03.10.07
Come back with your shield or come back on your shield
With those words Queen Gorgo of Sparta bid farewell to her husband, King Leonidas as he left with 300 soldiers. The implication is clear, victory or death - there is no in-between. This was the creed of the Spartan militia and vigorously applied on the field of battle as depicted in Frank Miller’s 300.
What can I say? The visuals are stunning. The same team that brought Sin City to the screen have done a wonderful job with 300. The costumes looked great. I can’t say the sets were great because almost all of them were created through CGI…so I’ll say that the CGI was great.
Gerard Butler *is* King Leonidas, the leader of the Spartans. ‘Nuff said. Michael Fassbender as Stelios was most excellent. His zeal at being in battle and eagerness at finding a worthy death is masterfully played. Tom Wisdom plays Astinos, a Spartan warrior who has never seen battle. His displays unparalleled courage, even knowing that his first battle would be his last.
I have only a couple reservations about the film.
- The Spartan swords looked “too modern” - almost like show pieces. Spartans were masters of warfare and those swords, with the fat blades and jagged barb would have been more of an hindrance on the battlefield.
- The love scene between Leonidas and Gorgo. If you want to show the powerful love between the two, emphasizing the fact that they knew they probably would never see each other again then 10-20 seconds is fine. They drug this out to the point that I was expecting cheesy porno music to come over the speakers.
Fans of Greek & Roman history and mythology: if you are a stickler for details and expect an exact retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae, save your money because you’ll be disappointed. If you like stunning visuals and a story based on G&R history/myth, definitely go see this one.
