Viggen Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 (edited) Looks like it's gonna be a good one but don't get carried away with any historical aspects. It makes a great visual story but Sparta had one of the most screwed up societies in human history. True enough, Sparta was hardly a bastion of liberty, freedom and democracy in our sense of those words (just look at their horrific treatment of the Helots) but it sure beats the heck out of Persia, a slave state where EVERYONE is subject to the whims of the Great King. Spartans (and the always forgotten Thespians) were CITIZENS fighting for their freedom as opposed to the armies of subjects and slaves that they faced. The Persian Wars were of critical importance and if 300 gets people thinking about them, I'm all for it. If not for the Greek resistance to Persian domination at places like Marathon (where I have been, a powerful place with a funeral mound containing the 192 dead Athenian soldiers who stopped Persia's 1st invasion), Thermopylae, Salamis and Plataea, our world would be a VERY different place. No voting, civil rights, civilian control of the military, right to assemble, freedom of speech, seperation of church and state, right to bear arms, free market, legal system etc. etc. We would all be living in places like Fallujah. So go get em, Leonidas. Molon labe. I respect your ability in 3-Gun but the history as it relates to the last sentence is a bit thin. I will just leave you to this - then I head for a cool brew. http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/behreandt1.html Edited March 9, 2007 by Viggen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 Looks like it's gonna be a good one but don't get carried away with any historical aspects. It makes a great visual story but Sparta had one of the most screwed up societies in human history. True enough, Sparta was hardly a bastion of liberty, freedom and democracy in our sense of those words (just look at their horrific treatment of the Helots) but it sure beats the heck out of Persia, a slave state where EVERYONE is subject to the whims of the Great King. Spartans (and the always forgotten Thespians) were CITIZENS fighting for their freedom as opposed to the armies of subjects and slaves that they faced. The Persian Wars were of critical importance and if 300 gets people thinking about them, I'm all for it. If not for the Greek resistance to Persian domination at places like Marathon (where I have been, a powerful place with a funeral mound containing the 192 dead Athenian soldiers who stopped Persia's 1st invasion), Thermopylae, Salamis and Plataea, our world would be a VERY different place. No voting, civil rights, civilian control of the military, right to assemble, freedom of speech, seperation of church and state, right to bear arms, free market, legal system etc. etc. We would all be living in places like Fallujah. So go get em, Leonidas. Molon labe. I respect your ability in 3-Gun but the history as it relates to the last sentence is a bit thin. I will just leave you to this - then I head for a cool brew. http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/behreandt1.html From my perspective as a historian by trade, Kelly is right on the money. The battle at the hot gates allowed the remainder of the Greek city states to organize and prepare for the Persian army. Without the holding action at the gates, the Greeks very well might have lost the war. Instead, the Greeks send the Persians home with their tails between their legs. Greek culture, as a result, flourishes. Without that, there is no Western Civilazation as we know it. Imagine a Persian Empire that stretched across Eastern Europe. No Athens, no Greece, No Rome. Your guess as to where we'd all be today is as good as mine, but I can pretty much garauntee you that we wouldn't be shooting USPSA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al503 Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 only 3hrs and im going to see the 1200am show!!!! tonight.. Awesome. I was looking at the show times for Sunday and noticed the 12:00 am shows tonight. The thought did cross my mind but I'm not in my 20's anymore and I would be hurtin' at work tomorrow. Kudos to you though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 ^^^^ talked me into going. Well told movie. If you know the history (as most here do), it's not going to knock you out of your seat. The theater was filled (at midnight on a Thursday) with college age males. I'm glad to see this story will be a blockbuster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtypool40 Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 Imagine a Persian Empire that stretched across Eastern Europe.....Your guess as to where we'd all be today is as good as mine, but I can pretty much garauntee you that we wouldn't be shooting USPSA. Yup, and not to be a "history trying to repeat itself" guy and I know there was no Islam back then, but the "Persians" (aka Iranians who are NOT arabs btw) have been waging war on us for over 30 years. I'm a kind of hobby historian about things that interest me. The Persians have an interesting history, and some still see themselves as an Empire waiting to make a resurgance in the region. <Insert Ace Ventura voice> Nuclear enrichment much? Plotting with sinister types much? ok, politics aside, were there good fight scenes and scantily clad slave girls, and blood flying like in Sin City, and a car chase..... wait damnit, I was cool there for like 4 seconds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Sweeney Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 I understand that there has been some grumbling over the excesses and changes in the story. Specifically, that things are not "what they really were." That the tactics are wrong, and the Persians didn't have this or that. Harrumph. I fought for a couple of years in the SCA. I learned sword, shield, pike, and a whole host of other impact and (simulated) cutting weapons. A slugfest between hordes of Persians and a Greek phalanx would not be cinematic. It would be boring. Boring, crowded, confusing and a waste of film. As for the cinematic excesses concerning the Persians, well, if you're trying to show the story from the point of view of the Greeks, Persia to the Greeks was so alien that they might as well have come from another planet. Looking forward to it. As to history, by the standards of today the best of the Greek City-States would be viewed as little more than a despotic oligarchy. By the standards of 2,500 hears ago they were radically different and dangerous. No Greeks? No Romans, no Renaissance, no Western Civilization. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 The movie deals with all the issues that have been brought up. It covers the bases. And, it gets the story out. They make all the points that need made...and manage to put it out in a modern movie. (Hell...no historian was there anyway. They are...often...just repeating the lies and truths that have been taught to them.) What do we really know? We can be pretty sure that the Spartan's were vastly outnumbered ? Damn gamers did pretty good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellyn Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 I respect your ability in 3-Gun but the history as it relates to the last sentence is a bit thin. I will just leave you to this - then I head for a cool brew. http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/behreandt1.html Hey, I almost have a Master's degree in History! I don't really disagree with Rockwell's assessment. Sparta was a hyper-militaristic proto-fascist apartheid state (how's that for a title!) that owned, brutalized and tormented thousands of other Greeks. And Sparta finally got its comeuppance at the hands of the Thebans led by the great liberator Epaminodas (sic) who freed the Helots (see VDH's book The Soul of Battle for a good synopsis) BUT Despite all it's faults, Sparta recognized the concept of Citizenry (albiet for an elite few) with all the attendant rights and obligations, that (to my eyes) stands far and above the Eastern/Persian concepts of subjects existing at the pleasure of some unrestrained god king. AND Sparta's leadership in the Persian Wars made victory possible, which proected the other city states most notably Athens, without whose ideas we simply would not have Western civilization. So go spear those decadent Persian dogs! End of history ponitifcation. I do find the use of Sparta and Spartan by so many athletic teams and firearms trainers funny since Spartan values are so anathema to modern American ones. I guess it just sounds better that "Athenian." Now I will get a cold brew ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritinUSA Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 I do find the use of Sparta and Spartan by so many athletic teams and firearms trainers funny since Spartan values are so anathema to modern American ones. I guess it just sounds better that "Athenian." Athenian sounds pretty good to me... what do you think, Athena ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viggen Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 Now I will get a cold brew ...... It was a visually impressive movie with CGI piled on CGI. It's going to make a lot of money. Worth seeing once but I think that's about it. And maybe some, really unlikely but I can hope, will be driven to read the Classics along with history and educate themselves with regard to what our culture used to draw from. The sun is up so no brew right now, cool or otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Di Vita Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 I personally loved this movie. Things don't need to be perfectly historically accurate to get the original point across. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kschwan Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 (edited) I knew a little about the actual history. But Man was it a great Movie! First one to live up to the hype in a long time. I got lucky and left work a little early to see the 4:30 show. Only show that was not sold out for the weekend (which is a pretty big deal here). Can't wait until a directors cut comes out. Very well done and worth the wait to see. Edited March 10, 2007 by kschwan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 10, 2007 Author Share Posted March 10, 2007 (edited) I was not disappointed at all. I thought it was a really good movie. Visually, it was great. I still can't get over the fact that the guy who played Leonidas played the phantom in the Phantom of the Opera movie version a few years back and he CAN sing! (no, I am not ashamed to admit that I loved that movie too.) There were so many parts in that movie that made me want to stand up and clap. I would love to enumerate but that would spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it yet...Let's just say that after this movie, I want my own spear. BTW, I have never seen that (those?) many six packs....oh wait, eight-packs in my life! And Paul, Athenians sound nice... Edited March 10, 2007 by Athena Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 Saw it. Dug it. Will probably see it again in the theater (IMAX, maybe???). DVD is a must for slo-mo fight scene tear down later. Bring on "Gates of Fire", too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cking Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 (edited) I give it a low B. Ok but not as effective as Sin City. Plus audio track was awful, the lack of background noise made it seem the whole over dub was done in small room. The cgi backgrounds were weak also, no were near quality I've seen in other movies. I think this is just start of mixing realities type movies. I guess you can't call them films anymore. Edited March 10, 2007 by cking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shooterbenedetto Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 CKING i think you are wrong!!! OF all the movies i have seen this one is 1 of 10 is a sore of 15!!!! THIS IS A GREAT MOVIE!! must see...... I will definitely buy this DVD when it comes out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huston in Austin Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 I was not disappointed at all. I thought it was a really good movie. Visually, it was great. I still can't get over the fact that the guy who played Leonidas played the phantom in the Phantom of the Opera movie version a few years back and he CAN sing! (no, I am not ashamed to admit that I loved that movie too.) There were so many parts in that movie that made me want to stand up and clap. I would love to enumerate but that would spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it yet...Let's just say that after this movie, I want my own spear.BTW, I have never seen that (those?) many six packs....oh wait, eight-packs in my life! And Paul, Athenians sound nice... Cold Steel makes a spear, COLD STEEL CUTLERY BOAR SPEAR 18.5" SPEAR HEAD 71" PREMIUM ASH HANDLE in stock at Midsouth Shooters Supply for 47.00 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBunin Posted March 10, 2007 Share Posted March 10, 2007 WOW. I mean, words fail me. This was the best movie I've sen in ages. While not 100% historically accurate, it was easily 80% and really gave a sense of what it might have been like at Thermopylae. WOW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhgtyre Posted March 11, 2007 Share Posted March 11, 2007 I...Let's just say that after this movie, I want my own spear. Cold Steel makes a spear,COLD STEEL CUTLERY BOAR SPEAR 18.5" SPEAR HEAD 71" PREMIUM ASH HANDLE in stock at Midsouth Shooters Supply for 47.00 I've got the Cold Steel Bushman mounted on a handle as a spear. I don't know how many Persians I could take out with it but I have used it to trim the trees in my back yard! Here's hoping I find time to go see 300 this weekend. -ld Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Cheely Posted March 11, 2007 Share Posted March 11, 2007 Not as good as I was hoping... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritinUSA Posted March 11, 2007 Share Posted March 11, 2007 I think I'll go see this early next week. It will make a nice change from American Idol, which quite frankly has lost it's appeal now that Antonella Barba's been voted off. <sniff> No doubt I will be driven to improve my abs after watching the movie. I was aiming for a six-pack but apparently that won't cut the mustard any more... Now I have to go for an 8 !!!???!!! I'm currently the proud owner of a 5-pack... oh wait , something's not right ..! Not sure about the spears, Athena but you can get a replica sword from these guys: Spartan Sword Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaseyJ Posted March 11, 2007 Share Posted March 11, 2007 That movie was BAD...A$$ I loved it. might just have to go see it again so i can see the part i missed by going to the bathroom! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Knight Posted March 11, 2007 Share Posted March 11, 2007 Just saw it! What an awesome movie! I have the graphic novel and this movie is the only one I have ever seen that was a spot on match to the book! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SinistralRifleman Posted March 11, 2007 Share Posted March 11, 2007 We saw the movie Thursday night, there were over 2,000 people there to see it. It was a great movie. I liked that there was no moral relativism, there are distinct good guys and bad guys. The movie does a good job of portraying the concepts of bravery, duty, and some things are worth dying for. I've read the graphic novel, and this was a good adaptation. The more fanciful parts of the movie and book have been explained as the character who is telling the story is embelishing to rally the other Greeks. My only criticism of the book and the movie is the Thespians are completely absent. They were citizen soldiers and not duty bound to stay and fight to the death, but they did. Their sacrifice should not be over looked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dunn Posted March 11, 2007 Share Posted March 11, 2007 Toughest person in the movie was the Queen! Hard as nails. I'm sure the movie wasn't super historically accurate, it was highly stylized. It was also fantastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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