Summary
The movie “300” is a retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae where King Leonidas fought against the incursion of the Persian army into Greece.
Initial Impression
I have to stay that the movie was incredibly impressive since, from a cinematography standpoint, it was unique due to the manner in which the locations, characters and weapons had a “faded” and historic feel to them. It was as if I was really looking back into the past and viewing all the events that lead up to the great battle where Leonidas and his army of 300 Spartan warriors lost their lives.
Emphasis on Masculinity and Physical Perfection
There was a definite emphasis on masculinity within the film where the various warriors were shown in nothing more than leather briefs while holding weapons that were made of bronze. This of course contrasts with general common sense since during the time when ancient Sparta was in existence, its warriors did in fact wear substantially more protection that the skin on their backs. It is based on this that when viewing the movie, it is obvious that the director wanted to depict the “manliness” and bravado of the Spartans. This was intended to build upon the historical knowledge that Spartan warriors were not only strong but resolute when it came to their dedication towards war.
The warrior culture of the Spartan state was emphasized not only in the scenes depicting their military and governmental infrastructure but also in the way in which they placed a considerable amount of importance on physical strength and health. The scene where the Spartan babies that were deemed as “unworthy” and were thus thrown off the cliff showcases just how far the Spartan culture was willing to take their concept of physical perfection to its utmost limits.
Examining the Film within the Context of American Cinema
It is undeniable that American cinema places a considerable amount of focus on action, adventure, violence, battles and destruction. The movie “300” is merely another iteration of this proclivity towards developing action films. In fact, it can even be stated that Hollywood tends to take such a behavior a bit too far. This can be seen in the movie “Noah” where a bible story was subsequently combined with numerous action sequences involving fighting and death.
However, it should be noted that the reason why American cinema produces so many films in this category is due to the fact that audiences simply enjoy watching movies such as these. Action movies are often the highest grossing films, both in the U.S. and in international markets. As such, it is likely that Hollywood will continue to make films such as these because it makes them a lot of money.
My Views on the Movie
Overall, I have to say that the movie was brilliant both in the acting and general cinematography that was employed. The dialogue, the scenes and the background music that was utilized mesh perfectly into a seamless theatrical experience. There was never a dull moment in the film and I could not help but be absorbed into the world of the ancient city states. I have to say though that while I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, I could not help but notice the various historical inaccuracies since there was actually a fort instead of just a mountain pass during the Battle of Thermopylae.