By Jennifer Larson
300 is a stunning and visual masterpiece that outshines even the most highly-regarded movies - of its genre - in recent history such as THE LORD OF THE RINGS. Director, Zack Snyder, has created a world where live action meets the incredible strides of today’s video games. Through his use of CGI technology, and digitally enhanced scenes – shot entirely on blue and green screen sets – Snyder has brought history to life in bold, dynamic and modern ways.
300 is based on the historical battle the Spartans of Greece fought against the Persians – who ruled most of the world at the time – for control of their freedom and very lives. While there may be elements of historical truth to some of this story, it is really an amalgam of fantasy, myth and action that makes it shine. Zack Snyder, along with the amazing abilities of his cinematographer, Larry Fong, and editor, William Hoy, have taken movies to the next level, by employing some of today’s most cutting edge technologies, making the movie look like a video game come to life.300 not only contains some of the most stylistic camera shots and colors I’ve ever scene in a movie, it also manages to display – what comes across as – 3D imaging without the need for those silly glasses.
With all of the amazing special effects, you would think story and plot lines would suffer, but that’s what makes this movie a cut above the rest. Snyder did a brilliant job of ensuring the movie has both style and substance. With engaging characters like the heroic King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and the love of his life, Queen Gorgo (Lena Heady), 300 is a movie that has something for everybody.
In the kingdom of Sparta, boys are bred, born, raised and trained to be killing machines, in order to fight for the freedom and glory of their homeland. But, don’t think for a second that girls are little more than an after thought. The women of Sparta are as strong as the men, in their own way. They are respected for their contributions to every aspect of Spartan life. A fact we first learn when King Leonidas kills a messenger from the Persian King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) for demanding to know why he allows his queen to speak in his presence.
Ultimately, no amount of political wrangling can convince King Xerxes to back down, so King Leonidas is left with no other choice than to take his strongest, fiercest and best well- built men I’ve ever seen into battle. But, Sparta’s political council isn’t totally sold on the idea, and refuses to release the entire army. This is how 300 men ended up going into war against 100,000. For me, this is where the movie lost some steam. While plenty of people will love
the second half, I was more enthralled with the build up to the war than the actual war itself. That being said, I was glad to see the story of Sparta continue, even while the mighty 300 were away.
All was not well, once King Leonidas went off to war. His queen was left behind to try and convince the council to join the fight for freedom by releasing Sparta’s full army. Ultimately, their refusal would lead to devastation and rebirth. I won’t give away the ending, but suffice it to say, revenge is a bitch.
This movie was based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel about the battle of Thermopylae, which has taken the historical and
mythical elements of a world long gone, and turned it into a thrill ride for us all to enjoy. So, if you are looking for action, romance, fantasy and drama, 300 is a must see. Just keep in mind that it is more fantasy than historical story telling, and you will be taken on a journey your eyes will never forget. Even better, is the fact that there is a real story with believable characters – which is sorely lacking in many of today’s action movies - that make you care about Sparta’s cause and whether these warriors live or die.