300

Starring:
Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Dominic West, David Wenham, Rodrigo Santoro and Vincent Regan

Director:
Zack Snyder

Running Time:
117 mins

 

 

"This is Sparta!"

480 BC, the Persian King Xerxes (Santoro) sends an emissary to demand the surrender of the Greek city of Sparta. Even with an army of over 100,000 waiting to invade, King Leonidas (Butler) sends a message that his people will never bow down to anyone but when the city council refuse to release the army to his control, he takes three hundred of his best soldiers to Thermopylae to make a stand.

The Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC is a story of bravery that has resonated through time but can an adaptation of a graphic novel do this tale justice?

Frank Miller's graphic novel about the story of three hundred Spartans facing one of the biggest armies the world has ever seen has been a firm favourite of comic book fans since its release. While his work on 'Daredevil' and 'Batman' established him as a legend, it was 'Sin City' that made him immortal in the echelons of the comic industry. The success of his own adaptation of 'Sin City' with directing partner Robert Rodríguez made Hollywood take notice, looking at the back catalogue for another story that would transfix cinemagoers. That story was '300'.

Retelling the story of the Battle of Thermopylae, King Leonidas of Sparta led three hundred of his best warriors and a few hundred Acadian civilians against the might of Xerxes' Persian army. Defending a small pass, the King and his men stand and fight against insurmountable odds, cementing their place in history. This is a story of unparalleled bravery and duty, as these loyal soldiers of Sparta defend their country from the invading army to protect their families from a live of slavery. Xerxes' believed he was a god on earth, immortal and the world should be bowing to him. Enslaving people into his army from every nation he conquered, Sparta and then the rest of Greece was next. King Leonidas who not yield however and against the wishes of the council and his own laws, takes a stand and becomes the inspiration for generations to follow.

Bringing these characters to life is an ensemble cast lead by Gerard Butler as King Leonidas. After breaking through with his role in the big screen version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical 'The Phantom of the Opera', Gerard Butler moves on from smaller supporting roles to a full blown leading man with ease and commands the screen completely. His role as Leonidas will propel him to superstardom, as this is a character that will become a firm cinematic favourite for decades to come. Lena Headey also impresses as Queen Gorgo, a strong Spartan woman who has just as much respect as her king. This is a role that Headey can really sink her teeth into and make her really be noticed. Dominic West is good as the sleazy politician Theron, as is David Wenham as warrior scribe Dilios. Vincent Regan stands out as the King Captain and Rodrigo Santoro makes an exceptional villain as the all-powerful Xerxes.

Utilising the similar techniques used in the 'Star Wars' prequels and successfully by Robert Rodriguez for this 'Spy Kids' franchise and 'Sin City', the majority of the movie is shot against a green screen backdrop and then the backgrounds are computer generated. This means that ancient Sparta can be recreated effortlessly but more importantly the scenes from the graphic novel can be envisaged exactly by director Zack Snyder and his creative team.

'300' is quite simply a visually stunning movie with battle sequences that will become firm favourites in the genre. While some more character development was needed and the constant slow-to-fast-to-slow motion does get a little repetitive, this is a 'sword and sandals' epic that will stand the test of time, just like King Leonidas and his three hundred Spartans.

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Gladiator


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2007