300: Teenage Testosterone or Political Polemic?
Matthew:
March 28th, 2007
I saw the much anticipated Spartan epic ‘300’ last weekend. Although I enjoyed the spectacle of shiny, muscular men slicing up evil Arabs with little more than a loin cloth and cape to preserve their dignity, I came away feeling like I may as well not have bothered. There were some impressively choreographed fight scenes and some suitably grotesque imagery (lifted straight from the comic), but not enough to compensate for the lack of plot or characters.
Although one could not fail to be impressed by the condition of the Spartans’ pectoral muscles, it is not without wondering whether it might not have been prudent to cover them with a breastplate instead of thrusting the bare flesh at the horde’s scimitars.
The film seems to have attracted as much criticism for its perceived political angle as for its failure to excite any sense of pathos. To those bleating about how it unjustly portrays the Persian Army (modern day Iran, not Iraq as many have posited) I say; lighten up. This is the cinematic equivalent of a comic. There is no serious political argument underwriting the film. Take it for what it is, which is nothing more than the wet dream of teenager with an interest in ancient history and a flair for CG.