick bang her to death in exchange for 300's surrender? Of course she would go along with it because she would do anything to save her husband's life.

It would be better if she is just great in bed and virtuous so Leonidas would fight to death for her instead of for some cheap slut.

[un-]

I thought 300 was a great movie as well. I especially liked the battle scenes.

[ILLset]

as i study History and love Historical events made into epics, although this is meant to be a work of fiction intertwining with historical fact, it would just piss me off too much watching it, when they make the Persians out as some sort of savages and monsters and the Spartans out as this all great group of people, when history shows you it is completely different.

[wild_whiskey]

This movie was neo-con propaganda, a modern Birth of a Nation. The biblical overtones, latent homosexuality, advocation of chauvinism, race war, "freedom is not free", anti-democracy, pro-fascism. Holy shit. I think I was in the complete wrong state of mind when I saw this movie. Beyond all the political, sociological, and philosophical themes that I objected to, the dialogue and story were terrrible!

But all that could've been ignored if that action had been done in a groundbreaking way. Instead, there was theft from the matrix, gladiator, braveheart, sin city, amongest others of recent times. This is such an amazing story in history, and I really think it could've been done better. I've heard that's not very faithful to Miller's original comic, other than stylistically.

I find it to be more anti-America if anything. The Persians are more akin to modern Americans than they are to modern Persians.

One huge rich country invades the smaller countries to abuse their natural resources and offers bribes to their leaders to get them on their side. Who does that sound more like to you? Iran, or the US?

You tell me. The religious thing didn't bother me as an atheist and the latent homosexuality is IIRC fairly accurate, as actual Spartans did not encourage homosexuality in the same way as the Thebans.

[ktothe]

as i study History and love Historical events made into epics, although this is meant to be a work of fiction intertwining with historical fact, it would just piss me off too much watching it, when they make the Persians out as some sort of savages and monsters and the Spartans out as this all great group of people, when history shows you it is completely different.

Its not about the story, its all about the battles. Its pretty much a video game on the silver screen. Its a movie based on a comic book, based on another movie based on a historical event. Again, this wasnt meant to be Glory. I think people know that the Persian army wasnt an army of ninjas, trolls, and knife handed mutants.

Do you guys get on your high horse when reviewing a Steven Segal movie? Did you analyze the social implications of Road House? Please lay out the relgious context of Death Wish II.

[JustHaja]

I cant believed that no one mentioned what has to be one of the best scenes in this movie....the scene where he goes to ask the oracle before he goes to war then starts that eerie music and the pale girl with the big red nipples girating on the floor...lets forget for a minute that that comment turns me into flaming lesbian..but the scene was hot I even downloaded the music from itunes. Maybe its a brown girl thing but big red nipples intrigue me:o

[Crillz]

This movie was neo-con propaganda, a modern Birth of a Nation. The biblical overtones, latent homosexuality, advocation of chauvinism, race war, "freedom is not free", anti-democracy, pro-fascism. Holy shit. I think I was in the complete wrong state of mind when I saw this movie. Beyond all the political, sociological, and philosophical themes that I objected to, the dialogue and story were terrrible!

But all that could've been ignored if that action had been done in a groundbreaking way. Instead, there was theft from the matrix, gladiator, braveheart, sin city, amongest others of recent times. This is such an amazing story in history, and I really think it could've been done better. I've heard that's not very faithful to Miller's original comic, other than stylistically.

What the hell? Do you yell at hot dog vendors on the street too? Do you scream at the sky? Psychopath.

[philpl]

I've heard that's not very faithful to Miller's original comic, other than stylistically.

I've read the original comic after seeing the movie. Many of the scenes and lines were literally taken from the book. The only big differences that I noticed were the additions were a music playing goat, deformed dancers, and the giant saw-arm guy.

[masuerte]

ONLY THE HARD... ONLY THE STRONG!!!

[BodiesOfLight]

I'm waiting for it to come out in iMax where I'm at.

[seraphim]

yeah, you're right, totally unfaithful.

:/