LAURA JOHNSON
A&E Assistant
For the film “300,” the actors were not asked to have six-packs; that would not have been enough. Instead, it seems they were asked to have eight-packs with every muscle and every curve sculpted to perfection. And because they run around in nothing but a cape, sandals and an armored Speedo, Spartan brilliance is shown at its best in pretty much every scene.
And, if seen in IMAX glory (which is highly recommended) this visual experience is enhanced. From start to finish, this film is a pure adrenaline rush.
Set in 480 B.C., the film is about the battle of Thermopylae, in which 300 Spartans supposedly fought against an army of tens of thousands of Persians.
For anyone who has taken Dr. Sonia Sorell’s HUM 111 class, this should all be familiar.
The King of Sparta, Leonidas, played by Gerard Butler who is known for his role as the Phantom in “The Phantom of the Opera,” leads his fine group of men into battle. Plucked from their homes at an early age to begin army training, Spartan men are warriors of the highest accord.
Butler as Leonidas plays such a convincing leader, no matter what one’s political views on war are, the audience, like his small infantry, will want to follow him anywhere.
Once the plan of attack from Persia is heard, Leonidas must consult the Oracle before he can do anything. The Oracle scene is probably the grossest part in the film. That’s right, even more disgusting than the three different beheadings and the semi-rape scene, in the Oracle scene the camera zooms in up close and personal on the faces of four priests with horrible bouts of leprosy. These rotting priests inform Leonidas that if he goes to war, it will be his downfall.
Not surprisingly, he pays them no heed, and Leonidas does what he wants anyway, though not before properly saying goodbye to his wife, of course. The movie is rated R for good reason.
Meanwhile, the Queen of Sparta, played by the beautiful Lena Headey who is always clad in barely-there togas, tries to rally the Senate to send more of Sparta’s troops to aid her husband’s defense of the country. However, the queen finds herself sometimes bartering for things she never thought she would before, even giving in to the evil scheme of the Senate leader, Theron, played maliciously by Dominic West. But don’t worry, in this film, no bad deed goes unpunished.
The Persian King, Xerxes, is a story all to himself. Looking like a woman, he is portrayed as a nine-foot God King. With gold rings and chains coming out every which way, he looks ridiculous, and just wait to hear his voice. In the story, if Leonidas simply bows to him, King Xerxes will let Leonidas keep his land (although Xerxes would be the one true ruler).
Needless to say, it is not good Spartan protocol to kneel to an enemy.
To create the appropriate comic book feel for the movie, which is based on a comic book, the film reel went through a special chemical dipping causing the sepia and black tones to soak through. The movie was also shot using green and blue screens instead of filming on location, making the film that much cheaper to produce and that much more successful at the box office where it raked in more than $70 million in its opening weekend.
Because “300” is based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller (of “Sin City” fame), Director Zack Snyder also strived to make certain shots in the film actually match up with frames from the novel. In the end, this dramatic comic book styling makes the film complete eye-candy.
Before seeing this film, it is important to eat a balanced meal of steak and potatoes, watch a football game and then probably hit the gym, or whatever else it takes to get pumped up. It is a first-rate dude movie, and “300” makes absolutely no apologies for it.
So much are the levels of testosterone flowing after seeing this movie that everyone will be able to find their own inner battle-loving machismo. The film is a spectacular package of guts, brawn and amazing visuals. Though some might find fault in its historical inaccuracies, the film delivers everything it promises, namely an action-packed, blood spilling war movie, and more.
03-22-2007
