WHy 300 Is Shameful?
It's entirely an overblown visual document with an IQ in the lower 20s
Here is a link to Washington Post Review on the one the most strange movies I have ever heard about. Some of the readers have mentioned this is based on a comic book, but when it comes to talk about the history, it is not understandable the way it manipulate the history...
"300," alas and to its shame, makes no argument at all. It's entirely an overblown visual document with an IQ in the lower 20s...But a bigger question remains, and that's why? Why this movie? It's kind of a ghastly hoot, but it flees from history and it mocks men who gave so much, and while I suppose it does no harm, it also contributes nothing. It's a guilty unpleasantness. I just think some moments, when history turned on guts and
bronze, deserve more than a comic book."A Comment: We can change this movie's rating in different search engines. Right now it is "-B" on Yahoo movies. Lets make it an "F".Here you can find the addresses to the rating pages.
34 Comments:
We can change this movie's rating in different search engines. Right now it is "-B" on Yahoo movies. Lets make it an "F".
Here you can find the addresses to the rating pages.
why is it shameful ? because it is true ? maybe people should start taking responsibility for what they or their people have done in the past and not try to wash it off with talk of it being someone else's fault.
If you knew anything about the history you wouldnt say that. Hollywood Use the ignorance of the Americans to feed them with trash materials and lies....They have no idea what doesit mean about a country with thousands of civilization and history, shame on Hollywood and the liers....
What is wrong with you people. The movie is based on a FICTIONAL GRAPHIC NOVEL, based on historical content. You do know there was a battle at Thermopylae with the Persians assailing the Greeks. Any claims that the US is trying to make Iran look bad is juvenile and ludicrous. Maybe if you get your heads out of your butts, you would realize that.
Peace
Dear all,
Isn't this (what happens in this blog) exactly what so many people want? Please stop to insult each other. This is just a movie and it's based on a comic book. The director says in public that he changed the fact's to make it a more enjoyable action movie. Hey... this is not the product of the people of this world and I believe that most of us have a lot of respect for all people in Iran (even if we have the right to disrespect a government which isolates it's own people from the rest of this world, even from most of the arab countries) Let's live together not against each other :-)
I will not see this movie although I am of Greek origin. The timing is suspicious and the film targets the average ignorant American. It is preparing our mindset for the worst. Show the Persians as animals and unfortunately, people will believe this is true.
I have great respect for my ancestors' former foes, much greater than for the current American empire.
Yes, that's it! Good plan, get all upset about a fictional movie based on a fictional comic book, but when your own leader calls for the extermination of another country it is all good.
I can understand why not to like parts of the movie, but you know, not everyone is there to please you. Grow up.
Read the comic, it is not a historical document. Therefore the movie is nothing more than a comicbook story that moves... The average US movie goer wouldn't have connected ancient Persia to Iran, after all this posturing they might be able to, well done!
This is a movie for heaven's sake. Why are you getting so worked up about it? This is the problem with the world, too many people making knee-jerk reactions to imaginary threats. How very sad...
I saw the movie yesterday. It doesn't, as some have claimed, make any historical inaccuracies about who won battles. Only one battle's conclusion is shown and the Persians won it. The heroes of the story are the 300 Spartans who died valiantly. It is a comic book adaptation of a historical event and has no hidden agenda to diss current Iran. The ignorant American public won't even know that Persia is Iran!
I'll be going to see the film because I'm going to enjoy the action and the effects. I know it's going to be historically inaccurate because I'm one of a small number of Brits who's actually interested in the Achaemenid period (I dream of visiting Parsa one day).
Nevertheless, I shall make a point of telling the people with whom I'm going to see it that it's wrong. Dead wrong.
As usual the peoples of the Iran (and the Middle East as a whole) miss the point about Freedom of Speech and Expression. It allows the good as well as the bad. It doesn't recognise the "special interests" of groups such as Muslims or Iranians to be "protected" from being portrayed unfavourably in a film or book. Once you start doing that, its not freedom of speech.
I find it particularly ironic, that a part of the world where "Death to the US, Death to Zionists" is regularly used to close state broadcasts, and where the state president is pursuing inter continental missiles and nuclear warheads, after declaring that it would be better if Israel was ‘wiped from the map’, should have the nerve to complain about a cartoon style movie.
Most of your respondants live in the West, and do so because the West is tolerant of cultural minorities in a way that many cultures are not, but that tolerance is supposed to work both ways.
Only the extremely sensitive, or irony challenged, would get upset about this movie with its cartoon style violence, and no one in their right mind would associate it with the truth.
I do accept that it is playing to an audience who also thought that the "Da Vinci Code" was factual, so in that regard you may have something to concern you, but remember that the MTV generation have come through the US Public schooling system so I doubt if most of them will
A) Know where Persia is/was ... most will think it’s got something to do with Aladdin or the Prince of Persia the game.
B) Make any association between Persia and Iran
Hollywood has a long and inglorious record of distorting history to suit a story, from "The Green Beret", in which John Wayne 'won the Vietnam war', with its shades of Errol Flynn winning the war in Burma; "The Patriot", with its one man American Revolution; "Brave Heart" which included characters who lived over a 100 yrs apart from each other, and distorted the whole history of Scotland to "make a better movie", right through to this latest "300", which only Iranians with a real confidence problem could think is based upon fact.
Confident cultures can stand being portrayed in many lights, those that are unconfident or uncomfortable with their history, can not. The Brits are always the villains in US "historical" films, but we just laugh it off, so why don't you all get a grip and just enjoy the movie as a piece of hokum.
The whole world may not see your country in the light in which you wish to be portrayed, why? Because actions speak louder than words, and all the 'culture' of Iran appears to bring to today’s world is a Theocracy straight out of the Middle Ages, suppression of minorities, backing for Shia militias in Iraq, and legal subjugation of women, with the added bonus that they threaten the existence of a smaller neighbour. It appears that something’s don't change in 3,000 yrs.
Remember this, if you suppress one person’s freedom of speech, then who will protect yours?
I'm afraid that if you're looking for some way for Xerxes to come out of Thermopylae well, then you're going to be searching with a magnifying glass.
The man raised the largest army in antiquity and was able only to win the most phyrric of victories from a united Greece led by Leonidas and Themisticles.
The whole campaign is a monument to Persian hubris - so many hundreds of thousands dead for so selfish and wasteful a goal.
In the West we will never forget the significance of Thermopylae - nor the bravery of the Spartans who shielded the guttering candle of democracy with their bodies.
Ironies of Ironies.
A film showing the attempted suppression of freedom of speech in ancient Greek democracies by the Persians, is attacked by Iranians who hope to have it suppressed.
I think everyone should just chill out. I do agree that some people (not just Americans) are ignorant and will not only take this movie as a piece of fact, however people like this will probably believe that all films and everything that they see on television is fact. Anyone with half a brain knows that when they watch a movie that it is a work of fiction and should only be taken as entertainment. We should all try to educate these few ignorant people into understand this rather than just starting these horrific slagging matches over what is just meant to be a piece of fun.
As an Archaelogy student I know something of the Battle of Thermopylae, on which this story is based. To say that 300 Spartans were victorious against the Persian army and took a stand "for democracy" as Warner Brothers shamefully states on their own web site is completely untrue. Thermopylae is considered amongst military historians to be a fine example of the tactic of a fighting retreat but it was by no means a victory for Leonides. To paint it as such and politicise the story as Warner Bros have done is irresponsible. The fact that their version of events is based on a comic book is irrelevant if the majority of cinema goers are unaware of this and assume that the film paints an accurate portrait of the events and people of the time. I doubt many people who see this film will be spurred on to read a well researched academic version of the battle or look further at the wider accomplishments of the Persian Empire. A good opportunity to educate and produce informed discussion of the present political climate has been passed by in preference for the mindless entertainment of the American masses.
I enjoy a good action film. I know that it is not based on facts - it is a hollywood film!!!! I am going to give it an A to boot it up on the movie ratings.
This film should be used as a vehicle to promote Iran and the Persian history rather than the trying to ban it. I think Borat actually improved the promotion of Kazakhstan a little.
Lets move to ban Jurassic Park, i mean Dinosaurs are dead last i heard.
Omid,
Be grateful Hollywood didn't do its usual historical smash n'grab and make 300 (Americans), in which a plucky band of God's Own Folk save the world from (possibly Nukular-armed) bearded evil-doers (ie non-Americans), armed only with righteousness, square jaws and leather mini-skirts.
Jim McDermott
Having seen the film I found myself thinking that the Persians were portrayed a little negatively in the name of art but the Spartans were although glorified still portrayed as a brutal warlike culture.
I don't think the movie had any anti-Iranian agenda at all. Anyone smart enough to relate the Persians to Iran will also be smart enough to recognise a fictionalised account of history and not be swayed against Iran because of it.
I thought the movie was great. B+ :)
This film is not intended to be an accurate depiction of an historical event, nor is this supposed to be "high-art". It's a graphic novel brought to the screen with predictable results. That said, the Persian Empire DID try to annihilate the Greek city-states, so that can hardly be deemed innacurate. Those who take such deep offense to this film, I suspect, are the same as those who took offense to a collection of Danish cartoons...
Hollywood has never been known to accurately depict *anything.*
Why is there so much hatred in the world today?
To me, an Iranian man is my brother. An American man is my brother. An African man is my brother.
Your history is just past. It is important to remember it (something the western schools are not doing well) but it is not something to fight over.
This movie is just a movie. Just like Troy, Alexander, Kingdom of Heaven, Lord of the Rings, Titanic, Pearl Harbor.
Its entertainment. It is mindless ranting to attempt to equate an overblown, special effects ridden movie with any event in history. Anyone with half a brain can understand that.
I am so frusterated with people who constantly war-monger over stupid issues like this. Why don't we start worrying about bigger issues? like people dying in Africa, the middle east, The south Pacific, South America instead of raising some un-based issue with a bloody movie.
If you're so concerned about the ancient culture of the country you ran away from, then return there and see if you make something of it in modern times. Your arrogance in whining about a fictional work set millennia ago, while you leech like a coward off what had been the only successful culture in modernity is disgusting.If you wish to be in America, then abandon all favoritism to the land of your birth and cleave to America and its ways. If you've ever thought to yourself that many in this country have looked at you oddly and contemptuously, then you are quite right. Most Americans are disgusted by the presence of any Arab, Persian, Paki, or any other variety of ambulatory fecal matter that has slithered here from a heavily Muslim land, and would love nothing more than there ejection from our nation-or simply their eradication. Be gone, arrogant filth.Return to the land of ignorance and incompetence that spawned you and take a stand there; if you're slaughtered there by the scum that passes for leadership in such lands, at least you will have died in a manner deserving respect.We want nothing to do with you in America.
People just need something to whine about these days. Me being a 25 year old American who has nothing against any other cultures wants to see this movie because it looked graphically amazing. I don't even know the story behind it and really don't care as honestly I would assume 90% of viewers in the US don't know the story either. We go to the movies to be entertained. We watch the movie say "hey that was good" or "hey that horrible" and forget about it the next day. It's entertainment people bottom line. I highly doubt people of the US are going to even think about Iran or Iranians while watching this movie or for that matter even think about whether it was fact or fiction. HI WE DON'T CARE ITS ENTERTAINMENT. Honestly this is such a pointless thing to argue or cry about considering the real world issues going on right now between the "WEST" and Iran. Personally, I think if you took time to break this (fictional-action) movie down you need to find something better to do with your time.
Just like Nineteen Eighty Four, this film should be BANNED for being inaccurate. The year 1984 was nothing like how things were depicted in the film.
Oh that's right...IT'S A WORK OF FICTION.
You sir, are an idiot. Step away from the internet and do something productive.
As a Greek national, I did watch the movie. As you suspect, that period is considered seminal in our history. When it was over, however, I was left disturbed. I couldn't help but notice the gross de-humanization of the Persians, something that the ancient Greek historians of the time (that we largely studied) didn't even do. One of my first thoughts was that if I was Persian, I would be really angry over that portrayal. In addition, there were many inacuracies about the Greeks as well, with Leonidas acting more along the lines of the "American individual" rather than a Greek of the time. In any case, I will not tire you with details, but I do have to say that I am fully in agreement with your ire. The Lord of the Rings was a work of fiction, not the Battle of Thermopylae. The latter really happened, and it should be portrayed as such. I do understand that most Americans have very little appreciation for and understanding of history (even their own) which allows for a casual attitude concerning gross mis-representation. I am also sure that a British film about the American Revolution, one that would brazenly depict Washington as a deranged lunatic and the American patriots as scum and monstrous would evoke similar sentiments, regardless of disclaimers that it is a work of fiction.
Many of you assume that Americans will view and understand this movie as fact. Why do you assume? What is the basis of your assumption? That Americans as a whole are ignorant folks? What is the basis of this conclusion? Have you spoken to any one who has actually seen the movie and stated that the movie is an acurate portrayl of historical events? I highly doubt it. Instead, you just assume Americans are ignorant. Perhaps your assumption is based off a chance meeting with an American who is not up to speed with history. And perhaps you assume that since this one (or, giving you the benefit of the doubt, "several") American(s) is(are) not gifted with historical knowledge, then all Americans are ignorant of historical events. In my opinion, it is not "Americans" as used in the comments that are ignorant, but rather the ignorance lies with the blog posters who claim Americans will view this movie as a historical fact. Come on! Get educated, don't stay inside of your cave looking at shadows on the walls, never turning around to see that a whole world lies outside of the cave.
Granted, most Americans are not A students when it comes to history, but what society is full of A history students? Should I condemn a middle east society as a whole because one of its young members believes jews kidnap and drain the blood dry from chirstian children? Or should I condemn a western society because one of its members believes that all muslims are terrorists, or that all Iranians liken America to the Great Satan? Or should I condemn the muslim society as a whole because of the collective forgetfullness that christanity isn't the only religion that committed crusades in the name of religion? Hello? The hundreds of years of occupation and forceful conversion of christian societies by the Moors in Spain, Sicily, etc., and Ottomans in Balkans, Austria, etc.?
People, this movie is based off of a comic book, and it is clearly filmed in a comic book fashion. We Americans aren't as ignorant as you think.
Furthermore, what "responsibilty" does a movie company owe to us? They can produce, make and distribute whatever they want. They don't owe us, whether legally or morally, anything. It's your decision not to go see this movie.
Additionally, you're petitioning or protesting this movie? Oh, how smart is that. Bring further attention to this movie, and at the same time reinforce the ignorance of some who believe that middle easterners in America don't care about American freedoms and don't want to be a part of this society. Very smart.
As to those who say British or English actors are always hired for the bad guy parts, does James Bond ring a bell? He ain't a bad guy and he is undoubtedly British. However, admittedly it does seem Brits are cast more often then not as bad guys, but I have three theories as to why: 1) your accents are so friggin cool (except cockney, which I can't undertand for the life of me); 2) your getting part of the equal treatment granted to all nationalities in Hollywood (first it was germans, then japanese, then russians, then germans, then russians, then columbians, then mexicans, then candanians (yes, candanians), then russians, then middle easterners, then . . . etc.); and, 3) you gave us the cad Hugh Grant - what'd you expect?
Anyway, the above is my 2 cents. Bottom line, lighten up, don't be so narrow minded and sensitive (you'll get greater respect from Americans this way), and don't assume so often (remember, when you assume you make an "ass" out of "u" and "me"). Of course, these suggestions apply to Americans as well.
P.S. Excuse my spelling.
I submit the following:
1. The US film industry HATES G. Bush - they would never make a film to help prep for an invasion or attack on Iran, or anyone else for that matter.'
2. Hollywood has screwed up EVERYONES history in film, for dramatic effect - even our own ('The Patriot' starring Mel Gibson comes to mind...'). This doesn't reflect animosity, it reflects the entertainment industry, with a dash of historical ignorance thrown in.
3. I read a lot of anti-American comments here. Please bear in mind that we are a HUGE, diverse nation. We have about the same proportion of idiots as anywhere else, but when we elect one, the consequences are greater. Sorry about that, but don't make the mistake of vilifying all of us because you don't like a particular administration, etc.
4. Hypersensitivity to insults - blatant or otherwise - reflects incredible insecurity. Why do you care that Hollywood misrepresented Persians? Seriously, do you honestly think this film is going to alter anyones' perspective on Persia? Heck, until the hullaballoo, most Americans didn't know 'Persian' related to Iran - most of my fellow Americans think (wrongly, obviously) that 'The Middle East' is populated by 'muslim Arabs'. If you think this is screwed up, fine - you non-Americans tell me what the difference between a Latino and Chicano is. Touche.
5. Are you really worried that we'll drop our Big Macs, get in our SUVs and drive over and occupy Qom? Please, if you think that, OK, I get the whole Afghanistan-Iraq-who's next thing. All I can offer on that score is Afghanistan was legit - sheltered Taliban and Al Quaida. No one disputes this. Iraq - we were lied to, and we all know it now (GWB is extremely unpopular right now, and dropping fast). There is NO public support for further overseas adventures - the military here has missed recruiting quotas for months, and people are voting for 'antiwar' politicians every chance they get. Even Republicans are starting to change their tune and criticize the administration.
I have no desire to occupy Iran or any other country. I don't know a single American who does. We do have a lunatic fringe here, who have influenced our government from time to time - Iranians, you have seen this kind of thing yourselves, so ask yourself, 'does the proclamation of the Grand Ayatollah' really motivate me to do their bidding?' If I, as an American, walked through Tehran as a tourist, would you feel obliged to kill me? Debate me, perhaps, but haul me up and light me on fire? I tend to doubt it.
As people, I think we are rather all more reasonable than our politicians.
I agree with a previous poster- Americans aren't even savvy enough to realize the connection of Persia with Iran. Most of us probably think that Persia is some made up land.
The Reel 300 vs. the Real 300 Spartans
The big hullabaloo about “The 300” is another storm in a tea pot. Another “Us vs. Them” Hollywood shtick.
What has come from the twisted graphic mind of Frank Miller, not a Greek, and a leading cast, none of them Greek, mostly Brits with accompanying “high-end accents” that sell to American audiences against “the Persian Hordes” which in today’s heated “war on terrorism” ideological environment of the neoconservative culture wars represents the politically correct “clash of civilization” context that produces the typical dumb black and white, “we’re good, they’re bad” stupid morality play.
It’s self-evident that one should not take Miller’s work as ‘history,’ even though for some the urge remains there. “Of course, Virginia, it’s not meant to be”; it’s what we would call “entertainment” for Hollywood’s extraordinary rendition of Miller’s graphic novel devotees of mystical blood and gore can appreciate.
On the other hand, it can be easily interpreted as a racist depiction of sci-fi like “Persians” who are the devil incarnate while the courageous Alamo-like “western” Spartans are nice, white guys just simply defending good ol’ Greece, and by indirection, all western democracy and civilization’s sense of freedom, justice and liberty for all? What crap!
Come on people, anyone who takes Miller’s entertainment as “serious history” is either seriously deluded or a naïve idiot, who is seeking some mystical dreamlike machismoism as a form of male compensation in preparation for joining the Marines to become a grunt and “kick ass in Iraq and Iran.” In short, it can be interpreted as nothing more than banal, off-the-shelf patriotic cheap trick for online gamers who can feel excited for a moment and get a rise out saying to themselves “It’s-my-chance-to-be-a-hero, too.”
Get a grip. The Spartans were an authoritarian regime that valued extreme conservatism, unquestioned obedience to strict traditionalism, subservience to a harsh code of draconian law and order, worshiped militarism and warfare and slavery and didn’t give one wit about “democracy” or “liberty for all.” In short, the Spartan rulers imposed an oligarchic barracks regime over their people and those they conquered. Hitler, Stalin, and our own lovely Neoconservatives would have loved them to death.
Let’s not forget that later on after the Greek-Persian imperial wars, it was our “freedom-loving” authoritarian Spartans [contradiction intended] who later allied with their old “axis of evil enemies” those bad ol’ Persians to defeat their fellow arrogant aristocratic “Greek” Athenians. So let’s not get all choked with all that “United We Stand” bumper sticker punditry junk.
The Spartans, like their imperial Athenians counterparts were just as politically opportunistic as were the imperial Persian rulers. In short, folks, there are no angels in power politics. All were seeking power over others, all were seeking imperial hegemony and all the respective leaders did their best to butcher one another’s people in pursuit of their own imperial aims. As usual, it was the Persian and Greek peoples who provided the fodder and the power to their respective tyrants. Not much has changed in two thousand years expect that today the United States as sole global hegemonic superpower has become the new “Persian Empire” invading and conquering weaker states [read, Iraq and Iran] which are the “New 300.” How ironic. Such are the mysteries of power.
@Greek-progreesives-yadda yadda...
"... [the US is the] global hegemonic superpower [and] has become the new “Persian Empire” invading and conquering weaker states [read, Iraq and Iran] which are the 'New 300.' "
The (apparent) comparison of the various factions opposed to the US in Iraq with heroic defenders (the 300) is a touch misplaced - the various insurgent groups have spent more time slaughtering civilians than attacking foreign occupation troops. If 'the 300' slaughtered all their neighbors, THEN want after the Persian invaders, you'd be onto something.
Oh, please also note, we invaded Afghanistan (legitimately) and Iraq (not so much legitimately) - not Iran.
As usual in this divided world, we fall into a lot of bickering about who said what and about whom LOL. Well have a look at this site to see what we really think about each other.
http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/325.php?nid=&id=&pnt=325&lb=hmpg1
Look at the World Public Opinion Poll posted above - gotta admit, as an American, I can completely understand and in many ways agree with the findings. Nice to know the US isn't dead last, and that the two 'worst' are Israel AND Iran. Given the possible choices, I can't disagree much, though I think North Korea deserved a shot at the bottom.
I read your piece on the film 300. I agree that Hollywood has a long and not so illustrious history of distorting historical fact to fit the story. It is sad that people do not take the time to educate themselves and take what they have seen on the screen as 100% fact.
However, The basic thrust of the movie is that a small band of very brave individuals held a narrow pass long enough to prevented an invading army from conquering what we now call Greece. Xerxes and the persian Empire were on this occasion (from the Spartan/Greek perspective) the 'bad guys'. I am English but of Scots ancestry. Both the English and the Scots have been portrayed as the bad guy and/or the good guy again and again. We all take turns.
On this occasion it's the Persians who are the villians, if you watch ben Hur it's the Romans. I'm sure the Germans have had more than their fair share of being on the receiving end.
I understand your frustration, I applaud your dedication to making your point but I simply don't see an agenda in this movie beyond the desire to entertain and tell an interpretation of a story.
Romeo and Juliette is merely an interpretation of an old tale but no one is going to take a pop at the Bard now are they? if they do they have mee to deal with (HA!!)
This movie contains no more lies than Braveheart, The Longest Day, Platoon or Gladiator. When we are embattled we see enemies around every corner and that is when we take our eye off our real foe.
Good luck.
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