300

Let's start with the good points: 300 is a visual orgasm, wonderfully imagined and perfectly executed with loud colors and bloody, gory battle scenes. But, as a movie that tries to be innovative, you need to be unique in more than just the visual aspect. You also need to create an original screenplay. 300 does a marvelous job with the visuals but fails with the written word (which is undeniably the most important step to film making). As you see the story unfold, you are taken into a world that somewhat wants to express an idea of honor, courage and glory, but you don't sense that within the characters. Yes, a certain passion is seen and heard but the connection and attachment of the actors with the audience is just not at the level of the artistic work that was put behind this film.

Based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller, 300 tells the story of a battle that occurred more than two thousand years ago which we know mostly through Herodotus, whose histories have been scrutinized for centuries. History buffs should not be offended. This is the kind of film that causes serious geeking out. And the film is deliciously excessive. There's just something about bodies being used to build a wall that is so utterly wonderful. The crimson capes of the Spartans are electric and shimmering. The gore gets a wonderful spin, splashing against the background like messy paint strokes (which must have kept the special effects department busy because there's tons of it!). The battles and the camera work can easily be compared to The Matrix but it seems the only thing it really has in common with that film is the appeal to the visual sense. Director Zack Snyder utilizes the slow-motion/fast-motion editing that became wildly popular thanks to The Matrix but the similiarities end there. The fighting formations, the wild villains and especially the battle rhinos and elephants would be ridiculous by any standards except that this is 300 and this is based on a graphic comic and so they are delightful.

But still, this is Frank Miller and if we are to believe his interpretation then Xerxes was a nine foot tall, golden hued androgen with pierced flesh. The dialogue is peppered with lines that you'll love ("This is Sparta!") although at times it is hilariously pompous. It's all wonderful to a certain extent: the sadistic violence, debauchery, crunching metal mixed with Gregorian chanting and ridiculous imagery (and I use the word ridiculous in the best possible sense of the word). Still, the weakness is in the writing, not just int he dialouge but also in the fact that for a group of people that supposedly treat all people as equal, it just seems wrong that they would kill unwanted babies, something explicitly expounded upon in the films prologue. Though the characters talk about the wonders of democracy and freedom, everything about the film actually makes a case for military fascism.

Still, take all of this with a grain of salt. Don't take the movie too seriously, maybe. The imagery is astounding, the cinematography is a dream and the acting is powerful (especially from Gerard Butler and Michael Fassbender). It's gritty and raw and isn't afraid to throw body parts and limbs at you. As much as the movie is enjoyable, it's also a tad disappointing. It's surely a pleasure for your eyes but not necessarily for your heart.

Grade: B