{"id":8594,"date":"2007-03-12T02:26:00","date_gmt":"2007-03-12T09:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/proteinwisdom.com\/?p=8594"},"modified":"2007-03-12T02:26:00","modified_gmt":"2007-03-12T09:26:00","slug":"300-by-melissa-updated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/proteinwisdom.com\/?p=8594","title":{"rendered":"300 [by Melissa] UPDATED"},"content":{"rendered":"

Update<\/b>: Over at the Belmont Club,<\/a> a poke at the Leftist pc-prism:
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I have no idea whether 300 is a good movie, but Steven’s review is an entertaining example of how all events, including those which happened nearly 500 years BC, must be judged according to prisms of contemporary political correctness. Miller had to remember, for example, “that we’re in the middle of an actual war”. Did he not realize his duty to denounce it? But what if Miller had made a movie about the fight against Hitler? Would it have been necessary to remind the audience that Hitler was a nonsmoking, animal-loving, vegetarian artist? Or had he remade Zulu to include some white faces among Prince Dabulamanzi’s impis?\n<\/p>\n

\nThe most interesting thing about those who habitually denounce ethnocentricity and cultural blindness is that they are not without such sentiments themselves, the difference being that their cultural point of view is rooted in the mid-20th century, rather than say, ancient Lacedaemonia.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nCommenter Greg Marquez said:
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\n“My first reaction after the movie was that this was the first pro war, pro martial spirit, pro warrior movie I’ve seen in a very, very long time. Perhaps the left has finally pushed us far enough in the direction of pacifism for a much needed antithesis to begin. If that’s the case, woe to our enemies can’t be far behind.”\n<\/p>\n

\nAs we’ve debated here, I’m not sure a movie like 300 indicates a push-back.
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\nJust got back from viewing 300<\/a> with a half-full theater. 300<\/span><\/a> is bloody and gory but not horrifying in a Braveheart<\/a> way. It was cartoonish enough that the deaths portrayed felt symbolic rather than individual and real. I cried no tears when anyone, including (spoiler alert<\/span>: stop reading if you don’t know history) Leonidis bit it. (And I am a girl given to tears during movies–even blood and guts ones.) So is the movie emotionally empty? Well not so much emotionally empty, as philosophically and physically full. Like the Rocky<\/span> series, 300<\/span> strips away doubt and fear which leaves room for contemplation. All good sci-fi\/fantasy philosophizes among the fantastical. So the watcher can either leave the theatre reveling in the spectacle or wondering at the meaning, or both.\n<\/p>\n

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A rock-n-roll thumping score, over-the-top visuals, and Fred Astaire grace-filled battle-scenes featuring flying heads and spurting limbs serve as the backdrop to the story. The theme is simple and that is why critics scorn<\/a> (see here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a> and here<\/a>) it and audiences love<\/a> it. On the evil Persian side symbolized by a gold-adorned Xerxes there is hubris, decadence, slavery, treachery, bribery, betrayal, theft, cowardice, rape and weakness. On the good Spartan side symbolized by Leonidis and his wife Queen Gorgo there is faith, restraint (except during fighting\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u009dleave no prisoners\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u009danother reason for reviewers to hate it), freedom, loyalty, willingness, courage, giving, bravery and strength. The good side wins even in loss.\n<\/p>\n

\nSpartan’s King Leonidis is offered a savior’s choice<\/a>: \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c5\u201cWorship the devil in return for all the kingdoms of the world.\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c2\u009d Leonidis declines and tosses the messengers into a well, thus declaring war on the vast Persian army. Leonidis was not in a mood to treat with the enemy, also known as diplomacy, also known as appeasement, also known as certain submission, i.e. slavery. Perhaps this is the biggest sticking point with critics (see above): the lack of nuance. For example, here\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s a \u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c5\u201cnuanced\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00c2\u009d sum up from the NY Post\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s Kyle Smith:
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But keeping in mind Slate’s Mickey Kaus’ Hitler Rule – never compare anything to Hitler – it isn’t a stretch to imagine Adolf’s boys at a “300” screening, heil-fiving each other throughout and then lining up to see it again.
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\nWhy, if I don\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2t miss my mark, that\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s a rather over-the-top and lack of nuanced review\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u009dgoing all Hitler and heil-fives.\n<\/p>\n

\nOne of the more interesting ideas put forward in the movie deals with gender roles in a free versus a shame and power culture. Dr. Sanity has written about this<\/a> extensively\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u20ac\u009dmaking the link between subjugation\/deification of women (can\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2t find the link right now) and the frustrated aggression of the men enslaved by their own bigotry. There is a somewhat graphic love scene between the King and Queen where both enjoy positions of power. This would be in stark contrast to Xerxes\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2 women as sex slaves who exist purely for the men\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s pleasure. Their service to men was portrayed as empty compared with a good old romp of equals. In addition, Queen Gorbo has the nerve to speak out to the Persian messenger and the Spartan Council. How dare she? Well, she serves as the moral compass to King Lionisis; they are a team, and a formidable one. Marriage and family as societal strength surely also riles the critics.\n<\/p>\n

\n300<\/span> lays out simple themes for the taking, the last one the most important. Persia was undone by their decadence and softness as much as anything. If America is to take a lesson, it should be taken from the Persians. The high ideals and simple beauty of democracy deserve a fight. Riches and indulgence and decadence and licentiousness will undo the greatest of cultures. America should worry about rotting within. That\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s a danger bigger than any suicide bomber. With a weak will to protect the ideals, the enemy is already victorious.\n<\/p>\n

\nWinners and losers, right and wrong, good and evil. This movie will make a lot of money. The progressives will despair.\n<\/p>\n

\nAs an aside: This is not a movie for children. I’m not sure it’s a movie for kids under 17. A couple dull-witted parents had their four year old daughter (or so) and another family had their eight year old son with them. The movie is romantically violent in a way that would be overwhelming for children. Scar-for-life, nightmares-until-adulthood type of scenes abound.  It is downright abusive to bring children to movies like this.
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Update: Over at the Belmont Club, a poke at the Leftist pc-prism: I have no idea whether 300 is a good movie, but Steven’s review is an entertaining example of how all events, including those which happened nearly 500 years BC, must be judged according to prisms of contemporary political correctness. Miller had to remember, for example, “that we’re in the middle of an actual war”. Did he not realize<\/p>\n

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