300: I didn't think they could remake The Eternal Jew
Thermopylae, the Spartans last stand at the hot gates defending their rights to enslave the Helots, force them to work the land, and send out youth death squads to commit murder on the ones that seems to be getting a bit too independent (how’s that for a run-on sentence?); nice work, very nice indeed. So I’ve read countless of forums and review on this film by Zack “metaphor-less” Snyder and based on the comic-book, or the cosmopolitan term graphic novel by Frank Miller. First and foremost, I love Frank Miller, if I had a first born, and he was into collecting first born; well, you know. So no questioning my love and admiration for Frank, undisputed since the first day I cracked open the mint binding of Frank Miller’s the Dark Knight Returns, you couldn’t convince me to curse his name. Like most public school kids who knew a lot about small arms and close to nothing about classical history; a question was thrust upon me three years back as I was checking out of a Home Depot store, making a purchase for a supplies for a now much regrettable small indie filmed I volunteered as a grip on (if you’re that interested, look up my name on IMDB – I know, exactly), What was the single most important battle in Western Civilization? A well educated and intelligent man would have really thought about it and had enough character to say “I don’t know” if that was the case, I was neither of those things, so I guessed my ass-off. They were not even educated guesses, as random as I can come up with movie titles starting with the word “The Battle…” After losing patients with my complete lack of investment in a half decent answer to his question; Thermopylae (and I’m sure he followed with “you idiot” to himself), even the minimum wage cashier nodded her head in agreement with my friend, “I’m afraid he right” she said. Yes, we needed that validation, I’m sure. Cut to: Parking Lot, he continues on to tell me the story of the 300 Spartans and King Leonidas sacrifice against the massive Persian army of Xerxes. How we would all be speaking Persian now if the Spartans did not slow down the Xerxes enough for the Athenians to prepare for the Persian. Since we get our laws, some of the language, culture, anal-sex, from the Greeks, we would have none of that if Xerxes descended on the capital. True. But besides from being misinformed, I’m terribly stubborn and like to check things out for myself. He’s right. However, there are certain undisputable facts, mixed with some exaggeration en mass. So I found out what I could. Last summer, during my knowledge accumulating (whom am I kidding, surfing the net for movie news), I found out they are turning 300 into a movie. Great! Love Frank, know a lot about Thermopylae. A small note, incase you haven’t noticed by now, between the months of February and May is known widely in Hollywood circles as a dumping ground; too early for Oscars (they will never remember you), and people are thawing with the winter weather, outdoor activities increases, no one wants to spend two hours in a cozy theater; hence the high quality of materials that get a pre-memorial day hit. Look at the history, look at what is released in the spring, films that either cost nothing to make, or filled with nameless actors as if they were giving out fake names, movies that have sat on the shelf for years that even Joel Silver wouldn’t touch even if you pour pounds of cocaine on the print. So I was a bit suspicious at their motive for releasing 300 during dead time. What was pretext are now the past, and the gambled work against the back drop of political clashes that parallels the film. A typical Hollywood film provokes some love, some hate, and some gray areas. Not 300. The consensus is, love it and the other side calls you a Nazi sympathizer; hate it, and the other side says you are unpatriotic and are against freedom, Frank Miller’s interpretation of Spartan freedom. It’s noteworthy to point out that Frank was inspired not so much by the actual events at Thermopylae, but rather the 1962 film 300 Spartans (once again, bunch of Brits playing Greeks and Spartans; and not a very good movie at that, but while I reserve judgment on Frank’s muses, you do have to take into account that 300 is based on a graphic novel, and is very sympathetic towards the Spartan, nothing short of pathos reminiscent of Jet Li’s last scene in Hero. Which brings me to the point that the context of this story is nothing more than Frank’s adolescent psyche hero worship; and there’s not really anything malice or indifferent about that; (here comes that big BUT) but, Zacky boy, in my opinion, was a poor choice to direct mainly attributed to the fact that he does not know how to control his story. Visually stunning, but ultimately meaningless, made solely for the frat-boy, by a frat-man I’m sure. This movie is so full of ambiguousness where they should be clear and clear on things they should have been a bit more ambiguous it leaves me flat; walking out angry, but not so sure what I am angry about. Similar to the first time I saw the Eternal Jew. A very well done prapagandoc, but sick to my stomach to think that people believe this. Speaking of Indiana Jones's arch enemies, was it not Hitler who said "the bigger the lie, the more it will be believed." I think it sums up this film and the people's reaction nicely. Another Nazi side note, to stir up morale and fighting spirit, the German propaganda machine of WWII used the story of the 300 Spartans to "uplift" the troops to kill for Deutschland. Not that the allies were completely innocent of pure propaganda themselves, everybody is guilty on this subject, but within it's lascivious context, the Nazi believed that the Spartans are the descendants of the original Aryans, Atlantians, so in their mind, is not so far fetched to believe a lie that is so preposterous. Only small lies are doomed to fail, so take note all of you boys and girls out there, if you have to lie anyway, make it monstrous, like this film. Everything about this film is highly argumentative on both side, everything is flexible and manipulate-able; so it is pointless for me to list all the fact versus myth and story telling. I offer no solutions if you are looking one, only if by some odd logic that 300 can be considered as a sequel to Zacky’s first flick, the remake of Dawn of the Dead, which in all fairness was an entertaining movie, but also lacked the social commentary of the original, not that I think all too highly of George Romero, but it was at least something more than just a zombie movie; however, not the remake, and definitely not 300. I don’t want to attribute that to incompetence on Zacky’s part, but it seems to be very anti-scholastic endeavor, almost purposely; hence a frat-boy flick directed by a frat-man.
Labels: Film Flim
