Movie Review - 300

In traditional Greece, where males were taught to fight from the age of seven and bravery was considered more vital than goodness, warriors were the most admired among men. Scarred and maimed from a life of fighting, they couldn't wait to a'beautiful death in battle' so long as one condition was met : they've got to be recalled. Back then, memories were kept alive thru the oral tradition of storytelling ; today we have smash hit, big-budget flicks enhanced with computer created images to tell our stories.

And you will remember'300.'

Using thousands of astonishing computer effects and surprising visible viewpoints,'300' recreates the historic battle of Thermopylae between 300 doomed Spartans led by King Leonidas ( Gerard servant ) and the huge invading armed forces of Persia's King Xerxes ( Rodrigo Santoro ). At Leonidas's side is his furiously loyal Captain ( Vincent Regan ), who risks the life of his favourite child to try to save Spartan life.

Not like the Arcadians, a ragtag group of craftsmen who temporarily aid the 300, Spartan warriors have unique qualifications : They are happy to die for their country ; believe in the credo'No retreat. No surrender;' and look fabulous in their miniscule black briefs - the required uniform of ( this version of ) the Spartan military. Persia appears to have its own qualifications : soldiers must eagerly bow at the feet of their king ; agree to use wizardry when muscle fails ; and be willing to polish Xerxes's thousands of gold body piercings.

While her hubby fights a hopeless battle, Queen Gorgo ( Lena Headey ) has her very own struggle to endure back in Sparta. She deals with the treachery and lechery of Theron ( Dominic West ) and the bigoted senate with whom she pleads for reinforcements to help the regiment of 300. Headey's subtle strength as the beautiful queen nicely parallels the sophisticated gentleness of Butler's soldier king. Likewise, her purity makes West's portrayal of the villainous Theron appear that much filthier.

based primarily on Frank Miller's series for Dark horse Comics that was later turned into a graphic novel,'300' provides up to the minute depictions of war-time atrocities thru freeze frames, fast cuts, slow motion, blue-screen technology, and other cinematic sorcery. Though the thin dialogue frequently derives its humor from understatement, the battering instrumentals, clanging epees, lovely bodies, ugly monsters, animal behemoths, and astonishing visual effects occasionally excite to the point of sensory overload.

You'll remember the muscled flesh of the bare-chested warriors. You'll remember the droplets of blood splashing across the screen, the hideous decapitations, the piles of slaughtered corpses, and the light blue sky darkened with thousands of deadly Persian arrows. You'll remember the burning enthusiasm between the king and his queen. But mostly you'll remember the tale about how three hundred Spartans bravely endured their stunning deaths in battle.

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