Review: ‘300’ gives computer-generated twist to legend

Directed by: Zack Snyder

Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Dominic West, David Wenham, Vincent Regan, Rodrigo Santoro

Rated: R

“Graphic novels” – that’s a grandiose euphemism for “comic books for grown-ups” – are rapidly becoming a major source from which screenwriters and directors concoct screenplays and films. Films as varied in style as “The Road to Perdition,” “V for Vendetta,” “A History of Violence” and “Batman Begins” are all based on graphic novels.

It makes sense in a way, and it can save a lot of time. Many directors “storyboard” their films before production begins. Some, Martin Scorsese for instance, make fairly crude drawings to show camera angles and movement. Other directors hire accomplished cartoonists to develop storyboards. In essence, a graphic novel is an extremely well done storyboard with an added bonus: dialogue.

Of late, Frank Miller has been the go-to graphic novelist for source material. Robert Rodriguez successfully adapted Miller’s “Sin City” in 2005 and gave the film an added twist. While the majority of films based on adult comics turn into conventional movies, “Sin City” was a hybrid of the two art forms. All of the backgrounds in Rodriguez’s film were computer generated and evoke an eerie sense of being in an animated world.

Legendary story

Now comes another of Miller’s most famous works, “300,” directed by Zack Snyder. It’s the story of the 300 Spartans, led by King Leonidas, who fought the Battle of Thermopylae against a Persian army that vastly outnumbered them. (History is unclear about the number of Persian forces. Estimates range from 200,000 to 2 million.)

This story is truly the stuff of legend. That it happened in 480 B.C. is historical fact. The minute details will never be known.

The Greek city-state of Sparta has given us the word “spartan.” One of the word’s definitions is “courageous in the face of pain, danger or adversity.”

A few moments after “300” begins, the viewer gets a palpable sense of that definition.

The narrator, a Spartan named Dilios, tells the tale of Leonidas from the time of his youth – Spartan childhood is a rather unpleasant time for boys – through his ascension to king.

The Persian King Xerxes, who fancies himself a god, sends messengers to Sparta to tell Leonidas all the god/king wishes is “earth and water.” Leonidas tells the emissaries that Sparta will never bow down and promptly pushes the group into a bottomless pit.

Leonidas has vowed to fight the Persian army, but Sparta is a democratic state and the politicians aren’t willing to give the king the go ahead. Mainly because the oracle says it’s a bad idea.

Undeterred, Leonidas gathers 300 of Sparta’s finest, toughest and bravest and heads off to Thermopylae, the “hot gates,” a narrow pass on the Greek coastline. The king assures the politicos he’s merely going out for a stroll and the 300 are his bodyguards.

Once the “little army that could” gets to Thermopylae, the blood starts flowing – in slow motion, fast motion, stop motion, every kind of motion that film trickery can muster – and doesn’t let up for the better part of the film.

Xerxes and his Persian army are quite a spectacle. Since the Persian Empire is so vast, there are warriors and weapons of all stripes from far and wide. Armored elephants and rhinos, a battalion of metal-masked ninjas, a really ill-tempered and grotesque giant, and every type of archer and swordsman imaginable are at Xerxes beck and call.

Leonidas reasons that the pass at Thermopylae is so narrow, the number of Persians able to engage the Spartans at any given time will be rather small.

The outcome is a matter of historical record and the legend has survived for nearly 2,500 years.

“300,” like “Sin City,” was shot against a “blue screen” and the backgrounds are entirely computer generated. While it is state-of-the-art, it’s more suitable to video games. As a matter of fact, the video game “300” was released simultaneously with the film.

The look is spectacular, without a doubt. But in the end, the sense of it being “fake” keeps nagging at me.

I’d rather see the sweeping, majestic scenery of “Lawrence of Arabia.” As for vast armies, take a look at the opening scenes of Werner Herzog’s “Aguirre: The Wrath of God.”

Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician. He can be reached at info@wunderlesound.com.[[In-content Ad]]