I just went to see 300 at the Wimbledon Odeon with Juice and my cheapskate mate.
It's going to be a pure classic and attain a cult following.
Based on an ancient tale from before the birth of Christ, this story of 300 white dudes wearing He-Man pants, battling for freedom against an invading horde of evil dark skinned dudes from Asia, is remarkably relevant to modern times.
And modern CGI affects, along with the minimal wardrobe, were used to highlight the rippling six packs of the 300 Spartan warriors. While some critics have accused the cast of wearing body suits, the makers have claimed that computers were used to enhance the shadowing of the actors' physiques, thus making muscles stand out through an increase in contrast.
There are many other contrasts in the film. In your face homoeroticism (I've haven't even heard of another film with 300 dudes wearing nothing but their pants) goes hand in hand with homophobia (in one scene the Spartans mock "man loving Athenians"). And the initial team based shield wall clash later degrades into a mass brawl of individuals (or pairs) battling for glory.
Having a small interest in historical warfare, I was interested to see the director's interpretation of the Greek phalanx formation. A good attempt was made in the initial battle scene, with a clash of shields, followed by a rugby like scrum, followed by men in pants stabbing dark heathens with spears and swords.
King Leonidas repeatedly mentions the importance of the phalanx formation, and of each warrior protecting the soldier to his left with his shield. He even rejects the vile hunchback, Ephialtes, from his army, due to his inability to hold his shield high. So why the Spartans proceed to charge headlong into an overwhelmingly large army is beyond me.
In terms of acting, the film was nothing but pants. King Leonidas even put on a slight Scottish accent during some rousing pre-battle speeches, suggesting that Gerald Butler watched Braveheart one too many times.
Labels: 300, Gerald Butler, he man, homoerotic, Leonidas, pants, spartan, y fronts