Review: 300
300 by Frank Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
View all my reviews
Warning: "This show contains scenes that some viewers may find disturbing". "Viewer discretion advised."
As is the case of general readers, my introduction to Frank Miller's 300, acclaimed, if historically questionable portrayal of the Battle of Thermopylae came through the Zack Snyder movie of the same name.
The movie, for all its shortcomings and criticisms was one which defined what a faithful adaptation of a graphic novel should be; at least one that is bombastic and action centric. Snyder had cemented his place as a visual direction, with great flair for faithfully transposing comic book panels to live action, without losing the gravitas. And I suppose 300 was the perfect work for him to adapt.
Let's first get the elephant out of the way. As many historians, real and armchair have repeatedly asserted, the events which actually transpired during the Second Persian invasion of Greek differs monumentally from the literary adaptations. To be fair Miller was hardly the first person to buy into the erroneous accounts of the war; it's a misconception which dates as long back to the time when Jacques Louis David drew his brilliant work 'Leonidas at Thermopylae'
Facts: The Spartans did lose. There was no great purpose for their lose other than search for vainglory. Greece was invaded and razed by the Persians. The Greeks won, much later, only to go back to squabbling between nation states, and not the unified bastion of freedom that is portrayed in the book.
And Spartan society wasn't exactly the beacon of progressiveness An complex caste based oligarchy, where the minority held all the power and reaped the benefits of the commons and slaves who grew all the food and made all of their tools. And one which, barely 100 years after this titular battle, themselves sold out to the Persians turning on the resisting Greek Alliance.
Having said all that, damn if Miller's panels don't pop out.
The scenes of war, which make up a good portion of the book, are eye catching, filled to the brim with content, and evokes a sense of gravitas and mythology. And the clarity; war scenes, or scenes with tonnes of bodies moving around tend to make things chaotic. But it doesn't matter if its portraying Spartans vs Persians, Beasts vs men, night battles or suicided charges Miller and colorist Lynn Varley makes sure you never lose your handle of what is taking place centerfold.
The dialogue is quite lean and to the point, each word accentuated, curt and when it's not, it serves to drive home a further theme. I mean, what can I say, the whole thing just screams, Epic.
One major criticism of the Live action movie, is how it portrayed Greeks, as if they were from the British Isles, and the Persian armies as barbaric hordes. There is not as much tonal difference in the comic, with Spartans resembling more like their Mediterranean namesake, with darker hair and skin tone, long braided manes, and a more realistic muscle tone as opposed to the six packed body builders we see on screen.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
View all my reviews
Warning: "This show contains scenes that some viewers may find disturbing". "Viewer discretion advised."
As is the case of general readers, my introduction to Frank Miller's 300, acclaimed, if historically questionable portrayal of the Battle of Thermopylae came through the Zack Snyder movie of the same name.
The movie, for all its shortcomings and criticisms was one which defined what a faithful adaptation of a graphic novel should be; at least one that is bombastic and action centric. Snyder had cemented his place as a visual direction, with great flair for faithfully transposing comic book panels to live action, without losing the gravitas. And I suppose 300 was the perfect work for him to adapt.
Let's first get the elephant out of the way. As many historians, real and armchair have repeatedly asserted, the events which actually transpired during the Second Persian invasion of Greek differs monumentally from the literary adaptations. To be fair Miller was hardly the first person to buy into the erroneous accounts of the war; it's a misconception which dates as long back to the time when Jacques Louis David drew his brilliant work 'Leonidas at Thermopylae'
Facts: The Spartans did lose. There was no great purpose for their lose other than search for vainglory. Greece was invaded and razed by the Persians. The Greeks won, much later, only to go back to squabbling between nation states, and not the unified bastion of freedom that is portrayed in the book.
And Spartan society wasn't exactly the beacon of progressiveness An complex caste based oligarchy, where the minority held all the power and reaped the benefits of the commons and slaves who grew all the food and made all of their tools. And one which, barely 100 years after this titular battle, themselves sold out to the Persians turning on the resisting Greek Alliance.
Having said all that, damn if Miller's panels don't pop out.
The scenes of war, which make up a good portion of the book, are eye catching, filled to the brim with content, and evokes a sense of gravitas and mythology. And the clarity; war scenes, or scenes with tonnes of bodies moving around tend to make things chaotic. But it doesn't matter if its portraying Spartans vs Persians, Beasts vs men, night battles or suicided charges Miller and colorist Lynn Varley makes sure you never lose your handle of what is taking place centerfold.
The dialogue is quite lean and to the point, each word accentuated, curt and when it's not, it serves to drive home a further theme. I mean, what can I say, the whole thing just screams, Epic.
One major criticism of the Live action movie, is how it portrayed Greeks, as if they were from the British Isles, and the Persian armies as barbaric hordes. There is not as much tonal difference in the comic, with Spartans resembling more like their Mediterranean namesake, with darker hair and skin tone, long braided manes, and a more realistic muscle tone as opposed to the six packed body builders we see on screen.
Homoeroticism; Subtext; Denial; Repression
Holy Homoeroticisms Batman! Better not delve deep into the hypermasculinity, hyperviolent, hypersexualized, literal Greek demigod like portrayal of the 300 Spartans. Only, one cannot do justice to reviewing the work, without making mention of what is all up front and in your face (pun intended).
While the movie chose to at least cover up the privates of the Spartans with what passed as a Hellenic version of a speedo, Frank Miller has opted to do away with even that, with Spartans bearing it all in the open, and preferring a much 'Free style' means of warfare. How those dangly bits didn't affect the center of gravity while thrusting their spears (intended) Zeus only knows.
Even outside of battles, the general shot composition, positioning and countenance of the Spartans in everyday life, and the way in which they're interacting with their battle brothers, has strong undertones of the paederasty which was common during the era. And boy, once that switch flips, good luck trying NOT to view each dialogue and interaction through the lens of double entrendre.
But despite all the shortcomings, 300 delivers on its premise; a hard hitting Herculean tale of honor, camaraderie and resistance in face of insurmountable odds. The caveat being, turn off the armchair historian inside you (intended) and view this with as much creative leeway, you would afford any other Greek Myth, filled with grandiose narratives, with little relation to reality or history.
View all my reviews
Holy Homoeroticisms Batman! Better not delve deep into the hypermasculinity, hyperviolent, hypersexualized, literal Greek demigod like portrayal of the 300 Spartans. Only, one cannot do justice to reviewing the work, without making mention of what is all up front and in your face (pun intended).
While the movie chose to at least cover up the privates of the Spartans with what passed as a Hellenic version of a speedo, Frank Miller has opted to do away with even that, with Spartans bearing it all in the open, and preferring a much 'Free style' means of warfare. How those dangly bits didn't affect the center of gravity while thrusting their spears (intended) Zeus only knows.
Even outside of battles, the general shot composition, positioning and countenance of the Spartans in everyday life, and the way in which they're interacting with their battle brothers, has strong undertones of the paederasty which was common during the era. And boy, once that switch flips, good luck trying NOT to view each dialogue and interaction through the lens of double entrendre.
But despite all the shortcomings, 300 delivers on its premise; a hard hitting Herculean tale of honor, camaraderie and resistance in face of insurmountable odds. The caveat being, turn off the armchair historian inside you (intended) and view this with as much creative leeway, you would afford any other Greek Myth, filled with grandiose narratives, with little relation to reality or history.
View all my reviews
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