Tuesday, March 20, 2007

300 Reasons To See "300"

Saw Frank Miller's 300 over the weekend. If your local Cineplex has an IMAX theater I can not recommend strongly enough experiencing this glorious epic (yes, "epic") on a five story by seven story screen.

See this movie... or else.

I've been eagerly anticipating this film for a few months now, so I went in with high expectations. It was even better then I'd hoped! There are at least three hundred reasons why you should see this film... from Gerard Butler's outstanding portrayal of the Spartan King Leonidas, to the pulse pounding action, to the insanely gorgeous virtually created backdrops, to the message of honor, respect, loyalty and duty - traits that people in this country have either forgotten about, never possessed, or ever cared about in the first place.

One has to wonder what some of the folks kiboshing this film were smoking when they viewed it... because it sure as hell wasn't the same movie that I watched. There is a bizarre menagerie of film critics and other politically motivated morons listing an assortment of even more bizarre reasons to hate this film. It's obvious that many of them have some sort of political agenda which they are attempting to use (pathetically and in vain), while others must lack any semblance of spine or testosterone in their lily white, withered bodies as they parade the banner of "too violent" around like some false badge of societal policing.

Guess what? It was violent back in those days people! Swords, spears, and shields required men to fight up close and personal. Heads were lost, limbs severed, gallons of blood and internal organs littered the battlefield... death was gruesome. That is a stone cold fact. Frankly, these critics - all whining girly-men if you ask me - should have been left on a hillside at birth like "inadequate" Spartan babies... but that's a diatribe for another day.

One thing is obvious: those bashing this movie have absolutely no concept of honor, loyalty, duty, or respect. Anyone stupid enough to actually think that this movie is about Bush and the Iraq War or portrays Iraqis in a bad light have only three or four functioning brain cells, and zero knowledge about the past. Why? Because this movie is adapted from Miller's graphic novel, which came out in 1998 - a full 5 years before the war even started. Furthermore, it's based on an actual historical event that took place in Greece along a narrow pass referred to as the "Hot Gates" along the Gulf of Malis. This very pivotal moment - one that quite literally changed the entire course of human history - is called the Battle of Thermopylae. It took place in 480 B.C., nearly 2,500 years ago.

It was at this spot that three hundred of of Sparta's warrior elite stood fast against the largest army in the history of the world at that time. A Persian army, which is now modern day Iran and Iraq. So fighting Iraqis is nothing new for anyone (don't forget The Holy Crusades that took place between 1095-1291 A.D.), let alone the United States. The bravery of these few loyal men, filled with honor and respect for duty to country and to each other, literally united Greece (which at the time was comprised of many city-states) into a nation that eventually repelled the warmongering Xerxes and his Persian horde.

Had this singular moment in time not occurred, Democracy as we know it... the very thing we fight for around the globe to this very day (using battle strategies the Spartans invented no less), would have been extinguished then and there. We absolutely would not (not maybe or perhaps) be living in the same cushy, spoiled, crime laden, disrespecting world we live in today. Which, when you really think about it, may not be so bad considering how pathetic our society has become.

George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Well, I have a tweak on that: "Those who do not know the past should be condemned."

And they should keep their damn fool mouths shut to boot.


Sometimes I wish I were born in a simpler age

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with everything you have said, the film was excellent I have watch it about 5 times and your right i have been reading Bernard Cornwells Sharp series and the battles were carnage.

Cannon blasted men to pieces and bannet (dont know if i spent that right) cut and tore men limb from limb, but are we any better today bombing and kiiling, we are no better in fact as you say we are in fact worse,no respect for others, no honour, no sence of whats right and wrong, those days seemed much easier when all you had to think about was the guy to the right and left of you and what you were fighting for was honour and a place in the world. not someone elses oil.