Introduction
"Are you sure you won't take something? Maybe just a t-shirt?"
Zack Snyder's "300" is a cinematic recreation of the graphic novel 300 written and drawn by Frank Miller with colors by Lynn Varley. It tells the legend of the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC when the Persian army lead by Xerxes the Great and numbering over two million strong were held at bay by King Leonidas and 300 Spartan warriors. The film is a visual spectacle; like a painting brought to life, but one slathered in blood and mud and the sepia golds of a time long past. Rather than shooting "300" on locations, director Zack Snyder opted to shoot the entire film on a soundstage and use computer effects to fill in the landscapes, skies, and much of the coloring. The result is an astonishingly beautiful and stylized film that comes closer to a fantasy setting than a historical one.
It's wise to keep in mind that "300" is essentially a comic book movie so that the historical departures don't bother you. The Spartans probably did wear more than leather underwear and red capes to battle. The Persian Immortals probably didn't look like Mordor orcs. And Xerxes was probably not over seven feet tall with a booming voice that would cause grown men to start building large boats and rounding up animals. So why are they portrayed that way in the film? This is a graphic novel interpretation and superheroes are all about capes and underwear, villains have fangs, and people who are referred to as "the God King" look and sound the part. All those fantasy aspects give the movie a surreal coating that puts the events of the film practically on another planet. From the almost cartoon blood spray to the heavy "ka-chunge" guitar riffs that fill the theater as the Spartans march, it is evident that this not a standard swords-and-sandals epic. Unlike "Gladiator" and "Saving Private Ryan" which used very short shutter speeds giving their action scenes a jittery look, "300" uses a technique called speed ramping where the footage is sped up and slowed down. Normally this kind of music video crap irritates me, but it really works in this context because it shows the speed of the combat, but slows down to accentuate the hits. It helps that some of the battle scenes are done in all one cut, so the speed ramping isn't as upsetting. This style also works to illustrate how badass the Spartans really are as they nimbly dance through the battlefield slaying every enemy in arm's reach. Like I said before, they are superheroes.
The acting performances are excellent, but Gerard Butler as Leonidas and Lena Headey as his wife Gorgo truly stand out. It certainly helps that Leonidas and Headey are the best written characters and have much of the best dialogue, but a bad performance in either of these parts could have diminished the entire film. Butler inhabits Leonidas with a range of emotions throughout the film, but there is always pride and anger smoldering under all of them. He chews through the dialogue, largely taken directly from Frank Miller's writing, conveying power and giving credence to the comic book language. It's hard to believe this is the same dude that played Dracula in "Dracula 2000". Lena Headey is absolutely gorgeous in this, and her character Gorgo is the epitomy of the strong Spartan woman. When she tells Leonidas as he marches off to battle, "Spartan, come back with your shield...or on it," she sells every word without overplaying the moment. Spartan women were hardcore, but she really grabs the role and runs with it. Everyone in the film is perfectly believable, and since many of the actors are character actors, they aren't carrying distracting baggage with them. They just disappear and become their characters.
Young Leonidas faces an early challenge.
"300" is an exceptional film, but it is not perfect. The story is a little thin, which is also a problem with the book. It basically starts with the catalyst of the Persian advance, it moves through the battles at the Hot Gates, and then comes to its conclusion. The characters don't grow or change in any real way, but rather remain the same throughout. You can't really fault the film for a flaw in the source material, but at some point I became aware that I was not enjoying the film for the story any longer. I was in it for the beauty. As you can see, there is still much to enjoy about the film despite it not having a "Chinatown" story, but if you want to find a weak spot in the phalanx, that is it. I suppose the dialogue is a little big in certain areas. Frank Miller likes to write big, dramatic dialogue that works really well on the page, but may sound pretty silly if spoken. If you give yourself over to the film, the dialogue works very well. If you fight it, I imagine a scenario exists where the whole thing could become unbearable, and I saw this happening to some people in the theater.
So, big surprise, the man who likes action movies and comic books loved "300". Since this may have been a forgone conclusion (I had high hopes for this one), I decided to ask my wife Kim, who attended with me, to give her opinion perhaps providing some balance.
Travis: What did you think, honey?
Kim: I really liked the fighting because I could see what was going on, not like in "Batman Begins". It was like a ballet, but it didn't suck. Also, there's something about a perfectly-formed male body covered in sweat and blood and wearing only a cape that...
It should be noted at this point that she just stopped talking and her eyes glazed over a bit, but I eventually regained her attention.
Travis: OK...anything else?
Kim: I also really liked the love story.
Travis: Love story? There was a love story?
Kim: Yeah, the love between Leonidas and Gorgo was very romantic.
Travis: Like when she said, "Don't you dare show your stupid face around here again if you lose this fight?"
Kim: Yeah. I think I'll start saying that to you when you leave for work every day.
Travis: So if a woman asked you, "Should I see '300'?" what would you tell her?
Kim: Definitely yes. It's very pretty with naked men.
Well, that isn't the balance I was looking for, but it's a hell of a recommendation. It's an excellent film, and my wife loved it, too. It's just like the exceptional trailers you've seen, only longer and with more scenes. "300" is a fine example of the power of modern filmmaking, and a huge step forward in the career of co-writer/director Zack Snyder.
For more on "300" and other blockbuster movies coming out this year, check out "The Top 10 Geek Movies for 2007."
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