Posted on 03/11/2007 1:53:24 PM PDT by freedom44
ATHENS – Greek critics have blasted "300," a Hollywood recreation of the 480 BC Battle of Thermopylae, where King Leonidas of Sparta held back a massive Persian military invasion, leading to its eventual defeat.
The movie – an adaptation of artist Frank Miller's graphic novel – opens in Greece on Friday and will show at 70 screens in greater Athens.
The popular Athinorama magazine described the film as a ``bloodlust videogame."
Daily Ta Nea newspaper gave Zack Snyder's "300" zero out of 10, with critic Dimitris Danikas claiming the film even carried a message about the U.S. war on terror.
"By ancient Persia, they refer to modern Iran – whose soldiers are portrayed as bloodthirsty, underdeveloped zombies," he wrote. ``They are stroking racist instincts in Europe and America."
Robby Eksiel at the daily Ethnos said moviegoers would be dazzled by the "digital action" but irritated by the "pompous interpretations and one-dimensional characters."
Greece's critics were similarly scathing about other recent movies depicting ancient battles, including Wolfgang Petersen's ``Troy" and Oliver Stone's "Alexander" in 2004.
It's a pattern that disappointed Panayiotis Timoyiannakis, the lone voice of support among Greek critics for "300"
"This is not a university lecture, it's a movie," he wrote in the daily Eleftheros Typos. "It's an adaptation of a comic to the big screen, and that's only how it should be judged . . . When seen this way, it gets high marks."
Good God its a movie...if it was a "documentary" then they could have at it...
The movie, outside the fact that there were battles between the Greeks and Persians is based on fiction. Some of the other comic books Frank Miller has written are Star Trek, Super girl, Superman, Incredible Hulk, Batman and Bat Boy. The comic book writer has NEVER written a nonfictional comic.
The writer is a COMIC BOOK WRITER.
I was discussing this with my teenage sons ysterday. Their attitude was, "Mom, It's a comic book! What do they expect? It sounds cool."
I don't know if my obsevation is wrong, but the Greeks seem like a rather highstrung group of people. Very touchy.
I don't know if my obsevation is wrong, but the Greeks seem like a rather highstrung group of people. Very touchy.
I don't know if my obsevation is wrong, but the Greeks seem like a rather highstrung group of people. Very touchy.
... That's what I just said.
Nowhere does the 300 name itself as a documentary, this is like NASA being angry at Star Wars.
Lighten up, it's a comic book movie.
Bloodfest is an understatement.
...No that is what I just said do not copy me :)
"This is not a university lecture, it's a movie," he wrote in the daily Eleftheros Typos. "It's an adaptation of a comic to the big screen, and that's only how it should be judged . . . When seen this way, it gets high marks."
At least one of them got it.
While the reference to the Iraqi war is BS, I don't blame the Greeks for being upset. This was a real event with real people. It was a very heroic act by the Spartans, they knew they were cannon fodder and that their sole purpose was to hold the enemy long enough for the rest of the Greeks to prepare for battle. To make it into some fantasy type of movie or book, and there are some good books about this, is a desecretion of history IMO. As for persians, they were asshats at the time this happened, they were invading Greece simply for the conquest, they had the tails whipped by the Spartans and their allies, one million Persians against 300 Spartans and about 6000 assorted other Greeks. The Persians became so terrified of the Spartans that the mere sight of them later on caused the persians to run from the battle field.
It's not a remake of The Three-Hundred Spartans, nor is it meant to be a historical representation like The Three-Hundred Spartans.
It's a great movie for what it is.
So, are they going to start burning cars and slitting throats?
With some bizarre sexual preferences (I dated a Greek guy once,'nuff said).
Spartans (western warriors) defend themselves
against the hordes of ISLAM (Persia). It's no
wonder elitists condemn it.
Iranians are the Persians not the Iraqis - Iraqis are Arabs.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.