At the Movies: Yes another senseless post about the 300.

"This is Esparta!!!" Yeah that is a badass motto, epscially if you spit it while kicking the nuts of your sworn enemy (of your annoying neighborgh), pushing him into a bottomless pitt. I might add it to my repertoire.

As is obvious, I went today to see this movie. I'm not going to discuss its political speech or historical accuracy, nro write a critic to the film. I'm just going to say what I think of it.

"300" has a kickass soundtrack and one of the best photography jobs I've seen, it actually looks like a comic, a Miller comic, and by that I mean that you might want to take a raincoat with you, since the blood and the gratious violence can actually faal upon you. Yep is that gory, but well is based in a Frank "I ruined Batman with my over the top comics" Miller (yes I have no love for Frank). As my friend who went with me to watch it said, it seems like the author was overcompensating.

Anyways, the movie accomplish its objective: move the spectactor beyond a gory tale of war to feel the emotion and wonder of one of the most epic battles in human stor. To realize that no matter how bad are the odds, no matter if you lose at the end, is your legacy, your will to suprass those odds what will grant youthe biggest victory of all: to be remembered by the generations to come.

Indeed the Spartans were mad (or at leats over the top in this movie) and their breeeding techniques might make proud certain wackos, but is undeniable that those guys had ball, big ones. 300 men, very well trained and conditioned faced the biggest army of the ancient world (of course before Alexander and the Romans). Even if they did lose, their victory meant enough time to the rest of Greece to regroup and present a better front versus the Persian army. Their victory was not a physical one in the battlefield, but a moral one: they damaged the persian morale, while boosting the greek one. That battle was one of the decisive one that actually conformed the Western civilization.

Yes the movie portrays that act of bravery, courage, brotherhood and honor. For the modern men their battle was a nonsense, but in a culture that lived for the war, like many others (e.g. the samurai, the viking, the aztec), it meant everything, the whole core of their reason to be.

It has some false ideas true (like elephants. They were used in war until the time of Alexander; or a rhinoceros which was only discovered in Africa until the colonial wars I think) but in some odd way is faithful, not to the story, but to Herodoto's and the ancient greeks myths and narratives. It is sure that the batlle was different and the only true fact is the number of soldiers. But is quite a ride (without the valkyries).

Do I recommmend the movie? Yes, although in no way is suitable for kids or even teenagers (not especially those who can't distinguish reality from fiction. I don't think that someone will appreciate a recreation fo the Thermopilas battle in the school cafeteria). Is an enjoyable movie, adapted carefully from teh graphic novel that gave it brith and to some extent, truthfully to the spirit, if not the facts of what transpired in that legenady battlefield of Ancient Greece. And I say this stating that I don't like Miller's work.

"Spartans! Ready your breakfast and eat hearty, for tonight we dine in Hades!" Leonidas (who is NOW* in my list of cool badasses. He fought with you loincloth and a cape.)

*it was a typo.