300: Review By JR

300 being based (loosely), upon the battle of Thermopylae where 300 Spartans stood there ground at the Hot gates and lead by an unshakable King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), against 1,000 nations strong army, that was the Persian Empire. As with all great tales of good versus evil, the heroes are the underdog and naturally they come up against impossible odds. 300 is the perfect comic yarn that was made to be put on the big screen for that very reason.

What makes this film separate itself from the usual Hollywood (and mostly inaccurate), historical epic or superhero tale is that it was adapted from the five part mini series that Frank Miller (Sin City), wrote and illustrated almost a decade a ago. No doubt it was only matter of time that this story was going be become apart of the ever growing list of comic book films as well as the sword and sandal epics from Hollywoods golden era. Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead 2004 version), who has become apart of the current generation of film makers who are lucky enough to be able to bring such stories to life with the aid of digital technology. 300 was shot entirely against blue screen so as to be able to re-create ancient Greece the way Frank Miller illustrated it, giving the film a heightened sense of reality that gives it an artistic and dynamic quality that only Sin City had previously and had fully utilised with convincing results.

The battles scenes are a sight to behold making for brutal but memorable film making that’s worth the price of admission alone. The battles are on par with both The Lord of the Rings and Matrix trilogy’s, they have a balletic quality which gives those scenes a sense of awe as blood flows like wine and men die like flies. Be warned this film is not for the squeamish or the easily offended the film not only shows the graphic nature of battle despite been stylised but also the harshness of ancient Greek society. The film has even caused controversy in Iran. Iranian’s have spoken out about how there Persian ancestors are being portrayed as monstrous, soulless beings. This film is far from being the kind of epic that is designed to educate but to merely entertain. So once you have paid your ticket for admission expect two hours of epic testosterone filled action and you will get what you paid for.

Besides Gerard Butlers stoic and boisterous performance as King Leonidas, Lena Heady puts in a solid performance as Queen Gorgo. David Wenham despite his minor but important role as Dilios puts in his usual best. As for Rodrigo Santoro as God King Xerxes he plays the role with arrogance aired by an androgenesis manner. Most certainly noteworthy of performances is Andrew Tiernan as Ephialtes, a deformed Greek who wishes to join King Leonidas’s army. As it is expected over the coming months most of us will see blockbuster after blockbuster but it always comes down to how good the story is and how tight is the direction. Thankfully 300 delivers both.