A Bit of the Old Ultra Violence: My Thoughts on 300

It’s a departure for me to talk about a fictional film, especially when I have an excellent documentary to review, but I feel 300 has sparked too much conversation to ignore. Since its huge opening last weekend people all over the internet are rising up against this fantastical, highly violent tale. I’m not going to review the plot (what’s to say? 300 Spartans hold off thousands of Persians between a rock and a hard place), but I feel compelled to give my impressions. I was eagerly anticipating this movie when I saw it with a bunch of hyped up fanboys on opening night. I was not disappointed.

First off let me say that yes, it is not a good idea to bring your child to see 300. Do not let your adolescent or even young teenager see 300. That R rating comes with solid reason. The film is very graphically brutal and offers an unapologetic pro-war and pro-violence stance. The audience is meant to cheer on the Spartan soldiers and relish their every decapitation and spear impalement. This is a morally ambiguous film in the vein of Clockwork Orange or Sin City. We know the men on screen are brutal monsters, but oh such fun watching them kill! These films expect a certain amount of age and maturity from their audience. 300 also puts all the violence squarely in another time, another place, and a completely computer fabricated world. It’s sort of like an anime, expect the fifteen year old girl has been replaced with King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and his hoard of sexy, nearly naked men... I believe I’ve stumbled upon why I liked this film so much more than anime.

Rupaul, I mean Xerxes, attempts to seduce King Leonidas with his massage skills and superfluous face piercings

The film has sparked a plethora of theories about its deeper meanings. One of the most quoted is that 300 is actually an allegory for the American war in Iraq. I admit it’s fun to extrapolate a film’s plot to modern events, but why must this be a literal translation of America? Who are the Americans anyway - the small loyal band of Spartans or the invading Persians? Arguments surrounding this theory devolve into bipartisan rhetoric: are you a pro-war neocon or a bleeding heart liberal? Why must I be either one to enjoy or reject this movie? Other people love to point out that the film is glorifying a brutal militaristic state and by extension fascism. I believe the Spartans were fascist in historical fact or at the very least violently nationalistic. As a kid I read a lot of books on Greek myths (with a name like Cassandra the interest develops early). This is a movie based on a myth from a civilisation that lived a long time ago. The brutality displayed in the film never exceed what was described in the written stories. Sometimes, no matter what your political beliefs, a Spartan is just a Spartan.

King Leonidas is quite the manly man what with the cape and the screaming and the arrows sticking out of him

The rest of the outrage surrounding this film focuses on the physical attributes of the Spartans (one word - hot) versus the ugly monstrosity of the Persians. It’s true the Persians are all multiethnic uglies and the Spartans are tall, bronzed white men who enjoy walking around with their considerable ab muscles fully engaged. As Anson remarked (rather bitterly), it must be exhausting walking and talking while holding your abs so rigid. The film also does a really bang up job of slowing down the violence for all the good bits. When you slow down a man throwing a spear through another man are you glorifying violence? Yes. You’re also mimicking every illustration, carving and artistic depiction I’ve ever seen of ancient Greek warriors. I was in the Louvre only a month ago and I can tell you that none of the Greek statues had beer guts.

Spartan soldiers engage in the Greek warrior stance of "Sucking It In"

In response to all these reasons why 300 is fascist, or racist, or pro-war I would ask that audiences remember the context of the film. We learn that the narrator of the entire story was a Spartan soldier sent to rouse the troops to continue the war against the Persians. It makes sense that in this soldier’s version of events the Spartans would look like gods and the enemies like monsters. It also makes sense that every kill, every murderous act would be lovingly observed and the “glory” of fighting for Sparta would be held in the highest regard. I think you can have a lot of fun with 300 if you approach it as a thinking adult (who, admittedly, enjoys campy dialogue and video game visual aesthetics). The film can work as an example of propaganda or even a satire of fascism. It also works as homoerotic (or in my case straight woman erotic) titillation in the grand old tradition. Mostly, however, it works as good time at the movies entertainment. Sometimes a bit of the old ultra violence is just what the doctor ordered.

So I liked 300 enough to give it 4 almost-naked Spartan soldiers out of 5. What did you think?