300

By Mal -

9 out of 10

A reviewer in the Metro recently slammed 300 as jingoistic, brutal, homophobic and racist. The reviewer was a muppet. I think she forgot to consider the tale being told and the people and times it portrays. Let’s look at the criticisms one at a time:

  • Jingoistic? Yeah, it was conflict-loving, testosterone-fuelled machismo, but that's not jingoism. Only one short scene struck me as having uncomfortable parallels with modern-day over-patriotism. Indeed, the majority of the posturing was brought about only by a desire to defend Sparta, not to play the bully with Persia.
  • Brutal? Yup, it’s a fair cop. But what’s wrong with a bit of the old hack and slash from time to time? :)
  • Homophobic? You what?! This is the least rational of all the criticisms levelled at it. There wasn’t a single reference to homosexuality. Maybe the reviewer objected to this?
  • Finally, racist? Presumably, the reviewer objected to the Persians having darker skin than the Greeks. Hello? That’s simply fact. Potentially moreso in centuries past. Wasn’t Cleopatra — of a similar latitude — black, for example? Maybe I’m wrong on this. If you know better, do leave a comment.

Ok, rant over. By any normal standards, this was ridiculously over the top, macho beefcake nonsense of the sort I would normally avoid... but I loved it. Stylistically, it was an absolute joy. Maybe the story was a little linear and limited in scope, but that was more than made up for by the wealth of action, gorgeous visuals and comic-strip cinematography.

I’ve seen other reviewers complaining that it’s a videogame wannabe. My response: what’s so bad about that? Yes, it’s visually stunning and that’s a large part of its appeal, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy it. In fact, it’s far, far better than the other recent Frank Miller adaptation, Sin City, which somehow garnered better reviews (despite Clive Owen).

Narrated in parts, 300 was brilliantly pitched to conjure up images of its comic book and graphic novel origins. As someone who loves that kind of thing, it was a delight to see it so perfectly captured in live action. And it wasn’t just cartoony — it was the most beautifully rendered thing I’ve seen in a long while. Great stuff.

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