300 movie, Persian anger...

[General Duke]

Briefs encounter

 

Saturday March 17, 2007

The Guardian

 

© Warner Bros Ent Inc 2007.

 

One of the sassiest putdown lines in history, and arguably the first great wisecrack ever written down for posterity, was voiced at the battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. Ridiculing the piddling force of 300 Spartan warriors who had ventured forth to do battle with the Persian army - the largest fighting force heretofore assembled, said by some to consist of a million men - an emissary of Xerxes, the mighty Persian king, sneered, "We will shoot so many arrows into the air, we will blot out the sun." To which one of the snarkiest Spartan chieftains in that city-state's long and snark-laden history, replied, Good

We'll fight in the shade."

 

Laconic comebacks like this are few and far between in 300, where both the Spartans (who shall come back with their shields or on them) and the Persians (the usual motherless dogs who turn up in these films) tend to run their mouths ceaselessly. A cartoonish re-imagining of the epic confrontation between the indomitable, freedom-loving Spartans and the sybaritic, ostentatious Persians, the high-energy but low-rent 300 is filled from top to bottom with gasbags of all descriptions: pontificating generals, preening kings, enigmatic holy men, garrulous wives and duplicitous, hunchbacked dwarves. The Spartans of yore are renowned for letting their swords and spears do the talking, but in this film everybody wants a chance to climb up on his soapbox and say something sententious or ominous or just plain weird. "We will mouth so many banalities it will put you all to sleep," a Persian ambassador might have warned the Spartans. To which the obvious comeback would be: "Good. We'll fight you in our dreams."

300 is one of those oddly seductive but completely ridiculous films that will please most fans of this genre precisely because fans of this genre don't object to films that are completely ridiculous. Filmed in the digitally enhanced comic-book style that made Sin City so visually arresting, 300 looks like a videogame devised by some very camp programmers. With a full complement of marauding elephants, deformed dwarves, ninja-style warriors, and human guillotines sporting razor-sharp lobster claws that hang from where their arms should be, 300 is loaded with terrific optical surprises. The war rhino, for example, is an unexpected treat; it has been far too long since these fearsome horned beasts have made an appearance in a film, and I for one am happy to see them back on the payroll. Though there was a part of me that was really looking forward to ironclad war corgis or flying battle squirrels.

 

Yet perhaps the boldest visual touch of all is having the 300 Spartans fight the entire battle clad only in black underpants and crimson cloaks. Though the Persians themselves are no slouches in the fashion department - Xerxes arrives in Greece in Full Bling Overdrive - the Spartans are so impressive in their World Wrestling Federation bikinis, showing off their steroid-enhanced trapezoids, six-pack abs, and freedom-loving glutes that the invaders are understandably unnerved. "We will attack Greece late in the autumn before you have time to get your winter clothes out of moth balls,"a Persian emissary might cautiously tease his adversaries. To which a brassy Spartan might fire back:"Good. We'll fight in our underpants."

 

Based on a graphic novel co-written by the genre's most revered arrested adolescent Frank Miller (The Dark Knight, Sin City and Elektra) 300 was directed by Zack Snyder, who previously oversaw a fairly solid remake of George Romero's Dawn of the Dead. Not so much a director as a re-director, Snyder is the kind of industrious sampler who never saw a shot he wouldn't pilfer, an idea he wouldn't steal: the soundtrack is straight out of Gladiator, Xerxes' bodyguards sport scary masks filched from Scream III, a cocky young Spartan's surprise decapitation is purloined from Black Rain where Andy Garcia, not for the first time, loses his head; and the final scene is a direct lift from Braveheart, as are the leprous men in cowls who have somehow convinced the Spartan republic to supply them with a fresh weekly supply of beautiful virgins to keep them amused during the long winter nights when the gods fall silent. Only Spartans in bikinis is Snyder's own idea, and I am not sure it is a good one: these outfits look a whole lot better on women. On further reflection, even the black-underpants visual may have been swiped from Pierce Brosnan's memorable turn as an unconventionally clad hitman in Matador. Nothing is more frightening to a depraved but sensibly attired invader than a psychopath who is not afraid to show some leg.

 

About the acting in 300: the supporting cast is awful and the headliners are worse. As King Leonidas, the middle-aged commander of the vaunted heroes whose delaying tactics saved all Greece from tyranny (at least until the Romans showed up),Gerald Butler brings a scowl he seems to have annexed from Laurence Fishburne, and not much else. Rodrigo Santoro, as Xerxes, is merely silly: he looks less like the king of kings, shah of shahs, and emperor of emperors than the mixologist of mixologists or the body artist of body artists. Lena Headey, playing Leonidas's wife - a feisty looker saddled with the unfortunate name of Queen Gorgo - is a dead ringer for Connie Nielsen in Gladiator. Unexpectedly, she allows herself to be raped by a treacherous politician in order to advance her own political agenda, but quickly realises that this is both a personal and professional mistake, and fishguts her assailant in full view of the Council of Elders who preside over Spartan political life. The Elders are impressed - and who wouldn't be? - and immediately do her bidding. All this - the rape, the fish-gutting, the discomfit of the Elders - is carried out in the bravura style one has come to expect from the unterpantzen ubermenschen genre over the years.

 

A theory briefly making the rounds in the United States just before 300 was released posited a parallel between the war between the Persians and the Greeks and the ongoing confrontation between the United States and the Iraqi insurgents. This theory makes no sense: the Persians are the ancestors of the Iranians, who hate the Iraqis; the Spartans were professional soldiers, not terrorists; and Xerxes, as depicted in 300, is so hip, so downtown, so kewl that any number of downtrodden people would be proud to serve as his boot-licking vassals, whereas George Bush inspires no such self-abasement, because he looks like a suit. Moreover, the 300 Spartans were fighting for freedom only in the narrow technical sense that they hated the idea of being enslaved by the Persians; as enthusiastic proto-fascists whose bloodline reaches right down to the Nazis, they certainly didn't mind having slaves of their own. Unlike the Athenians, who gave the world democracy, logic, drama, oratory, architecture, sophisticated sculpture and reliable history, the Spartans basically gave everyone a headache. Gee, maybe this Iraqi/Spartan parallel isn't so far-fetched after all. My only question is: if Leonidas is a thinly veiled standin for Osama bin Laden and the very smooth, very stylish Xerxes is a cunning rendering of George Bush, precisely who in this movie is playing Tony Blair? As a Persian emissary might caution the 300 Spartans, "The rivers will run red with so much blood that no one will come outdoors again for years." To which one of the 300 Spartans might reply: "Good. In that case, we can put off calling a general election."

 

· 300 is out on Friday

[General Duke]

Iranian anger at Hollywood 'assault'

By Majid Joneidi

BBC News, Washington

 

The film is a travesty of ancient Persian civilization, critics say

 

The Iranian community in the US and Canada is very keen on e-petitions as a form of protest.

 

The latest issue to grip Iranian expatriates is the Hollywood blockbuster 300. According to the protesters, it projects an "irresponsible" and "distorted" image of ancient Persia.

 

The film, which has broken US box office records, is a special effects-laden depiction of a battle in which a small Spartan army resisted a Persian invasion.

 

It is based on Frank Miller's epic graphic novel about the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC.

 

The film shows the Spartan king and his army of 300 - white, muscular soldiers - strongly resisting Xerxes and his savage Persian army of hundreds of thousands.

 

Loud opposition

 

The film has stirred controversy among Iranians across the world, but it is the expatriate community in North America that have been the loudest voice opposing an "assault on its culture and tradition".

 

Iranian bloggers started their campaign against the film a week ahead of its opening.

 

Not only does it give the wrong outcomes to battles, it grossly misrepresents the Persians and their civilization

 

Omid Memarian

 

Bloggers have taken offence at the way in which the Persians have been depicted in the film and the way the battle of Thermopylae has been narrated.

 

Award winning Iranian blogger and journalist Omid Memarian has been among these voices. He is worried about what he sees as historical discrepancies in the film.

 

 

"Not only does it give the wrong outcomes to battles, it grossly misrepresents the Persians and their civilization.

Some see a hidden anti-Iranian agenda in the film

"It is unfortunate that very few curriculums in the US cover world history and it is very easy to misdirect the general public on historical facts."

 

Mr Memarian is also concerned about the film's balance.

 

"Let's not forget that Cyrus the Great, Xerxes's grandfather, drafted the first declaration of human rights in 539 BC, freeing hundreds of thousands of Jews from Babylonian slavery."

 

Iranian officials have joined the angry protests and some are seeing it as part of a wider campaign against Iran.

 

Javad Shamaqdari, a cultural advisor to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said it was "plundering Iran's historic past and insulting this civilization".

 

He branded the film "psychological warfare" against Tehran and its people.

 

A daily Iranian newspaper, Ayandeh-No, recently carried the headline "Hollywood declares war on Iranians".

 

Image problems

 

Omid Memarian is not surprised at the reaction to the film due to what he calls "skewed media coverage on Iran and anti-Iranian rhetoric which has escalated in the US".

 

Warner Brothers, the film's producers, has been quick to explain that "the film [is] a work of fiction, loosely based on an historical event".

 

 

The makers say 300 is a work of fiction, not to be taken seriously

A statement by the company said: "The studio developed this film purely as a fictional work with the sole purpose of entertaining audiences; it is not meant to disparage an ethnicity or culture or make any sort of political statement."

 

Some bloggers and commentators have opposed the petition against 300 on the grounds that there are bigger battles to fight - such as opposing what is seen as the increasing threat of military action against Iran.

 

Salman Jariri, a Farsi blogger, published an open letter addressed to the protestors.

 

"The actions of leaders of third world countries has a more destructive effect on the westerners' perception of these countries than Hollywood productions," he said.

 

Google-bomb

 

One Iranian blogger in Canada has an alternative to the petition.

 

Pendar Yousefi, who blogs from Toronto, is "Google-bombing" the film.

 

His "bomb" aims to divert internet traffic searching for 300 to a web site that introduces the various aspects of Iranian culture through art.

 

Mr Yousefi, who is upset with the way ancient Persians have been depicted in 300, has called on Iranian cartoonists and artists to send him work that will help educate people about the Persian empire.

 

A number of artists have obliged and some 600 Iranian blogs and websites have established permanent links to Mr Yousefi's site.

[General Duke]

Iranian Media: "300" Film "Intentionally Insults Iran's Ancient Culture";

 

The Iranian news agency Fars is reporting that the film "300" has angered the Iranian people "due to its intentional insults to the country's ancient culture" and is being "viewed by many, even non-Iranians, as overt animosity towards Iran."

 

Fars said that Iranian state television had already aired several commentaries calling the film "insulting," and had hosted Iranian film directors to point out its historical inaccuracies; the Iranian paper Ayende-No wrote Tuesday that "the film... is a new effort to slander the Iranian people"; and Iran's biggest circulation newspaper, Hamshahri, said the film was "serving the policy of the U.S. leadership" and predicted that it would "prompt a wave of protest in the world... Iranians living in the U.S. and Europe will not be indifferent about this obvious insult."

 

While the film has not opened in Iran, one Iranian paper said that bootleg DVDs were already available.

 

Source: Fars, Iran, March 15, 2007

[Taliban]

General, this topic doesn't sound right. It's not your usual stuff of the clan president, the clan government, the occupiers, the collaborators, iwm. I am surprised at this different type of topic you have posted. I think this is a good progress on your part.

[Jabarjaan]

Its true though 300 men defeated a million! good movie! I will see it tonight.

[raadamiir]

I haven't seen the movie yet because there is so much talk of this movie in town that I just have to go see it myself.

 

The movie made over 60 millions dollars the first weekend it was out. Now that is crazy.

[Taliban]

Originally posted by Jabarjaan:

Its true though 300 men defeated a million!

It's not true; it's fiction. Most probably those 300 were able to kill few to several hundreds Persians before they were put to rest.

[N.O.R.F]

I mean, who cares?

[rudy-Diiriye]

nobody!

 

u ppl ever heard the saying! maxhaa iga shan iyo tobaan ha!! i guess not.

[Fabregas]

The greatest of among the persian generals were defeated by an arab bedoiun named Khalid Bin Waleed.

[Taliban]

Originally posted by Northerner:

I mean, who cares?

America cares. Lately, America suffered loses in Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and other Muslim countries. 300 represents a victory for America.

 

Originally posted by Geel_Jire12:

The greatest of among the persian generals were defeated by an arab bedoiun named Khalid Bin Waleed.

Khalid Bin Waleed wouldn't have defeated those Persian generals without Islam.

[Wigad]

Khalid Bin Waleed wouldn't have defeated those Persian generals without Islam.

 

 

That is right it was Khalid bin waleed and later sad ibn abi waqaas two greatest fighters ever after prophet (saw) and hamza

[Centurion]

I daresay Cumar RA was on level par with Xamza.

 

Khalid however was the top most Islamic general, he had no equal in the game of war, he remained undefeated, a feat a handful of generals can boast in the history of the world.

[ansaar17]

it was actually between Cumar(ra) and Abu Jahal.

 

Xamza(ra) was always a protecter of the prophet(saw) even before he became a muslim.

[Centurion]

Thanks for the correction Abu ansaar, you are quite right.

The prophet asked Allah to make one of the two Umars (Abu Jahal's real name was Umar bin Hisham) a believer, for they were both fierce men.