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300 (R)

Plot Summary: In ancient Greece, the King of Sparta, defending the honor of his wife and his country, takes a ridiculously small army to battle against the overwhelming military power Persia.

Reason for the Rating: Graphic battle sequences throughout, some sexuality and nudity.

Based on Frank Miller's graphic novel of the same name, 300 is an eye-popping film about the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which a vastly outnumbered Spartan army of only 300 men took a heroic stand against the powerful invading force of millions of Persians, commanded by the supposed god-king, Xerxes.

From the casting to the costuming and special effects, it's clear that the creators of this movie deliberately sought to draw the audience in and keep them riveted until the end, and at that mission they have succeeded. This is a supremely entertaining film.

300 tells the story of Sparta's king, Leonidas (played by Gerard Butler), from the brutal training he received as a young boy, to the isolation he experienced as a youth in the wilderness fighting for his life, to his triumphant return to his home, his coronation as king, and subsequent battle against the Persians who sought to dominate his people.

The standard sex and violence disclaimer applies for this movie. There's some nudity and sexuality, lots of blood, and a whole lot of death to contend with. It's a battle epic, one that vividly depicts the barbarity of life in times of ancient war, including stylized impalements and decapitations and more. This is not a film for children or for those whose sensibilities are easily offended - in fact, one of the producers of 300 insisted they were trying to make a "ballet of death" and Entertainment Weekly reported that computer special effects were used extensively to "create geysers of spurting blood worthy of Jackson Pollock." So, parents, consider yourself warned. But also be aware that there is a message of truth woven into this story, for those intrepid enough to look.

It would be easy to slide through this flick and be thoroughly entertained by the visual artistry alone, not giving the moral of the story one thought. Because of the producers' loyalty to the comic book format of Miller's original story, the special effects are captivating. There's a grainy, muted, silvery tone that gives the film an otherworldly feel that I couldn't take my eyes off of – and I didn't want to - even during the bloodiest battle scenes. The actors' skin seemed brushed with a preternatural glow. Outlandish creatures didn't seem so odd in this land, and even the ugly and disfigured seemed easy to behold. This didn't look like a comic book to me – it looked more like a beautifully painted work of art. No doubt about it: the creators of 300 deliberately crafted this movie as an impressive display of visual artistry, and they succeeding in that aim.

But there is more here. This is a story about Leonidas: a man who, against all odds, grew up believing in the twin ideals of freedom and liberty; who, despite the abuse and violence he suffered as a child, would lay down his life for his country and fellow soldiers. A man who loves his wife, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey), so much that he would gladly spend his dying moments thinking of her. There is a portrait of good here – though granted it is a portrait that's a little fuzzy in places - such as when Leonidas kills one of Xerxes' messengers who comes to Sparta to demand surrender.

However, in this film Leonidas doesn't submit to anyone – one of his strengths, but also one of his fatal flaws: he has no faith in, and perhaps not even any knowledge of, the God of Israel. Instead, he consults the pagan priests and an Oracle (played with sensual abandon by Kelly Craig) to determine the best course of action. When the Oracle tells Leonidas not to go into battle against the Persians, he defies the pagan priests and the Spartan council anyway. With his wife's blessing, he rounds up 300 of the country's best soldiers to go with him to the "Hot Gates," a narrow pass where Leonidas will lure the Persian troops and fight to the death for the liberty of his country.

Xerxes (portrayed with a bisexual flair by Rodrigo Santoro) is a formidable picture of evil, a stark contrast to Leonidas' goodness and bravery. This evil king calls himself a god and the ruler of the entire earth, using biblical phrases of divinity to describe himself to anyone who would listen. His method of operation is to promise the world to those he would conquer, in words eerily similar to Satan in Scripture: bow down to me and I will give you power, fame, and wealth.

But Leonidas, a real man's man, sees right through Xerxes' lies. The King of Sparta vows never to bow his knee to this enemy. He loves his wife, leads his soldiers, and doesn't shy away from even the gravest threat of danger. His life's example was a huge inspiration and influence to the nation of Greece.  However, back in Sparta, Queen Gorgo is lobbying for aid to her husband. In the process, she is deceived by the evil councilman Theron (Dominic West), who demands that she commit adultery with him in exchange for his help in convincing the rest of the Spartan council to listen to her. Because of her love for her husband, she makes an unwise decision that leads to death and betrayal.

In all, I was very impressed by both the artistry and storytelling of 300. The only real drawback was the explicit sex and graphic violence spun throughout the film. Hollywood should know it is completely possible to make a hugely profitable, first-class battle epic movie without naked women and with understated violence. Yet, even so, I didn't find the R-rated elements of this movie to be as blatantly gratuitous as they are in many other movies; instead, they most often helped to expose the underlying motivations and mindsets of the characters involved. So while I would have preferred a more teen-friendly, PG-13 epic, I can at least understand why the filmmakers stuck with a hardcore "R" for 300.

FAMILYFANS RECOMMENDS:

Adults only. This is an entertaining and beautiful epic with a message, but the "ballet of blood" may be too graphic even for some grownups.

AFTER THE SHOW: 

• What did you admire about Leonidas? How would a personality like that play out in real life today?

• What's your opinion of Queen Gorgo? What might you have done differently in her situation?

• In Europe, critics of 300 slammed this film and it's "fight for freedom" theme as an allegorical defense of the United States invasion of Iraq. Do you think that opinion was warranted? Defend your answer.

TG

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