1 of 94

Write now Article Tools

I went to see 300, a retelling of the battle of Thermopylae, with a friend yesterday after months of waiting patiently since first learning of the film's existence. Since the film debuted, I've heard many complaints about the film: that it is historically inaccurate, racist, etc. One Iranian government official even called the film a propaganda piece created by U.S. "cultural officials" to disparage the current, post-revolution theocratic government of Iran.

I think the people who are writing and saying these things about the film have, in some cases, missed the point, but I suspect that there are many among them who have understood the film very well, and they fear its message.

As far as the criticisms of 300 go, the most I can say for its critics is that it does contain some minor historical inaccuracies (though I saw no evidence that these depictions were intended to be presented as fact). My own research on the battle suggests that there were many more Greek soldiers from their various city states at Thermopylae. Then there's the depiction of Athens and the Acropolis in flames, which happened after Thermopylae, but occurs in the film before then. The final scene of the film, which immediately follows the defeat of the Spartans and the death of Leonidas, depicts the tens of thousands of Greek soldiers, led by Sparta, who finally destroyed the Persian forces who were left in Greece under the command of Mardonius. This is a massive leap forward in time, as this didn't happen until after the battle of Salamis in which the Persian navy was all but destroyed, which occurred well after Thermopylae. To my mind, this is no big deal - this is the stuff that sequels are made of! If Frank Miller is up to it, I'm there.

As to the charges that the film is racist, I don't feel like dignifying that tired canard with an answer. The people who utter such garbage pretty much feel that anything depicting western civilization in a favorable light is inherently racist, and no amount of reason will crack their Cultural Marxist faith. So, I will happily pass over them and leave them to their indoctrinated ignorance.

The Iranian government, on the other hand, might have something to worry about in this film, though their claim that it is a product of our government is just silly. While some attempt to utilize a distracting argument by citing what they consider a bad depiction of their Persian ancestors - see the preceding paragraph for my response to that - the real meat of the film

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Movie reviews: 300?
We want to hear your view. Write now!