Why Women Need to See 300

So I went to go see 300 earlier this week after days and days of eager anticipation. Given, I'm a BOY in a woman's skin, so my reasons for wanting to see it may differ slightly from the average girl. But in any case, I highly suggest that women see this movie for a plethora of reasons, but I'll list the top 5.


Reason #5: To it's bare essence, it's a romantic story
The story is based on an ancient historic account of the battle of Thermopylae (a narrow mountain pass by the Mediterranean sea) around 480 BCE that involved about 100,000 invading Persian troops attempting to conquer the city-state of Sparta (as well as Greece in its entirety.) 300 Spartan warriors (along with about 4000 Greek allies AND Athenian naval ships poised for battle on the water) were present at the battle. The Spartans and their allies held their ground for 2 days, impressively killing vast numbers of Persians in comparison to their own light casualties. In the end, the majority of Greek warriors, including all but 2 Spartans (the 2 were sent as messengers) were killed.

Over the years, the story has changed a bit to include omitting the Athenian navy completely and lessening the numbers of Greek allies fighting alongside the Spartans. At it's barest and most romantic, the battle became a story about how 300 lone Spartans held their ground to defend everything they held dear (their land, their families, the idea of freedom and democracy) against 1 million Persians.

The movie leans towards the latter, more romantic tale. The 1 million Persians are there. The 3oo Spartans are there. But there are a few other changes including some Spartan allies, cutting the two historical Spartan warrior-messengers to one, and characters beyond mythological proportions. Keep in mind that THIS movie was based on Frank Miller and Lynn Varley's graphic novel of the same name, and so the writers and production team strived to keep it very true to the book.

With that in mind, the story is very romantic. The concepts of bravery, self-sacrifice, valour, patriotism, and yes - LOVE - are all present. (I admit that I am ACUTELY aware of this movie's release in the midst of current American/Middle Eastern conflicts and what that means, but that's a whole different post in a whole different blog.)

Despite what critics have said (there's been mixed reviews), I absolutely loved it and believed that the critics who pooh-poohed the whole thing just didn't get it. The movie is not meant to be as emotionally deep or as character-driven as they thought it should be. It's based on a GRAPHIC NOVEL, for chrissakes, and what that means to me is that the overarching CONCEPT, connection to the GRANDER SOCIAL SITUATION, and the ARTISTRY come first. Besides, I thought the characters (especially Leonidas and his queen Gorgo) were as developed as they could be, impressively within a movie that focused on battle scenes. I got what they wanted. I got what they were willing to do, what they were willing to give up. And boy howdy, if that ain't romantic, then I don't know.


Reason #4: The battle scenes
... are awesome!!!! Ok, so maybe you're not one of those girls who's into that sort of thing, but trust me. A lot of the movie's scenes were shot in slo-mo to heighten the audience's awareness of the artistry and the emotional impact. That includes the battle scenes. There's something... poetic about them. And no, they're not as disgusting or gory as you would think it to be.



Not to mention that the Spartans KICKED ASS! (Channeling my inner guy here.) But whoever choreographed these scenes ... you're beautiful, man. I'm not saying that 300 should be in the same level as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Hero; The Matrix; hell, most martial arts/action flicks, but still - it's up there in stylization.


Reason #3: I am Gorgo, hear me roar
In a time and place where women were considered inferior and subjected to the whims of their fathers and husbands, Spartan women were given a surprising amount of power and free will. They were allowed to own and control property, were taught to read and write, and were expected to be as strong and athletic as their male counterparts. Spartan women were also warriors.



Queen Gorgo was not given as much screen time as King Leonidas (and understandably so, since, yes, it is a battle movie), but her strength of character and Spartan upbringing was made apparent very quickly and continued throughout the movie. In one scene, the Persian messenger says: Who allows this woman to speak before us men? To which, Gorgo replied: Because only Spartan women give birth to real Spartan men.

There are also moments in the movie where you are given hints of how important Gorgo's opinions were to King Leonidas.

Anyway, I'm not going to give away any more, but in the end, you may love her or hate her, but either way you will RESPECT her.

Go sistah.


Reason #2: The art direction and cinematography
In their attempt to recreate the mood and artistry of the graphic novel, the production team used slow-motion photography, oversaturated detail, heightening of some aspects, softening of others, dramatic lighting, and an overall sepia-toned color theme. Just like another Frank Miller graphic novel turned-to-movie (uh... c'mon, you know which one), the movie, I thought, succeeded in capturing the book's feel. Totally loved it. Gorgeous. If anything, see this movie for the sheer beauty and visual spectacle.




Reason #1: Shirtless men
Ok, so I still haven't convinced you to go see 300? Imagine dozens of men at the peak of their physical prowess roaming the screen shiny and sweaty wearing nothing but leather loincloths and red cloaks. Eye candy. Beyond 6 packs - 8 packs! Hotness.





JUST GO.