300
Based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller.
Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey.
300 retells the ancient battle where 300 Spartans led by King Leonidas fought to the death against the Persian (God)King Xerxes and his massive armada. Naturally, as 300 is based upon Frank Miller’s graphic novel, it is a bloody and ferocious interpretation of the Spartan army and their battle.
The film holds true to the Frank Miller style, presenting a decadent, bloody and brutal world, while being incredibly visually entertaining. Personally I thought this film was fantastic, but I think that it will produce two extreme opinions. You will either love it or hate it.
If you want to see Frank Miller’s spin on the battle, and another graphic novel brought to the big screen (as I was), you will probably walk out thinking that it was a highly entertaining film, with a visually stunning high-octane level of bloody brutality, presenting a dark history as it should have been, and effectively portraying the Spartan warrior lifestyle. Conversely, if you want to see a historical film, or to see your favourite classics characters on the big screen, you will probably walk out of the film thinking that it was a historically inaccurate, bloodthirsty, overkill interpretation of the battle, with negligible character depth, and a plot simplified to allow for excessive blood and violence. It goes both ways. The film is almost intoxicating, like being transported to a colosseum, amongst roaring fans, anticipating a gladiatorial death match. For some this would be a truly visual and entertaining experience that calls out to our inner child to pick up something sharp and get stabby. To others a colosseum experience would be abhorrent.
The main elements of the film, being the valour of few standing against many, sacrifice, awesome fight scenes and occasional Matrix-style shots, may seem to have been done before (there is nothing truly original in this regard), instead we see a perfected presentation of all of these elements. Particularly the visual element, which is overall fantastic! The CGI is literally undetectable; however in some respects it almost focuses a bit much on this regard, trying to imbue some of the violence with an almost sexual charge.
I don’t think I can really compare it to Sin City any more than one can compare the graphic novel of Sin City to the 300 graphic novel. They are two completely different worlds: one focusing on individual characters, the other focusing on a force of 300. I believe it really falls down to personal taste.
So what’s the verdict? Perhaps not a chick flick, but really it comes down to whether you want ancient history as it “was”, or history as it “should” have been! But for me, bring on a Frank Miller’s Passion of the Christ any day!
4 stars
Michael Hill
