the naked and profane
Apr. 6th, 2007 12:04 amOh wow, the 300 just really doesn't care, does it? It takes things even further than Miller's graphic novel, which, although exceedingly pretty, is kind of mediocre. But the film just takes that cheesy Miller dialogue and voice-over and puts it in the America machine on full freedom spin. The only thing it doesn't do that Miller does is have Spartan penises all over the place, but I guess that might get a bit too gay.
When I say it doesn't care, I mean, it really doesn't care. This is how it is set up, and just imagine everything's in CAPS BECAUSE IT IS ALL SHOUTED, VISUALLY AND AURALLY:
I could go on but I think you get the picture. And it's really kind of unintentionally hilarious. At the end when everyone's dead (spoiler!) the king lies there arms thrown out like Christ. The bad guys are just SO effeminate, the good guys just SO masculine, it's pretty camp. Leonidas's wife (they expanded her role, I guess to show how just hetero Leonidas is) is kind of interesting--being the only female character she's welcome at least--but she can only regain her purity after whoring herself out (rather stupidly) by sticking a pretend penis into Dominic West.
Sparta is a democratic country where the democratic process has become corrupted by traitors and weak-willed, fearful, infirm whiners. It needs a strong king who knows what is right to lead it to honour and glory against, and I quote, "mystics and tyrants." Oh, this movie doesn't fuck around, my friends!
Go see it, but take some headache tablets, because it's going to hurt you in the feminism. And the queer...ism. And the... anti-racism. Buff almost-naked men, it does well. Slow motion, it does well. Fight scenes, it does well. Breasts, it does well. The other stuff, not so much.
Oh, and try not to laugh too much at David Wenham. He can't help it.
When I say it doesn't care, I mean, it really doesn't care. This is how it is set up, and just imagine everything's in CAPS BECAUSE IT IS ALL SHOUTED, VISUALLY AND AURALLY:
Good guys: |
Bad guys: |
- White - Physically powerful, muscled, masculine in the extreme - Purified; natural; unneeding of luxuries like clothing - Irreligious - Reason-based, logical, Greek/Western - Handsome, beautiful - Freedom-loving - Humble, idealistic, honest - Hetero, virile - Doers, warriors, strong-willed |
- Black, Asian, Persian, Brazilian, non-white - Reliant upon sheer weight of numbers, not powerful, effeminate - Impure; made-up; swathed in clothes - Worshippers of idols; blasphemous; barbarian - Unreasonable; stupid; illogical; (Middle) Eastern - Ugly, deformed, vulgar, monstrous - Slave-owning, domineering - Prideful, full of hubris, opportunistic, untruthful, corrupt - Kinda gay and lesbiany, degenerate and un...virile - Talkers, prevaricators, weak-willed |
I could go on but I think you get the picture. And it's really kind of unintentionally hilarious. At the end when everyone's dead (spoiler!) the king lies there arms thrown out like Christ. The bad guys are just SO effeminate, the good guys just SO masculine, it's pretty camp. Leonidas's wife (they expanded her role, I guess to show how just hetero Leonidas is) is kind of interesting--being the only female character she's welcome at least--but she can only regain her purity after whoring herself out (rather stupidly) by sticking a pretend penis into Dominic West.
Sparta is a democratic country where the democratic process has become corrupted by traitors and weak-willed, fearful, infirm whiners. It needs a strong king who knows what is right to lead it to honour and glory against, and I quote, "mystics and tyrants." Oh, this movie doesn't fuck around, my friends!
Go see it, but take some headache tablets, because it's going to hurt you in the feminism. And the queer...ism. And the... anti-racism. Buff almost-naked men, it does well. Slow motion, it does well. Fight scenes, it does well. Breasts, it does well. The other stuff, not so much.
Oh, and try not to laugh too much at David Wenham. He can't help it.
