300

I am a big sucker for period movies. 300 didn’t have great reviews, so my expectations were low going in. Well honestly, I really enjoyed the movie. It wasn’t the lesson in Greek history which made it interesting, but the cutting edge use of CGI. Its absolutely stunning and never has a battle scene looked so good.

So what’s it about?

300 is based on the true story of the ‘Battle of Thermopylae” in which a group of a few thousand men of Sparta and Greece stood against the Persian attack of demigod Xerxes I.

The movie opens with a snapshot of the life of the average Spartan male – born, bred and trained to be ruthless soldiers. When Persian messengers bring the ultimatum, surrender or perish, the brave King Leonidas I decides to do the latter. For the sake of glory and freedom. He is determined to keep the freedom of his country and protect it from the large armies of Asia, led by Xerxes.

Unfortunately, the Oracle that leads Sparta, predicts that Sparta will lose the war and the ephors ( priests to the god) refuse to give permission to go to war. Leonidas senses the corruption in the religious orders and takes his 300 personal bodyguards to the Hot Gates. This is a strategic pass that is so narrow that it creates a natural barrier and makes the numbers of the Asian army irrelevant. He is joined by the other Greek armies and what follows is a spectacular three-day battle where a few thousand wage havoc on the 100 odd thousand soldiers of the Asian army.

Alas, it is a losing battle as no support comes from the council of Sparta. Leonidas knows his time is limited. A traitor betrays their only weakness and seeing their sure defeat, Leonidas retains only 300 of the spartan soldiers and sends the rest off. These 300 go on to become the symbol of freedom vs tyranny in Greek history forever. These men lived by Spartan law – win or die on the battlefield but never surrender.

Things worth noting

The interesting thing to note is that the movie is quite true to the real account, even down to the use of actual dialogues. The most famous reference is in the scene when the Persian army warns Leonidas to surrender his weapons. He replies, ‘Come and get them’. This line can be found inscribed on his statue in Greece. The details to the costumes, sets and the fighting techniques are informative and interesting.

The casting is good. I am not familiar with any actors but the performances were brilliant. Also, the typical saga of indiscretions and conspiracies in the court of the king add spice to the story. The plot is not inherently complex. Its all fight scenes, special effects and lots and lots of gory bloodshed.

The story of 300 highlights the universal theme of good vs evil, freedom vs slavery, and so on. Emotions are high and there is something to be learned from his lesson in history.

Is 300 a must watch?

I enjoyed watching it but it’s not a MUST watch. There have been better period/war movies.

For more Movie & TV Reviews, go here. And here for more Netflix movies to watch.

Save it for later? Pin it!

300 movie review