The movie “300” is a film filled with violence, political infighting and images of vivid sexuality.
In other words, it’s a film you’ll probably love.
One of the great things about this film is that its plot is easy to follow and not convoluted; it’s simple without feeling simplistic.
“300” is based on the Frank Miller graphic novel of the same name. Let’s face it, most movies based on comic books blow harder then Paris Hilton finalizing a record contract.
This is not the case with “300.” The film is a brutal look at the cost of war and the men who are brave enough to fight it.
“300” tells the story of the Battle of Thermopylae, which took place in 480 B.C. It’s the story about the battle-hardened Spartan warriors who due to political infighting and corruption are forced to take on king and self-proclaimed God, Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and the over 100,000 strong Persian Army with just 300 soldiers.
Due to their limited numbers, the Spartan King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) decides to wage the battle in the Thermopylae mountain pass where its narrow pathways act as a grand neutralizer to the overwhelming Persian horde. The battle is twofold really, as the Spartan warriors fight valiantly. Leonidas’ wife, the strong-willed Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey), pleads with the Spartan council to send more troops to help in the war effort even as Theron (Dominic West) poisons the council.
The movie is an epic; everything about this movie is amazing. “300” is beautiful and has a very dream-like quality. Films simply don’t get better than this. The acting is superb, and the actors convey a wealth of emotion and do it all convincingly. I admit that I had never heard of any of these actors when I walked into the theater, but their performances were ones that I will never forget.
This movie is violent, very very violent, gory and visceral; it makes the movie “Gladiator” look like a visit to Sesame Street. Limbs are hacked off, and animals are forced off of cliffs. Do not take young children to see this movie, or you’ll be repeatedly explaining to your children why people’s heads were constantly falling off. As violent as this movie is, it never felt gratuitous, battles are violent, and this movie certainly conveys that point. The violence can be hard to watch at times, so the overly sensitive should not see “300.”
The music in “300” is varied and grand. The battle scene scores get your heart beating like a drum and if it doesn’t then your dead inside.
This is a movie where everyone can find something to enjoy. The pacing of this film is excellent never letting you get bored with any aspect of it.
The bottom line is that I loved this movie; as soon as I saw it, it became one of my top five favorite films of all time. I can’t say enough positive things about “300”. This movie gets a 10 out of 10.