"300" the movie

Well, I finally went to see "300". Like most Greeks, I was curious to see how Hollywood portrayed one of our most revered heroes, especially after the botched up jobs of semi-truths and senseatinalism it did with"Troy" and "Alexander".

I was not disappointed. The tradition of Hollywood semi-truths continue in this movie, where Xerxes reminded me of the caricature of a Hindu deity and the Spartans were portrayed just one step from barbarism. Not to mention that monsterous beings abounded, giving more the sense of a "Dungeons and Dragons" game than a historic tale of valour!

Of course, I realize that the move was based on a comic inspired by the historic tale, so I will give it leeway for that. On the other hand, visual impressions stick in our memory, as opposed to historical texts that fade away right after the test, and this worries me. Not that the sight of dozens of muscular men, sacrificing their lives for their country and their beliefs was not exciting. Not that this ideological part is not the truth. It is. Generations of Greek men for thousands of years have gone off to war with the sacrifice and devotion of Leonidas vivid in their mind. The valour they inherited from Leonidas' Spartans, drove Churchill to exclaim after the resistance of the Greeks who were attacked by Moussolini in 1940, "Greeks don't fight like heroes. Heroes fight like Greeks!"

I have read several negative comments in blogs and postings, poo-poohing the idea that the Battle of Thermopylae was heroic or even true. It's a pity that present day cynicism wants to destroy anything that even smells of idealism. I resent that. I confess that I'm a hopeless idealist and have remained one no matter what life has thrown at me. I can understand how the 300 Spartans felt as they stood poised to face thousands upon thousands of armed enemies. I can only aspire to such valor and heroism and sheer stubborness in upholding my ideals.

I wanted to go into detail about the inconsistences of the movie in comparison with the true historic account, however, as I was surfing the net, I found someone who has done it better than I can! Please take a look at this blog I am linking to today, it's worth your time:

"300" the movie: facts and fiction, by Konstantinos Kyriakis. This is one of the best analyses I have found!