300
Starring:
Gerard
Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West.
Running
time: 117 minutes
Year:
2006
Directed
By: Zack
Snyder
Written
By: Zack
Snyder, Kurt Johnstad & Michael Gordon
Zack Snyder is a director with a lot of potential.
This was his second film after the Dawn
Of The Dead remake but since this he has moved on to direct Watchmen and Sucker Punch, both with great visual effects that wow audiences,
and he is working on the Christopher Nolan produced Superman reboot Man Of Steel as we speak. 300 was his first effort with the comic
book visuals. It has been done before with a previous Frank Miller comic book
adaptation in Sin City, but here we
have it on a different scale entirely. Here we witness epic battles as if they
were a moving comic book.
300
is
about the war at Thermopylae in 480 B.C., which was fought between the Spartans
and the Persians. The Persian army has begun to take over Greece and requests
that King Leonidas of the Spartan's (Butler) joins in his new empire. Leonidas
however realises that this would mean slavery for his women and children and
this he can't accept, so he declares war on the Persian Empire which consists
of one hundred thousand warriors. Due to Leonidas' disrespect, the King of
Persia marches to take Sparta but Leonidas recruits 300 Spartan men, plus 700
Thespian soldiers, and blockades them in a narrow valley which will mean
numbers mean nothing. For three days the Spartans hold off the barbaric attacks
from the Persians, whilst back in his homeland his wife comes under attack by
other Spartans who aim to take over Leonidas' thrown. It is a fairly simple
plot as all it really sets up is a lot of battle sequences, and I tell you now
this is the plus side about this movie.
The film does have a story but it doesn't ever go
off on tangents nor have many sub-plots. There is little character development
or back story and very minimal realistic dialogue. (Some of the dialogue is
good it just sounds very preachy). The film isn't about the lack of key
elements I have described above; it is all about the epic battle scenes and the
togetherness of the Spartan army that will fight till the death.
It does simply consist of battle after battle. The
short talky scenes in the middle are a little dull and you only ever want to
see the fight scenes, and when they happen you are not disappointed. We see
slow motion shots of decapitations, spears landing in chests, blood splattering
over the floor in a comic book fashion. It is such a different take on a battle
film. The colours are stunning, the reds and yellows really bring a different
visual film. It is worth a watch for the visuals alone. You shouldn't be put
off by the content of the film. The epic battle films are not my favourite
genre, but if you put up with that for the sake of the brilliant visuals of
this film you may change your mind.
The acting is also top notch. All actors take on
their roles brilliantly and I actually believed that they were in fact Spartan
warriors and not the actual actor. Butler is lost in the role and we actually
see the Spartan he is betraying. That may be because he is hiding being a bushy
beard and a rippling six pack though. The only time he becomes recognisable is
when he shouts his epic line, 'this is Sparta', which we have all come to know
him for since the release of this film. All the other actors are also great in
their roles and we also get a very good Michael Fassbender in a side role.
Little did he know back then what brilliance awaited him.
The film is a good watch. You will be confused and
lost by much of it, like when the Persian leader is fully pierced, or at the Quasimodo
look a like's cameo, but you will be completely enthralled by the battles. I
know little about the history of this moment, but as far as I'm concerned I
have seen what I wanted to know. The visuals are breath taking, the direction
and acting brilliant, the camera work ace. See it for those reasons and you can
forget about the lack of anything else it really has.
3.5 / 5
Tolli
Next film to review: APOCALYPTO
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