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You know, shut the fuck up about political
commentary, and homoeroticism, and all that jazz. None of it really
makes a lot of sense, and yet… none of it is completely nonsensical. But
for me, sometimes, a movie has to be a movie. “300” is really nothing
more than a movie about war. It’s about a society that paints war as
heroic, and beautiful, about a society that views death in battle as
heroic, and unflinching loyalty to government as brave. And yet, we know
better. But this was the society. This is society period. It’s not
difficult to see what the subtext is if you look hard enough.”300”
though is also a beautiful action film that stages every scene as a
living painting. Frank Miller, in spite of my disagreement with his
views, is a wonderful writer. And he without a doubt set the stage for
many writers to explore new domains in the comic book world. He rewrote
Batman and Daredevil to much critical acclaim, and have you ever read
the “Sin City” novels?
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Sure, the movie was great, but the novels
are better. It was only logical that “300” would be turned
into a movie sooner or later. This is a testosterone soaked,
violent bloody celebration of war and gladiators, and I
loved it. Every once in a blue moon I have to see a movie
that’s just for me. In this female dominated, man-hating,
neo-feminist society, men deserve their own time every now
and then. You can patronize and proclaim this as a movie for
teenager video gamers, but I’m not a teenager nor am I a
video gamer. |
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And I enjoyed “300” in all its cheesy glory.
You have to give it to Snyder. How he’s able to rebound from the sheer
cheesiness that was “Dawn of the Dead” to bring us a visual spectacle
such as this, is a big feat.
“300” and its beauty are not just in the
landscapes but in the amazing battle scenes that I simply flipped for.
What was most daunting though, were people’s declarations that the film
glorified war. However, there’s not a single glorification here. War is
gory and damaging, and both sides of the grudge are filled with
despicable sadistic warriors. There is even a moment where the Spartans
are casually speaking while viciously ending survivors on a battlefield.
There’s nothing of glory in this, aside from
the wonderfully staged battle scenes that did nothing to make me wish I
was a soldier. It made me wish I was as buff as these gents, but that’s
beside the point. “300” is a sheer balls to the wall gladiator epic, and
really does capture the bold nature Frank Miller is capable of. Whine
about his political views another time, Miller’s writing is epic, and
he’s reflected perfectly by Snyder in “300,” as the Spartans battle the
Persians to their inevitable downfall, thanks to their delusions of
grandeur. Gerard Butler’s performance is entertaining, as King Leonidas,
a man who refused to be bullied by the Persians and knew of the odds of
his people by refusing to be pushed around, and he’s a scene stealer.
“300” is a spectacle, and one I intend on seeing again.
“300” is a movie that sells itself. No
actors were mentioned in the trailers, and for good reason. The real
meat and bones are in the visuals. Sadly, the visuals are most of the
time the only thing appealing to “300.” In the area of story, Snyder’s
film is awfully slim and simplistic. It’s the journey of the Spartans to
their battle with the Persians. That’s all. They walk and travel, and
walk through battle lands, and eventually confront the epic battle.
There’s really nothing to the film in terms of a thick rich story. I
don’t know if the original graphic novel was this scarce, but I was
disappointed. I wanted much more of a story. And instead I received a
visual treat, with nothing really else to show for it.
In the terms of story, “300” is slim, but
visually, it’s a wonderful piece of gladiator cinema with great
performances, excellent direction, and fantastic battle scenes. This is
a flick for guys, so grab a few beers, pull up a chair and have a blast.
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