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Rating: 4 out of 5
“This Is Sparta”
Frank Miller’s 300 brought the world of Sparta and the Spartans to the forefront. This is a true action movie to the fullest. Little story but straight-up GLORY all over the place. After this film, many men and probably women did the 300 workout and wanted to be a Spartan warrior. I remember watching this film back in college and was in awe because it got you hyped. The one-liners were excellent, the fighting was pure perfection, and the look of the film was something new. The movie might be meh to some people, but to me, this is one film I can watch repeatedly before going for a workout or getting hyped for a major event. Oh, if you are looking for a great Spartan, look no further than God of War main character, Kratos. The dude is the embodiment of being a Spartan.
Really quick, let’s talk about the world of Sparta. Sparta was a hardcore city-state in ancient Greece. They were known for one thing: being a dominant military land-power in ancient Greece and kicking as much ass as possible. These dudes loved war and glory. They found it honorable to die in battle. That didn’t mean they didn’t have enemies. They were the main enemy of Athens. I guess you can’t get along with everyone. As I said, Sparta was pure military. They focused all social institutions on military training and physical development. I think that is enough of learning about Sparta! Let’s get into this film and talk about the mighty 300.
Co-written and directed by Zack Snyder while being loosely based on the 1998 comic series of the same name by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley, 300 is the badass movie you want to see. It tells the story of the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. King Xerxes (Santoro) and his Persian army are on a conquest to take over the known world. They have already taken over some of the Hellenic city-states and have turned their eyes on the militaristic city-state of Sparta. King Leonidas (Butler) of Sparta is given two choices: kneel before the god-king or see Sparta fall into ruins. Being the Spartan he is, Leonidas gives one of the mightiest kicks in the known world and decides to fight. Choosing 300 Spartan warriors as his “bodyguards,” he takes them to the narrow passage of Thermopylae to block the incoming Persian forces. The Spartans are joined by 700 Thespians who protect the flanks of the passage. As the battle begins, the Spartans see their greatest test ever and a chance to claim their most covenant prize: GLORY AND A HONORABLE DEATH!! Spartans! Prepare for Glory!!!!
The story is told from the perspective of a soldier. The story is told as a rallying call for the Spartan army to unite and defeat the Persian force. It is wholly described as being badass but seems wildly exaggerated. The story is straightforward, easy to understand, and the storyteller does a great job getting the viewer hyped and ready to whip ass because I know I did. When you start with, “We Spartans are a warrior race that kick ass and take no names,” you want to be a Spartan. Love how the storyteller explains the race and how the king became king. Then the story goes into full form with exaggeration with some disrespectful emissary rolls up in our home with dead kings’ head, and we kick that bitch into a bottomless pit. The stupid-ass mystics tell us we can’t fight, but our king says, “FUCK THAT,” and assembles 30 mighty warriors. We roll up against a million without any armor but our shields, swords, spears, and a helmet. You know what we do?? We kicked so much ass that we sent fear down everyone. Immortals? H.A.! We put their name to the test and whipped ass. Strange-looking creatures? We whipped that ass. They even threw elephants and rhinoceros at us, and you know what we did? You guessed it, we whipped that ass. You know what else? They had so many arrows that shot at us; it blotted out the sun, and you know what? We were straight-up unstoppable! You can’t tell me you would get hyped from that story and want to fight everyone.
With Spartans, you know this film was all about the action. The action was gory but great. I loved every minute of it and felt it was needed. Why hold back in war when you know violence is going to happen. The opening jump was when Leonidas called battle formations, and we saw the Spartans for the very first time. The way they held their shields and then when they unleashed it was a thing of BEAUTY! The slow-motion movement as the viewer got up close and personal with every swing of Leonidas’ spear and sword was terrific. After that, the film kept it up by showing the extent of Xerxes’ army. The scene with the Immortals was great because they attacked at night, and you knew two powerful forces collided. After the Immortals scene, the movie showed each force thrown at the Spartans, and let me tell you, the music hyped them up so much. I could watch these scenes repeatedly.
The aesthetic and visual effects of this film were something to look at. The aesthetic seemed and looked new. It did not have this cartoony look but something else. It is easier to explain if you see it. I had to do some research. Apparently, the visual effects supervisor, shout out to Chris Watts, and production designer, another shout out to Jim Bissell, created a process called “The Crush.” It allowed artists to manipulate the colors by increasing light and dark contrast. When you see some of the clips I put in, you see what I mean. It has a way grittier feel and look to it.
Also, the film has some of the best one-liners in the movie game. This film has so many one-liners that you can quote them individually. “We will fight in the shade.” “Spartans! Tonight, we dine in hell.” “This is Sparta.” I can go on and on because it was amazing to listen to. The dialogue is a little off at times, but hey, you can roll with it because you are not here for the words but the action.
As far as the acting goes, it was okay. Nothing in terms of being high-level award-winning acting, but everyone did their job to make this film AWESOME! Gerard Butler, as Leonidas, was the film’s star and set the tone. He made Leonidas a wise king who wanted to help/save his people. Homeboy went HAM on the Persians and commanded this film. I must give props to David Wenham as Dilios. Wenham was the PERFECT narrator for this film. He commanded the story and told it in a way that would make you want to rise up and fight. Finally, I want to give it up and give a round of applause to Lena Headey as Queen Gorgo. Headey knows how to act and show the strength and toughness of a Spartan woman. She showed the political game, but Queen Gorgo didn’t mess around with anyone.
300 is my go-to movie when I want to get hyped to lift. It is one of those films that has a good storyline but goes over the top and leaves historical accuracies to the wayside. You know what? I’m okay with that. The acting did its job, but with this type of film, it was all about the fighting, action, and gore. Many people might not like this movie, but it is entertaining and will make you want to train. As the film stated, “Madness? THIS IS SPARTA!!”
BONUS CLIPS!!
