300

Posted by Greg

February 28, 2008

Prepare for Gory

*** out of *****

There have been plenty of comic book-to-film translations since the medium was invented just over a hundred years ago - Tarzan, Zorro and The Phantom were some of the earliest - but for the most part, films based on graphical adventures have been more ‘inspired’ by them than anything else, with liberties often taken with plot, characterizations, dialogue, design etc. 300 represents the current nadir of what I’m going to boldly proclaim is nearly an entire new film genre - the direct page-to-screen adaptation.

Director Zack Snyder (who made badass Dawn of the Dead remake) uses Frank Miller’s graphic novel to directly influence the dialogue, storyboards, framing, character design and even the shape of blood spurting across the screen (scanned and 3D-ified by CG artists). It’s a bold move and one could argue that when making a film like this, the resulting movie is only as good as the original comic. In this case, 300 is really good but not great; a two-hour fight scene intercut with scenes of political intrigue that seem a bit out of place.

The story concerns the real-life Battle of Thermopylae in 480BC, where 300 Spartans attempted to head off the advancing Persian army, which numbered in the hundreds of thousands. History tells that the Spartans - although ultimately slaughtered - gave the Persians such an ass-whooping that it inspired the surrounding states to think long and hard about bowing to Persian rule, playing a part in their eventual retreat and the ultimate emergence of Grecian democracy.

Denied an army by the corrupt priests who hold sway over the senate, King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) realizes that he must make a stand against the approaching Persians. He takes 300 volunteers to face them, all Spartan warriors trained to fight since before they could walk, while his wife, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) is left behind to try to sway the mind of the Senate. With his small but loyal army at his side, Leonidas attempts to funnel the Persians through a narrow pass, which is where they hold back wave after wave of the advancing army for three days before finally being outnumbered.

What follows is basically a lot of shouting and fighting, but what Snyder has done is turned each frame into a stunningly beautiful piece of oil-on-canvas art. Shot entirely in front of green-screens on a Montreal stage, nearly every background element - from setting sun to crashing waves to fields of grain - was added by computer artists. It’s a stunning achievement in the look of a film. Detractors have said that it’s unnatural and doesn’t ring true, but they’re missing the point; 300 isn’t a re-telling of the Battle of Thermopylae; it’s a live-action version of a comic book which is based on that legend. It’s meant simply to be a moving ode to the comic, and it sure is beautiful to look at. Coffee-coloured clouds swirl in the sky and slow-motion shots of leaping warriors and flying blood are spread liberally throughout.

Artistic interpretations are done with glee - from grotesque freaks that belong in a Star Wars movie to a 9-foot tall interpretation of Persian King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro, complete with souped-up baritone voice). Style over substance with a heavy-metal soundtrack.

Butler was the perfect choice for Leonidas. He displays a real leadership quality here, being both authoritative and funny in turns. Headey is good as Queen Gorgo and although her part is small, she comes off as the only woman that could give Leonidas a run for his money. Santoro is mesmerizing as Xerxes - although only onscreen for a few minutes, his makeup, costume, voice and slightly tweaked accent make him a very memorable character.

The rest of the cast are mostly cloaked in red and hidden under helmets, so their parts are hard to distinguish as separate roles. However - and I say this as a guy who loves women - they do look like an incredibly badass army, with some of the most beautifully ripped bodies you could imagine. Seeing these guys running toward you, screaming and with swords raised would sure make you reconsider your career choice as a soldier. I can only imagine the workout regimen the actors had to go through.

Historically inaccurate but artistically beautiful, 300 is a movie that makes no excuses for what it is - a movie version of a comic book whose sole purpose is to thrill and entertain, which is what it does. It won’t win any awards for dialogue or storytelling, but it more than makes up for that in badass vibes and artistic creativity. If you don’t feel like hitting the gym and listening to “Eye of the Tiger” after the lights come up, you may need a shot of vitamin D.

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