Hanson 300 Article

[Idomeneas]

If critics think that 300 reduces and simplifies the meaning of Thermopylae into freedom versus tyranny, they should reread carefully ancient accounts and then blame Herodotus, Plutarch, and Diodorus — who long ago boasted that Greek freedom was on trial against Persian autocracy, free men in superior fashion dying for their liberty, their enslaved enemies being whipped to enslave others.

I have not seen the movie but I read the comics, and what I find very disturbing is that Miller goes beyond Herodotus. Herodotus nowhere says that Ephialtes was deformed. Herodotus nowhere says that the Persians are black. But it is in the comic, which is not just a celebration of freedom, but also a victory of white over black, man over woman, and beautiful men over deformed people.

Besides, if you want to make a movie about the victory of freedom over slavery - why take an existing nation as an enemy? If the enemies would have been Jews, nobody would have dared to make this movie. Just imagine making a movie about a book in which the Jews are portrayed as deformed, effeminate and non-Aryan.

There's no denying that Miller is a great artist; the Sin City movie was great art as well. But why this movie? And why now?

[size=75:2a9drj6b][I will not follow up this thread; 300 is a political movie and this subject will inevitably become political too...][/size]

Miller used some cliches that not only apply to comics but storytelling in general. Ephialtes is presented as ugly and monstrous as all the bad guys in fairytales. Persians are not black they are iconised dark though imo not to evoke racial issues but to look different not only in mindset but in appearence also. Miller aimed for contrast not racist declarations. Everybody takes liberties in media like comics or movies either to help the storytelling either to pass out their own ideas and views.
For example Eric Shanower illustrates the heroic age in his Age of Bronze comic with a marvelous and very historical way. But as he admits Shanower is gay. That has as result to pass through the plot alot of stuff to point such directions and interepret some things the way he wants. The point is that Age of Bronze is Shanowers work its his creation based on epics, he is not teaching history, people dont have to use his work as refference or bibliography.

300 doesnt bother me as film. Cause it illustrates a comic its not trying to pass as ''the life of...'' ''the true story of...''