Sorry to report this isn't a review as I'm still "preparing for glory" at this point (seeing it IMAX style tomorrow). But having looked forward to this like I haven't for a film since The Fellowship of the Ring, I can't resist posting something about it opening night.
One really big reason for having high hopes for this film is the fact my old professor from Fresno State, Victor Davis Hanson, a man feared and hated by liberals everywhere, has given it his seal of approval:
"But most importantly, 300 preserves the spirit of the Thermopylae story. The Spartans, quoting lines known from Herodotus and themes from the lyric poets, profess unswerving loyalty to a free Greece. They will never kow-tow to the Persians, preferring to die on their feet than live on their knees. "
Hanson, in fact, has apparently written the forward to a book coming out with the film.
Then there's this telling review over at CHUD.com:
"Gorgo’s speech to the council in the third act could be given by Republicans on the House floor to argue in favor of the next troop ‘surge’ in Iraq, and it’s hard to believe that the words were written after 9/11 and after the invasion of Iraq without the echoes of modern debate ringing in the writers’ ears. ... Gorgo actually says at one point that freedom isn’t free. It gets better when you have Leonidas talking about how he must break the laws of his own country to save it by getting it into war – this is the kind of rationalization George W Bush might have made... And to be honest, you can’t tell a really good story about a bunch of guys fighting to the death without regrets from a liberal standpoint. I wouldn’t want to live in Sparta, but I can appreciate their point of view. And I’m not enough of a liberal to think that we can wish away all of our problems – I know that it takes unpleasant men, like these Spartans, visiting violence upon enemies to clean up situations every now and again."
Couple this with the fact liberal reviewers are reaming it for racism and fascism, and I'm really raring to see this one. (Note: At least one noted Christian reviewer is warning against seeing this one due to some graphic lesbian nudity during a brief orgy scene.)
I'll report more on this all after having seen it.
One really big reason for having high hopes for this film is the fact my old professor from Fresno State, Victor Davis Hanson, a man feared and hated by liberals everywhere, has given it his seal of approval:
"But most importantly, 300 preserves the spirit of the Thermopylae story. The Spartans, quoting lines known from Herodotus and themes from the lyric poets, profess unswerving loyalty to a free Greece. They will never kow-tow to the Persians, preferring to die on their feet than live on their knees. "
Hanson, in fact, has apparently written the forward to a book coming out with the film.
Then there's this telling review over at CHUD.com:
"Gorgo’s speech to the council in the third act could be given by Republicans on the House floor to argue in favor of the next troop ‘surge’ in Iraq, and it’s hard to believe that the words were written after 9/11 and after the invasion of Iraq without the echoes of modern debate ringing in the writers’ ears. ... Gorgo actually says at one point that freedom isn’t free. It gets better when you have Leonidas talking about how he must break the laws of his own country to save it by getting it into war – this is the kind of rationalization George W Bush might have made... And to be honest, you can’t tell a really good story about a bunch of guys fighting to the death without regrets from a liberal standpoint. I wouldn’t want to live in Sparta, but I can appreciate their point of view. And I’m not enough of a liberal to think that we can wish away all of our problems – I know that it takes unpleasant men, like these Spartans, visiting violence upon enemies to clean up situations every now and again."
Couple this with the fact liberal reviewers are reaming it for racism and fascism, and I'm really raring to see this one. (Note: At least one noted Christian reviewer is warning against seeing this one due to some graphic lesbian nudity during a brief orgy scene.)
I'll report more on this all after having seen it.
3 comments:
VDH was your professor?! You really know how to make us jealous, don't you? I'm interested in your take on the movie.
(And yes, it does show some brief lesbian kissing, but that's only to appease the Libertas bloggers.)
Lol! Thanks, Cato! Yeah, I was fortunate to get in on Hanson's Warfare in the Ancient World class a few years back. Far and away the most fun and informative class I ever had. Quite the rock star for Fresno State was good old VDH. Hope they appreciate the fact.
Re: Your query on Libertas:
I suspect the conservative "creator" involved is Frank Miller (note the careful use of "creator" rather than "filmmaker"; plus I've heard rumors). Looking forward to your report on VDH's talk.
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