Haggisboy
11-03-2007, 05:09 PM
In 480 B.C., King Leonidas of Sparta, accompanied by 300 Spartans and 700 volunteers from the ancient Greek city of Thespaie, made a valiant stand at the pass of Thermopylae and successfully turned back the overwhelming forces of the Persian god-king Xerxes in what has been recorded as one of history’s most famous last stands, and paved the way for an Athenian victory at the subsequent Battle of Salamis.
300 represents the transposition of Frank Miller’s graphic novel recount of the epic battle to the big screen, and the results are more impressive than I expected.
Filmed entirely in Montreal and shot almost entirely against a bluescreen to enable the wizards from Quebec’s various CGI studios create vast panoramic backgrounds the film literally looks like a graphic novel brought to life.
http://www.zgeek.com/forum/gallery/files/2/5/8/4/Butler_300.jpgVisually 300 inspires both emotionally and artistically from the way scenes are framed, executed and transitioned. It’s like watching a high octane, testosterone-filled art film, full of pulsating abs, slashing swords, impaling spears and rampaging warriors.
Director Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead) magnificently establishes himself as a directorial power player with this film. Equally, Scottish actor Gerard Butler has immediately vaulted to the status of top tier talent with his portrayal of Leonidas, thick Scottish burr notwithstanding.
The film starts with a quick overview of Spartan life, brought to life with narration and accompanying visuals showing the ascent from childhood to warrior in faithful graphic novel rendition. The movie’s narrative smartly avoids bogging down in the historical minutiae that plagued Rudolph Mate’s 1962 film 300 Spartans, moving swiftly over the necessary details which are conveyed to the viewer with (pardon the pun) spartan visuals and strategic voice-over narration.
This is not to say historical details were jettisoned. The screenplay, written by Snyder, Kurt Johnstad and Michael Gordon, drawn from Frank Miller’s novel, touches on all the important historical elements, including Leonidas’ betrayal at the hands of Ephialtes of Trachis, portrayed under a heavy bodysuit and makeup by British actor Andrew Tiernan.
If you know your history, you know how this ends. However, like the Battle of Thermopylae, the cinematic repercussions from 300 will be felt for some time to come as on the directorial and technological fronts, the war is merely beginning.
300 represents the transposition of Frank Miller’s graphic novel recount of the epic battle to the big screen, and the results are more impressive than I expected.
Filmed entirely in Montreal and shot almost entirely against a bluescreen to enable the wizards from Quebec’s various CGI studios create vast panoramic backgrounds the film literally looks like a graphic novel brought to life.
http://www.zgeek.com/forum/gallery/files/2/5/8/4/Butler_300.jpgVisually 300 inspires both emotionally and artistically from the way scenes are framed, executed and transitioned. It’s like watching a high octane, testosterone-filled art film, full of pulsating abs, slashing swords, impaling spears and rampaging warriors.
Director Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead) magnificently establishes himself as a directorial power player with this film. Equally, Scottish actor Gerard Butler has immediately vaulted to the status of top tier talent with his portrayal of Leonidas, thick Scottish burr notwithstanding.
The film starts with a quick overview of Spartan life, brought to life with narration and accompanying visuals showing the ascent from childhood to warrior in faithful graphic novel rendition. The movie’s narrative smartly avoids bogging down in the historical minutiae that plagued Rudolph Mate’s 1962 film 300 Spartans, moving swiftly over the necessary details which are conveyed to the viewer with (pardon the pun) spartan visuals and strategic voice-over narration.
This is not to say historical details were jettisoned. The screenplay, written by Snyder, Kurt Johnstad and Michael Gordon, drawn from Frank Miller’s novel, touches on all the important historical elements, including Leonidas’ betrayal at the hands of Ephialtes of Trachis, portrayed under a heavy bodysuit and makeup by British actor Andrew Tiernan.
If you know your history, you know how this ends. However, like the Battle of Thermopylae, the cinematic repercussions from 300 will be felt for some time to come as on the directorial and technological fronts, the war is merely beginning.