Directed by:
Zack SnyderCinematography:
Larry FongComposer:
Tyler BatesCast:
Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, Vincent Regan, Rodrigo Santoro, Andrew Tiernan, Isabelle Champeau, Michael Fassbender, Peter Mensah (more)VOD (3)
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The epic graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City) assaults the screen with the blood, thunder and awe of its ferocious visual style faithfully recreated in an intense blend of live-action and CGI animation. Retelling the ancient Battle of Thermopylae, it depicts the titanic clash in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his massive Persian army. Experience history at swordpoint. And moviemaking with a cutting edge. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (16)
Thanks to the fact that I didn't let myself get overly hyped, despite the excellent trailers, I was able to watch 300 as an unbiased viewer, expecting a quality spectacle with good action – and to my great surprise, I got much more. An amazing film with one of the best visual aspects in recent years. The moment Gerard Butler appeared as the fierce Leonidas, even I, an old cynic, fell in love with Sparta and rooted for them as much as I could, even though I knew how it would probably end, thanks to history and logic. Of course, I have to agree with all the criticisms regarding the overall fascist tone of the story about a "strong, unyielding nation," but for me, the tale of unbreakable warrior discipline remains a story of heroism and determination. As for the visuals, 300 proved that slow-motion shots of blood and warriors can be captivating, even if we've seen a similar scene in a film countless times before. Both battles with the Immortals, the iconic fall into the gorge, and the final spear throw and arrow rain are unforgettable and, as cinematography showed, themselves undefeatable.
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The missing color of the palette of historical movie varieties has been put in its place. Thanks to Frank Miller’s imagination we can see the reflection of times so distant for us that we know about them only from myths. But it would be incorrect to call 300 a historical movie. It really would. It is more of an attempt at balancing a fantasy and a story based on true events. This was exactly what Snyder realized and he was able to capture that balance that thanks to the technology he used. With a huge support of the cast, mainly the flawless Gerard Butler and the excellent to gigantic Rodrigo Santoro. I was so looking forward to it and I wasn’t disappointed one bit. Tell them in Lacedaemon, passerby: carrying out their orders, here we lie. I’ll never forget how I felt when leaving the movie theater after seeing 300.
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I really like Zack Snyder for Watchmen and Dawn of the Dead (and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole and Suckerpunch look very promising, too), but 300 is unfortunately a very big misstep. A visually fancy historical carnage (a bit too digital and artificial for my taste) that to it’s own chagrin takes itself way too seriously. Gerard Butler is one of the least likeable actors and his heroic speeches almost made me burst out laughing. This is not Sparta, this is a bad joke.
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I would like to paraphrase a sentence uttered in the film itself: "My eyes saw a grotesque spectacle summoned from the darkest corners of Miller's strange soul." The rape of history under the guise of a comic adaptation (under which everything is tolerated nowadays, perhaps even if someone made Němcová's Grandmother a dominatrix in a S&M parlour), the fanatically stubborn (though undeniably charismatic) Leonidas, who reminded me of another fanatic, Hoferik from Signum Laudis, so I certainly wouldn't want him as a king, and the slow-motion shots in the second half with their increasing frequency bored me to death. If, given the high box office returns, this empty and narcissistic affair will set the course for the future of the film industry, then we have no choice but to shout "Gott mit uns!" I'm not sure if sentences like "...I felt like smashing someone's face in after the movie was over..." is the right emotion to take away from a film, but I have no doubt that for angry young teens, this will be the best movie of their short lives so far :)
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For me, a completely indigestible mix of pathos, stupid dialogues and a pseudo-art image, which, apart from rich colors and slow-motion, offers nothing more interesting than bricks of soaked Spartans and a nice composition here and there. Snyder is an absolute maniac, who, more than the narrative itself, is driven by various effects, accessories and frills, because of which, from my point of view, the film has no tempo, explosiveness or even meaning. Impactful comic book bullshit about freedom and building speeches, in the style of the last battle ignited me, endlessly irritate, and the action scenes bore me with their sterility and the absence of a decent choreographic idea. Any way I look at it, it’s a truly idiotic work, probably only good for making fighting slogans for hockey teams.
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Gallery (109)
Photo © Warner Bros.
![300 - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/000/163/163588_3d2208.jpg)
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