As a Persian, I watched 300 and...

[SMillard]

as already stated the visualizations were exaggerated to make the Persians look more mancing and "evil" and the "righteous" Spartans as more physically pure. First off in stress situations people tend to "witness" exaggerated versions of what really happened, hence why so many times witnesses' accounts aren't always reliable, secondly when it's a retelling by a third party the truth gets even more distorted.

I don't know why it would be banned in Iran, it was story about pre-islamic cultures, I thought everything before Islam was 'wrong" and everything after was "right". I think it kind of sticks in the craw of a lot of Persians the way history went down between them and the Greeks. I've always found the arrogance of both Persians and Greeks about the whole "we were civilized while your ancestors were wearing animal skins living in caves" a little comical. Hanging your hat on the accomplishments of people from a couple thousand years ago seems pretty lame.

 

[europe1]

Basically a film with an obviously idealised look to it that makes reference to the way the ancient greeks actually idealised themselves.

Well... sure the Greeks may have idealized chisled bodies. But beyond that I don't think there is much in 300 that could be termed as self-idealization.

If you read people like Herodotus -- who wrote the Histories of the Persian Wars, they Greeks seem a hell of a lot more level-headed about themselves and "human" (for lack of a better term) than they appear in 300. And they are actually -- at points -- very complimentary towards their Persian opponents regarding their valor and prowess in combat (though maybe not so to the auxiliary forces and Xerxes himself).

 

[j123]

... Persian immortals were so fictionalized in Japanese armors and scream style masks while being deformed demons and having that crazy monster but it was fun to watch.

I think they tried to show their conquest reach by having different countries drafted into the ranks. Implied to take over areas in China or whatever.

The Spartans didn't fight barechested either. They had armor. They would've been a lot smaller with less muscle. And the movie left out the gay relationships between boys and men.

There's a scene where they travel through the winter while dressed like playboy playmates. Anyone who buys that is missing some braincells

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

So you're telling me 300 wasn't accurate?

Xerxes didn't walk around in a gold speedo with nipple rings?

Well the Persians did get their shit pushed in in Greece, though.

 

[robotsonic]

The whole point of the movie is that it is narrated by the character at the end, and he is massively overselling what happened during Thermopylae, it's the whole unreliable narrator thing at work. There's major hints towards it, when the rhino charges the Spartans the dude describes it as some gigantic raging monster (because he's likely never seen a Rhino before).

I never understood why people don't get that, it's made a lot clearer in the graphic novel IIRC.

 

[revoltub]

TS did you see the sequel?

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

In the West Leonidas, and the Spartans are the heroes, and the Persians are the villains. But in real life the the Persian Empire at the time was the shining beacon of righteousness, no the Greeks.

Whats this chinese empire one?

Lol no absolutely not.

 

[Rod1]

300 gets a hell of a lot funnier when you read that Zack Snyder apperently thinks that it's about 90% accurate to what happened.

That sounds a lot like Trump.

 

[Deleted member 110072]

Well... sure the Greeks may have idealized chisled bodies. But beyond that I don't think there is much in 300 that could be termed as self-idealization.

If you read people like Herodotus -- who wrote the Histories of the Persian Wars, they Greeks seem a hell of a lot more level-headed about themselves and "human" (for lack of a better term) than they appear in 300. And they are actually -- at points -- very complimentary towards their Persian opponents regarding their valor and prowess in combat (though maybe not so to the auxiliary forces and Xerxes himself).

I wouldn't disagree there but I'm talking specifically about the looks which were commented on, in that respect I think things fell back into the standard "action films are homoerotic" line of criticism a bit too easily.

 

[blaseblah]

To be fair though this is one aspect a lot of the criticism of the film seemed a bit wide on, I mean yeah its obviously not at all realistic but rather than some modern homoeroticism as claimed its obviously making reference to greek art/statues that are typically wearing few or no clothing. Basically a film with an idealised look to it that makes reference to the way the ancient greeks actually idealised themselves.

I would generally tend to agree that its far too cartoonish a film to really get THAT upset about.

Those Greek statues aren't portraying warriors though. I mean we do nude paintings as well, doesn't mean that's what the army looks like.

 

[Ogata]

I think they tried to show their conquest reach by having different countries drafted into the ranks. Implied to take over areas in China or whatever.


There's a scene where they travel through the winter while dressed like playboy playmates. Anyone who buys that is missing some braincells

To be a Persian immortal you must be a Persian born and at that time. Persians were not using Asian armours.

I also didn't get that monster. That would work if this was a Viking army but Persians had no berserker units. Thus that monster should not have been participating.

Cool looking army. Way more badass than the real Persian immortals but super unrealistic and not necessarily.

TS did you see the sequel?

I did.

 

[Bob Gray]

I don't know why they went with Miller's graphic novel version, the real story is fantastic enough without a fucking 12 foot gay guy, giant elephants and the hunchback of Notre Dame

Because it made a like 47 trillion dollars

 

[SmilinDesperado]

Because it made a like 47 trillion dollars

It needed a giant gay King, giant elephants, and quasimodo to be a success?
It would have done just fine without the fantasy elements, imo

 

[Ken Fresno]

You gotta remember that’s it’s a story told to the Spartans, by a Spartan, memorializing Spartans. Obviously he’ll embellish the ferocity and decadence of the enemy to make his own people look even more bad ass and righteous.

This. They make it pretty clear that it's a re-enactment of an old war story, not actual footage of the events. Not sure why anyone would obsess over the historical accuracy.

 

[revoltub]

To be a Persian immortal you must be a Persian born and at that time. Persians were not using Asian armours.

I also didn't get that monster. That would work if this was a Viking army but Persians had no berserker units. Thus that monster should not have been participating.

Cool looking army. Way more badass than the real Persian immortals but super unrealistic and not necessarily.



I did.

What did you think of them explaining Xerxes appearence as a demonic transformation?

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

The whole point of the movie is that it is narrated by the character at the end, and he is massively overselling what happened during Thermopylae, it's the whole unreliable narrator thing at work. There's major hints towards it, when the rhino charges the Spartans the dude describes it as some gigantic raging monster (because he's likely never seen a Rhino before).

I never understood why people don't get that, it's made a lot clearer in the graphic novel IIRC.

That's an interesting POV.

I just never took issue with all that because it is clearly exagerated on purpose, and halfway a cartoon.

And BTW if I am not mistaken, most of that movie is kind of accurate in terms of the main sequence of events, quotes, etc.

What this movie misleads a bit is the importance of this battle. It didn't change shit. IIRC Herodotus talks 1 to 2 pages max in his book.

 

[Ogata]

What did you think of them explaining Xerxes appearence as a demonic transformation?

I didn't get that part despite looking at it from a prospective of believing in yoga powers and ancient esoterc arts. Like ok what the hell was the point of it?

It' not like he got faster or stronger than before. It was straight up weird as hell.

 

[Eazy123]

We get it.

You're Persian.

 

[ShinkanPo]

It was such a confusing movie. It is banned in Iran but I don't understand! It was so over the top that its hardly worth getting upset over. I mean, the Persian immortals seemed like some anime horror army.

Also, the only human looking Persian was the black dude that got kicked in the hole. Funny thing is, the Persian immortals look more badass in the movie than in real life who had beards/no mask and colorful uniforms. In real life, most of them looked like Gerard Butlers character except smaller.

I know I am late to the party, but a third movie is on the way which evolves the Chinese empire, so I thought I would watch to see how it made me feel. I don't really understand why the Persian immortals were so fictionalized in Japanese armors and scream style masks while being deformed demons and having that crazy monster but it was fun to watch.

Its a horrible movie over hyped for the little boys who wants to see screaming muscle bound men for an hour

 

[Deleted member 110072]

Those Greek statues aren't portraying warriors though. I mean we do nude paintings as well, doesn't mean that's what the army looks like.

Many of them are actually(such as the Riace bronzes), not a realistic protrayals of course but idealised warriors.