Credit: www.impawards.com
Director:
Zack Snyder
Cast:
Gerard Butler……….King Leonidas
Lena Headey……….Queen Gorgo
Dominic West……….Theron
David Wenham……….Dilios
Vincent Regan……….Captain
Michael Fassbender……….Stelios
Tom Wisdom……….Astinos
Andrew Pleavin……….Daxos
Andrew Tiernan……….Ephialtes
Rodrigo Santoro……….Xerxes
Giovani Antonio Cimmino……….Pleistarchos
Stephen McHattie……….Loyalist
Greg Kramer……….Ephor #1
Alex Ivanovici……….Ephor #2
Kelly Craig……….Oracle Girl
Those looking for violence without a plot should look elsewhere than to 300. The film brags about buckets of blood but there is a purpose to every drop spilled. Yet it lacks the emotional gravity of its brethren. Even the most intense, meaningful battles don’t draw a true emotional response since the desire to be attached to them is great.
300 is the film incarnation of the graphic novel of the same name by Frank Miller of Sin City fame. Framed over the battle of Thermopylae between 300 Spartans and a massive Persian army, the film is more style than substance.
It will be a long time before something like 300 burns such fantastic imagery into our retinas again. Not that it should come as any surprise, as the film was shot in front of a blue screen ala Sin City and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, but it is unfortunate that 300 will likely be forgotten by the end of this year as it provides a unique movie-going experience. Credit that to exceptional cinematography and excellent special effects work. It is irrelevant how plausible or realistic the action is when it feels so immediate. Zach Snyder creates an atmosphere that is electric, but it nearly comes undone on occasion by the acting.
Gerard Butler, who plays the Spartan King Leonidas, and the cast’s acting swings drastically between hammy and non-existent for large parts of the film. The cast looking either lost or over-eager at various points is unwelcome considering what can be done in the genre. One can not begrudge the cast for trying to add to the gravitas of the situation. It would be unfair, however, to suggest that the cast is not game for the festivities. Those are very entertaining.
Of course, that all means nothing without at least a functional plot, in this case one which is well-served by a minimalist approach. Little time is spent dealing with the bureaucratic happenings in Sparta and the time that is spent there helps emphasize the reason Leonidas’ army is fighting in the first place. Honor, freedom, and glory are a few words that 300 might fire high like arrows blotting out the sun.
Beyond those surface motives, one has to search for less cliche convictions from the film. Fortunately each major character seems to have direction and his or her own specific moral fiber. It is noteworthy to mention that when men are away the women in Sparta are more than capable of holding down the home front. That story element is both encouraging and logical as a community focused on developing warriors would necessitate strong women. It is a happy surprise to see such depth in the female lead of a movie so full of testosterone. It adds another perspective to a film that is essentially a celebration of manliness.
Why does 300 fail to tap into deeper emotional feelings than the requisite testosterone and aggression? Perhaps it was too much of a diversion from typical gladiator fair. It is inarguable that 300 is a work of art, and as such pretty to look at, but ultimately there’s a broader disconnect between its style and its substance.
