Vlatko gives me the opportunity to do a a review, ill do it avoiding spoilers:
Can you tell me is this movie just 2.5 hours of bloodshed and fighting or is there actually a story in it? Do they touch history at all?
No, no its not a two hour bloodshed, just a 1.5hour bloodshed
There is enough time for the story, basically the film is like; Leonidas's biography, it started from his birth and reached up until ... the battle.
There is more too see than the battle, but the producers tried their best not to make a boring film and repeat "Alexander's" mistakes,
Spartans werent the most talkative ppl anyway
they were famous for the actions feared for the war skills,
admired for their superhuman performances on the battlefield.
The narrator, fast forward or freeze, the pace of the film in some places and explain the background when needed, most war epic films have some black spots were the observer's mind can get some rest, abstracting its attention from action,
well the 300 hasnt such moments, its a fast paced, straightforward story, focused on action.
Truth is that, the interesting thing about the hot gates was the battle it self,
thats what everybody wants to see in the first place, 300 eager men marching against millions.
About the film's historic accuracy i would say ... yes, they ve"touched" it
They are not too far from truth.
(Unfortunately the film is based on a comic,
not in history books.
Not even on Steven Presfield's novel, that would really rock!!!
it was pretty accurate novel and would provide a scenario good enough,
to make one of the best war epics ever.
George Clooney and Bruce Willis were about to produce it and star in the film, butthat film was canceled
and we got this film instead, a film built on a comic and relatively unknown actors...
I was prejudiced that this film s@x,
being Greek, i m in a position to know, in greater detail the facts and the background story,
its almost impossible to satisfy me and make me judge it as a historically accurate film, because i disagree with documentaries too.
So i red the comic first and i was pleasantly surprised of the historic accuracy!
The comic follows all the important historical sequences pretty accurate
but its a little simplified and "changed" in a way that would appeal more...attractive and dramatic,
it does not twists the facts but it does alter reality in a way;
ex some Persian warriors are presented with Orc-like appearance,
there is a feel of watching real history within a fantasy/mythological universe/set.
But the important pieces remain intact, Spartans look and think like the Spartans looked and thought then, back then, they were believing in Gods and deities that would interfere with their world, a frighting exotic warrior looked so odd in their eyes, almost unreal...
this is exactly how the viewers perceive the world, in the dark comic based on the 300 Spartans tale...
The film managed to capture the comic's atmosphere, as any other film has never ever managed to achieve such a thing before!!!
The film is much more superior/complete than the comic in every way,
a rare phenomenon, hats off to the producers for that!!
this is one of the best ports ever made!!
The combination of the comic's dark atmosphere fused with realism, is outstanding.
Special effects matrix like (bullet time effect) are correctly applicated here,
aiming, not just to impress the viewer, but to describe the action in the best possible way,
Spartans are considered the best warriors the world has ever seen and the film has to do them justice, thankfully they are presented in the right way,
they have no supernatural abilities or Bond-like gadgets,
they have real equipment, real courage, iron will, perfectly synchronized rythm and real authority, they are REAL,
it is probably the first time the ppl faces what the Spartans were really made of...
their enemies though... look just like they looked in their eyes back then,
probably how the ancient Greeks actors in an ancient Greek theatrical play, would interpret them,
they are fearsome, they are "different",they are corrupted, they are frightening and they are so many of them!!
Legendary cues, like:
"great,we will fight in shade then" or "com n get em" or "as you can see friend i brought more soldiers than you did"
are ported intact from the real history books, it feels like the script is already there and the producers have nothing else to add, but to repeat history it self,
i knew the words before i hear them and they integrated perfectly, no complaints here, this adds a lot to the historic accuracy,
it looks like history in real flesh and bone.
(I guess it could be even more enjoyable if the viewer is unfamiliar with the plot).
Some times real life can be even more compelling,interesting,spectacular and unexpected than fantasy. The tale of the hot gates is a very special one
and they managed to keep it this way...RESPECT
int:
This is not a documentary, this is a film serving a certain purpose.
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