300 Ban?

[Wednesday]

I haven't seen it, mainly because I hate watching historical movies made by Hollywood. You see I'm History Major and just happen to be also a huge history nerd. I'm very sensitive about historical accuracy of movies and books. I'll just end up nit - picking the movie for historical facts for days. I'm pathetic, I know.

 

[Futuwwa]

Just sit back and enjoy rather than searching for hidden meaning and things that might offend you

That would be true as long as we are talking about making parallells with contemporary politics. However, the fact that the movie deliberately misportrayed the Achaemenid Persians is not a "hidden meaning", it is an objective historical fact.

There is little reason to believe that the movie is made with demonizing intent. After all, its depiction of the Persians is so silly that it is impossible to take it seriously. If demonization would have been the intent, it could have been achieved much more efficiently by making it appear historically accurate overall but sneak in deliberate inaccuracies. As it is said, the devil is in the details.

However, even if not to be taken seriously, the movie can rightly been regarded as an insult against things Persian, and if I were a Persian national, I might find the movie insulting too.

 

[DaisyRose]

I haven't seen it, mainly because I hate watching historical movies made by Hollywood. You see I'm History Major and just happen to be also a huge history nerd. I'm very sensitive about historical accuracy of movies and books. I'll just end up nit - picking the movie for historical facts for days. I'm pathetic, I know.

hehe I know what you mean!I studying film, have beein for the last 3 years, and I really find it hard to watch a film without disecting why, how, etc. But as I posted on the page before this one, sometimes i just wana watch the film for the entertainment value that they are effectively intended to provide (obviously some films are purposefully made to be controversial and 'shocking' ) but to be honest I wouldn't say that 300 is an entirely historical film because, like all films trying to depict events that are supposed to have happened, they do embellish and probably exaggerate the the actuall events. But I do think you're right;because you're a history major you would, through no fault of your own, wana make sure that it is acurate in it's depiction. hehe no shame in that tho ay!! hehe

 

[Wednesday]

Oh my word, I just realised that my post sounded like fundie's

 

[DaisyRose]

That would be true as long as we are talking about making parallells with contemporary politics. However, the fact that the movie deliberately misportrayed the Achaemenid Persians is not a "hidden meaning", it is an objective historical fact.

However, even if not to be taken seriously, the movie can rightly been regarded as an insult against things Persian, and if I were a Persian national, I might find the movie insulting too.

Yeh I do understand what you're saying, and as I know nothing about the actual historical events that are depicted I can't really made a valid contribution about it's depiction hehe . I was just trying to say (through knowledge of film in general- not that my knowledge may be very much atal all ) it's a bit like chinese whispers - things get exaggerated through time and films will always be in favour of one point of view if you know what i mean :S lol...If people have told this story through years, then some things will have been changed, exaggerated and people will inevitably be biased. I am not by any means trying to say you're wrong because I don't think that you are. I'm just trying to explain why the film may have been made the way it was. no offence intended at all.

 

[Maren]

I haven't seen it, mainly because I hate watching historical movies made by Hollywood. You see I'm History Major and just happen to be also a huge history nerd. I'm very sensitive about historical accuracy of movies and books. I'll just end up nit - picking the movie for historical facts for days. I'm pathetic, I know.

I'm curious if you've heard of the HBO miniseries John Adams that starts this weekend, or about it's historical accuracy?

 

[Bombila]

Excellent movie, although I'm not too sure what it was about. I was too busy being distracted by the scantily-clad gorgeous hunks, and the overall homoerocity (is that even a word?) of the film. *drool*

If you mean 'homerocity' to be a compound of 'homoerotic' and 'ferocity', than yes. ;-)

But I do understand the complaint about the comic book style portrayal of the 'demonic' Persians. The makers of the film may not have even considered it, though, as American films frequently play fast and loose with history, often raising the ire of other nations by claiming some film to be 'historic', when it is actually 'making stuff up to glorify imaginary American heros'. The Enigma Machine movie is a classic example of that genre. I found that movie deeply annoying.

 

[vajradhara]

. What is so offensive about the ideas presented in the movie?

some folks just don't like freedom, what more need be said?

metta,

~v

 

[Verv]

There is a lot of conservative quotes from both Frank Miller and Zack Snyder:

From that same terrible L.A. Times article cited earlier comes these two terrific quotes. First, 300 director Zack Snyder:

“When someone in a movie says, ‘We’re going to fight for freedom,’ that’s now a dirty word,” Snyder told Entertainment Weekly. “Europeans totally feel that way. If you mention democracy or freedom, you’re an imperialist or a fascist. That’s crazy to me.”
​

300 creator, Frank Miller:

On NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” last month he expressed his dismay about the “state of the home front” and his disappointment at the fact that “nobody seems to be talking about who we’re up against — and the 6th century barbarism that they” — by which he meant not just terrorists, but entire civilizations — “actually represent.” (He also, incidentally, quoted philosopher Will Durant’s line — “A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within” — which opened “Apocalypto,” another movie that was either a comment on our current political situation — or not.)
​

From the blog Libertas

It is easy to find stuff like this. It is clear what the symbolize was potentially.

 

[talkingmonkey]

After reading these replies, it seems that very little of you snapperheads understand the intention of the film.

It's a transcript of Frank Miller's graphic novel of the same name.
Do you notice how Sin City didn't seem all that realistic..and somewhat comic book like...and, well, offensive in many ways?

His works involve real-life parallels, which seem to touch people's nerves. But when it comes to the nightly news...no-one says a thing.

Have a look at this:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Terror%2C_Batman%21

All I say is thank God the Iranians didn't put a reward on Miller's head for characturising the Persians....You know, like the Danish guy that started the riots with his cartoon?

Anyway, gotta go. Going to watch Miami Vice... WHICH IS SOOOO TOTALLY UNREALISTIC. AS IF COLIN FARRELL WOULD EVER BE A COP. LIKE YEAH AND THEY LIKE HAVE A FERRARI AND STUFF THAT THEY DRIVE>

 

[KhlulHloo]

300- a 116 minute piece of eye candy that would have only been 45 minutes long if not for the overdone and stupidly overblown s-l-o-w-m-o-t-i-o-n-s-h-o-t-s.

Trust me, down here boredom is an everyday affair. But when a movie makes you wish you were back watching deep water ocean currents, that says something

Besides that, I got no opinion. Interpret it however you want, just like people did with the Matrix.

 

[Ryal Kane]

Keep in mind that 300 is a movie, based on a graphic novel, which was based on another movie which in turn was based on a 1700 year old story.

It's so over the top that one would think that no-one would mistake it for historical reality but I guess it shows you can never overestimate audiences.

I find it interesting that some Iranian groups are so offended by it. If anything, they could take the film as an example of a small, determined group fighting against a huge number of well equipped enemy. Remember, everyone thinks that they're the good guys.

 

[NPH]

... and talking in EVE local while mining, ...

I have tried twice now to play EVE because it seems so darned interesting, but jeez it's got a steep learning curve. Maybe one of these days

 

[Gareth]

The Persians in the movie have been mythologized, just like the wolf, the rhino and the elephants. It's actually very well done; the movie is, after all, narrated by someone who had never seen those creatures or that people before; what was shown on the screen looked very much like someone would describe those things after having seen them for the first time in those conditions.

If people are offended by 300, they need to get a sense of perspective and some self-distance.

Agreed. I haven't seen the film so like others can't pass judgement, but, people tend to have short memories when it comes to films. Not so long ago there was great uproar in the US on the content of films. A moratorium was called for these types of films and more family oriented themes were called for. It lasted for only a short while when someone released a violent film and we were back where we started from.

Interestingly, now showing my age, the original film was called 300 Spartans or similar. The ending was probably the same as the new film, they all die, but the schpeel at the end said on the lines of, " the gallantry of these brave men give hope to all freedom fighters everywhere. " One persons freedom fighter is another persons terrorist.

 

[peter22]

It's funny how Americans identify with the Spartans in 300. Sorry guys, you're the overwhelming juggernaut trying to enforce your imperialistic ambitions on soveriegn nations- you're the Persians!

 

[Wednesday]

I'm curious if you've heard of the HBO miniseries John Adams that starts this weekend, or about it's historical accuracy?

I've heard of it, I don't think that we are going to get it, but I so want to see it.

 

[LouTheWicked]

Damn good entertainment though, despite any historical inaccuracies. I do loves me some blood 'n' gore.

 

[TheManeki]

300- a 116 minute piece of eye candy that would have only been 45 minutes long if not for the overdone and stupidly overblown s-l-o-w-m-o-t-i-o-n-s-h-o-t-s.

Trust me, down here boredom is an everyday affair. But when a movie makes you wish you were back watching deep water ocean currents, that says something

Besides that, I got no opinion. Interpret it however you want, just like people did with the Matrix.

Well, they can't all be Dagon, can they?

 

[Quintessence]

There are a lot of movies out there that are a lot worse than "300". It's not very historically accurate, but it's not based on history, it's based on a comic book.

 

[Futuwwa]

It's funny how Americans identify with the Spartans in 300. Sorry guys, you're the overwhelming juggernaut trying to enforce your imperialistic ambitions on soveriegn nations- you're the Persians!

Except that while the Achaemenid Persian Empire was a multicultural construct which allowed every conquered people to keep its ways, the American Empire is determined to make all like it: Freedom, SUVs and BigMacs for everyone