Release Date: 09 December 2006 in USA (Austin Butt-Numb-A-Thon)
Rated: Rated R for graphic battle sequences throughout, some sexuality and nudity.
Runtime: 117
Genres: Action, Fantasy, War
Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Dominic West, David Wenham, Vincent Regan, Michael Fassbender
300 may have been one of the most anticipated movies in years. Few films have generated the type of interest and buzz that 300 has, not all of it good, but all of it opinionated. To get some early issues out of the way: no one is going to win an Oscar for the writing in 300. This is not meant to be a highly intellectual drama, but a beautiful visual story that concentrates on the legendary aspect of the Battle of Thermopylae, not the historical facts. In many ways this is a good old testosterone war movie, but to label it a “mindless action flick” would be to take away from in stunning graphic feats of the director, and the admirable capture of a legendary moment.
That’s not to say the dialogue doesn’t have its moments. While you won’t find the epic speeches from a film such as “Braveheart,” 300 is full of one-liners and the occasional witty conversation, done with perfect timing to allow for some great humor even amidst some of the most graphic (yet disturbingly beautiful) carnage ever shown in a major motion picture. “There’s no reason we can’t be civil,” is a line that because of its context may become quotable for years to come. 300 is not based not on the old movie “300 Spartans,” but on Frank Miller’s graphic comic about the battle, and director Zack Snyder keeps to this vision.
The battle scenes are amazing, and tread a strange line that seems to blur between a realistic battle and an exquisitely painted living comic. While no actor or actress stands out above the others, each plays their part, and the end result is a film that can stand on its cutting edge cinematography and living mystical feeling. While the battle scenes by far and away steal the show from the rest of the film, the political scenes at home pay off with a fantastic last scene in the senate—which in the theatre of the midnight viewing I attended brought about something very rare: a moment where half the theatre cheered out loud at the movie, followed by strong applause.
There is a strong amount of nudity and violence in the film, but the director does a great job as so little of it seems gratuitous. Each instance seems to directly build to the larger picture, and the merger of myth, legend, and history is fascinating. As far as action flicks go, this movie may have found its place on top of the mountain of all of them. This is a film that should be watched in the theatre, where the picture is larger than life, as is the movie itself: a fitting tribute to a historical event that itself has been unmatched in human history.
