300

Synopsis

"It was filmed mostly with a super-imposition chroma key technique, to help replicate the imagery of the original comic book. The plot revolves around King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), who leads 300 Spartans into battle against Persian "god-King" Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his army of more than 300,000 soldiers. As the battle rages, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) attempts to rally support in Sparta for her husband. The story is framed by a voice-over narrative by the Spartan soldier Dilios (David Wenham). Through this narrative technique, various fantastical creatures are introduced, placing 300 within the genre of historical fantasy." [Wikipedia] See section on "Historical Accuracy" in Wikipedia. "In the modern Western literary tradition, the name Xerxes has become shorthand for despotism, arrogance, and impiety. If Cyrus is revered as the good king of ancient Persia, Xerxes is "Oriental despotism" gone wild. This view is rooted in the writings of Greeks. For example, The Persians, the famous play of Aeschylus, played a significant role in shaping Western visions of Xerxes. In our own time, Hollywood has taken the stereotype of Xerxes to extremes in such films as 300. Interestingly, the Jewish tradition, particularly the historian Josephus, presents a more favorable view of Xerxes." [The Persian Empire Course Guidebook, p. 83]

Genre

Historical

Released

2007

Location

Europe

Period

Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC;

No