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Directed By
Zack Snyder
Written By:
Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad
Cast:
Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Dominic West, David Wenham, Vincent Regan, Andrew Tiernan, Rodrigo Santoro, Stephen McHattie, Andrew Pleavin, Tom Wisdom, Michael Fassbender, Greg Kramer, Alex Ivanovici, Kelly Craig, Giovani Cimmino
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300 (2007)
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Movie Review by Matthew 
March 16th, 2007
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295
"300", the new film based on a graphic novel by Frank Miller ("Sin City"), is easily one of the most interesting and visual films I have ever seen. Lots of time and effort went into creating a unique and stylized look for the film. Generally, when this happens, the director and production team have little energy, time left for things like story and character development. But writer – director Zack Snyder ("Dawn of the Dead (2004)") has also adapted an interesting and involving story from the celebrated graphic novelist's work.
King Leonidas (Gerard Butler, "Andrew Lloyd Weber's The Phantom of the Opera", "Dear Frankie"), fearless leader of the Spartans, receives a messenger from King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro, "Love, Actually", TV's "Lost"), the king of Persia and ruler of all Asia. "Surrender to him and you can keep your kingdom". Leonidas doesn't know the meaning of the word "surrender" and, against the wishes of the elders, amasses an army of 300 of his fiercest warriors to do battle with Xerxes' army of tens of thousands. Sounds like a fair match to Leonidas. They know of a small valley leading through two mountain passes and intend to use this as a bottleneck for the enemy, picking them off slowly and surely. His Queen, Gorgo (Lena Headey, "The Brothers' Grimm", "Ripley's Game"), stays behind and tries to convince the council to send a full army, to back up her husband. Dilios (David Wenham, "The Proposition", "Lord of the Rings"), a warrior who also serves as an oral historiographer, narrates the story and helps to ensure the legend will live on.
Written and directed by Snyder and based on Miller's story, "300" has one of the most interesting, and consistent visual looks I have ever seen in a film. The filmmakers have gone to great pains to recreate the look of Miller's art; most, if not all, of the film was shot in front of a blue screen with the backgrounds and physical locations added later, allowing them to give the film an artistic look. Throughout the film, this adds a touch of drama to the look and feel of the story. Leonidas marches up stairs to a temple on a mountaintop, the full moon sitting directly behind it (a truly beautiful image) and this would never have been possible with sets and other forms of traditional filmmaking. In a prologue, we learn how Leonidas fought a wolf. The wolf, a creation of CGI, is, nonetheless, very fearsome. As the two creatures circle one another, snow falls on the barren mountain, providing one of the most 'graphic novel-like' images in the film. As the 300 warriors move off to do battle, they walk through a field of grain waving in the wind. As they battle, we see brief snippets of their confrontations with various creatures, all of which is depicted in a way that can be rightfully described as beautiful. As much as a film with so much violence, blood and gore can be, "300" is a beautiful film to watch.
This technique of shooting the film almost entirely in front of a blue screen has been used before ("Sin City", also based on a Frank Miller graphic novel) and seems to lend itself well to this style of filmmaking. The difference between the two films is "300" does not have comic book panels and tries to depict the legend of the Battle of Thermopylae in a way befitting a legend. Don't get me wrong. I loved "Sin City"; it is one of my favorite films, "300" is also very good, but "300" is shot in a way that reminds me of an artist painting on a canvas. The backgrounds and the settings are all created by computers and through special effects and the filmmakers have gone to great lengths to make them appear both painterly and different. Because this story is basically based on a legend, this style fits. Everything appears realistic, but also exaggerated, much like a myth or legend would be; it contains some elements of truth, but over the years, many parts of the story have been enhanced.
Most films filled with special effects are missing some important key elements; a story, character development and people and things to care about. I am happy to say that "300" has these elements. I went to see the film with a friend of mine and the first thing he said as we left the theater was "That had a really good story", as though he was surprised. And he had every right to be. Most big budget films filled with special effects have at least one weak element, the story. "300" follows the legend of King Leonidas and the events leading to the Battle of Thermopylae. Did this story actually happen? Maybe, but it has become more of a legend or myth at this point and the story is grand enough to fit the subject matter. The film begins with Delios recounting the birth and childhood of the boy who would become King Leonidas.
It won't fit. Please read the full review at thornhillatthemovies.com
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