Friday, March 9, 2007
In terms of stylistic overkill, the new big screen adaptation of Frank Miller's uber-violent graphic novel "300" ranks right up there with "Moulin Rouge." But where Baz Luhrmann's movie musical was overflowing with ripe emotion, "300" is a bombastic and cold affair-not unlike watching the story sequences between levels in a video game.
Outmatched by thousands, bloodthirsty Spartan king Leonidas (Gerard Butler) leads 300 super-buff Supermen sporting bikini briefs and capes into the Battle of Thermopylae-for honor, for glory, for no other reason than the superficial titillation of seeing stylized violence from all different angles and speeds.
Director Zach Snyder, who uses a green screen and all-CGI sets to mimic the vivid colors of Miller's comic, matches the Spartans' boldness. The backgrounds are flat and blurry and the colors monochromatic, so this technique has the unusual effect of never once placing its characters in a believable environment.
Battle scenes recall the replay option on a football video game where you can watch slow-mo, sudden zoom-ins, and rotating camera angles. This allows you to see the moment of contact or, in the case of "300," see every detail as a spear enters an ogre's eye. There is so much slow motion that if they had run the entire film at normal speed, it would have been half as long.
Basically, "300" exists as a showcase for action. Maybe this would have been more fun if the whole movie wasn't bogged down by a stolid seriousness that rarely lets up, not to mention a philosophically hollow premise. The stubborn machismo that gets Leonidas into this conflict purports to be about freedom, liberty, justice, and every other buzzword that will evoke unblinking loyalty on the part of a modern audience. In a culture that tosses weak babies off a cliff and physically abuses strong children to make them hardened warriors, these ideals ring particularly false.
Movie
300 **
This high-octane, macho version of the Battle of Thermopylae is based on Frank Miller's graphic novel, so a certain amount of uber-violence is a given. Outmatched by thousands, a bloodthirsty king leads 300 super-buff Spartans sporting bikini briefs and capes into battle. Without any emotional attachment, though, "300" is a bombastic and cold affair, not unlike watching a video game.
Like 2005's "Sin City," another slavish Miller adaptation, "300" is the visual equivalent of testosterone run rampant. In addition to all manner of creative blood spilling, there is a heaping helping of sex, topless writhing young women, and homophobia. Xerxes is not just a God-King who leads the Persian army. He is also a giant, hairless hermaphrodite with a sexed-up lesbian harem. Early in the film, the Athenians are slandered as "boy-lovers." Ironically, the always-shirtless Spartans-as rippled and tan as a Chippendale dancer-carry their own homoerotic charge.
Audacious movies are always more entertaining than bland ones, even when they are a spectacular mess. "300" may be riddled with laughable dialogue that sounds better when bellowed. It may be full of voice-over narration as resolute as it is ridiculous. But no one will ever accuse it of being flavorless.
What made "Sin City" work was how it tweaked the tried and true themes of film noir, bringing a sad resonance to its characters even while Miller spun his macho fantasies. Although the action sequences in "300" are brutal showcases of technical prowess, they are missing any whiff of emotional significance.
Right now, "300" feels like the latest high-tech rollercoaster-the one with the craziest loops that pulls the most G's. I know this didn't happen, but I couldn't help thinking that Snyder was constantly trying to one-up Mel Gibson. He made sure that severed heads would actually fly in "300" (rather than the simple roll/bounce move in "Apocalypto"), and increased the number of martyrs (a la "Braveheart") by a whopping two hundred and ninety-nine. Nice work, sir.
Comments
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don_burgess (anonymous) says…
The comic book was better. I dont know why hollywood insists on expanding movies with tiresome, redundant romantic cliches like the man going off to war and what the woman on the homefront experiences. . . Who cares about her?
Lame lame lame. The story is NOT about Leonidas' wife. In the comic she is black and isnt referenced near as much.
This film shouldve been 30 minutes shorter.
monkeywrench (Tim vonHolten) says…
this is clearly a polarizing film. all the reviews i've read have been very informative, but list similar points on both the good and bad sides. mindless violence, over-the-top production, macho overkill, and nonstop pace and volume have all been in both positive and negative reviews. i may be disappointed when i finally see it, but both review perspectives are practically dragging me to the theater.
Eric_Melin (Eric Melin) says…
Yeah. I'm careful not to steer anyone away from seeing it. It is certainly divisive. The constant shifting tones make it hard to grasp what they were trying to say-- a little like "Freddy Got Fingered," but in a bad way.
don_burgess (anonymous) says…
I wouldnt discourage anyone from seeing it. - But I wouldn't give it positive review, either. (Same with spiderman 1, 2 and soon to be 3)
It is just too bad that a film as progressive and bold as this still must resort to the love story and the father/son realtionship to "draw you in."
I wish hollywood would stop tying to humanize all their films and to make such an obvious attempt to "understand" the characters.
I'll be happy when the baby boomers retire and get their unrealistic and archaic influence out of our art, and ecomony.
snap_pop_no_crackle (anonymous) says…
Sometimes a Spartan is only a Spartan.
scoville (anonymous) says…
Don't waste your money on this garbage.
Crossfire (anonymous) says…
A great comic book based film...
The birth and making of a great warrior.
Cool f/x.
Honor and bravery wins over terrorism and political treachery.
Graphic voilence...
Yes this is one cool sexy movie.
topflight (anonymous) says…
I am not sure which version of "300" you saw, or maybe you jackasses are just blind. This movie was great, a must see and a must own on DVD.