Greeks blast '300' Movie

AP ^ | 3/11/07 | AP

[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."

[Dave S]

A better review of "300" is by history professor Victor Hanson who has written extensively about Greek history. Hanson believes that 300 is well worth seeing

We likely owe our form of representative democracy to the 300. If they hadn't delayed the Persians at Thermopalae, subsequent Persian conquest would have ended the Greek experiment in democracy and there was no place else in western society from which democratic values would have likely arisen. It also led to the beginnings of nationalism. Because of the sacrifice of the 300, the various Greek city-states began to think of themselves more as Greeks than as Athenians, Spartans, etc. The History Channel is currently running a two hour Documentary on the 300 using similar visual treatment to what I believe is in the movie. It's excellent. If you have any interest in history, you may want to check it out.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

On the contrary, NASA has posted several articles referencing Star Wars (droids and hyperdrives).

[freedom44]

I have tons of Greek friends we look act think and breathe the same my friend.

There is absolutely no difference between Persians and Greeks except some religious and those are even being broken.

[who knows what evil?]

70 MILLION dollars opening weekend...incredible.

[freedom44]

When did you move to the US?

[Niuhuru]

I'm just sick of the Greeks getting hysterical over every little thing America and Americans do wrong in their eyes. I am angry about it because Americans who visit Greece are there to relax and have fun looking at all the sights to see and sample Greek cuisine have to tiptoe around in case the Greeks decide to start getting hysterical. It's sickening really.

[river rat]

"The Greeks were also upset about "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". They said that the characters weren't at all like real Greeks."

The REAL Greeks -- lovers of Democracy, Freedom and self realization -- are in America not Greece.
America! "Land of the free and Home of the Brave".

I'm a first generation born American, whose parents immigrated LEGALLY from Greece...

We have a huge community in the U.S. of Americans with Greek heritage... I haven't met the first Greek who didn't LOVE the movie, or laugh so hard they cried or hurt at the TRUTH portrayed.

Almost everyone of us, can NAME a relative who EXACTLY matched each and every character in that movie...

Now then, if the Greeks in Greece were the ones complaining --- then I understand. The life they live in their Socialist cocoon doesn't bear any relationship to the joyous life Greeks have found in America....

God Bless America...

Semper Fi

[youngjim]

"Spartans (western warriors) defend themselves against the hordes of ISLAM (Persia). It's no wonder elitists condemn it."

We seriously need an IQ test to join this freakin place.

Lighten up kid. I don't suppose you've noticed that the lefties have derided this movie as a Pro-Bush propagandistic allegory along these lines?

Not all of the great unwashed here have the benefit of a college education in ancient history. As another second-generation American (who cringes at the use of hyphenated-American to describe myself), I'll suggest you learn some manners before the call for IQ tests for this forum. You sound quite 'off the boat' to me.

see tagline . . . .

[eleni121]

LOL. Your friends? Are you sure you didn't hook up with a lunatic asylum?

I suggest a basic history reader "filaraki". You sure need it. Are you a pretty good reader? Try Victor Davis Hanson's tomes on ancient Greece.

[Tallguy]

Sounds like the Greek socialists just wet their collective panties. It's a movie taken from a comic-book version of events. What do you expect?

[Jo Nuvark]

I was trying to make the geneological connection from the Persians to Iranian Arabs. Apparently, I did it poorly. And yes, I do see allegorical sigificance in the story of the 300.

---

After Abraham's wife Sarah died, he took another wife by the name of Keturah (Gen.25:1). He bare other sons, Medan and Midian which made up the lands of the Medes and Midianites (Gen.25:2). These were half-brothers with Ishmael (Arab peoples), but not the 'seed of Promise', which was and still is, Isaac.
As can possibly be seen today, with the conflicts between the Arab peoples and the Nation state of Israel, since Ishmael was Abraham's 'firstborn', and the 'birthright' is to go to the 'firstborn' by Law, Ishmael feels cheated out of his birthright, and wishes to claim It. These are part of the reasons why the Palestinians have refused to declare Israel as a Nation, and are so vehemently opposed to Israelites, including Christians. It's an 'old wound' that will not be healed until Shiloh returns.

http://members.tnns.net/wordweb/mans1.htm

[Tallguy]

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.

Taking nothing away from Leonidas & the 300, but Sparta itself was engaging in a lot of half-measures & foot dragging. Persia considered Greece to be an unruly vassal that had to be disciplined. Look at a map. Sparta is way down south & there are narrow isthmuses that could be defended. So the question must have been, "What are the intentions of the Great King?" Will he stop at Athens or will he continue South?

My guess is that the Spartans wanted to play both sides against the middle. Essentially they sent a sacrificial force north to buy time for the Greeks. A force small enough as to not offend the Great King overmuch, but large enough to give a bloody nose & demonstrate 'resolve'. As it eventually turned out, the Greeks were collectively victorious, but what if they hadn't been?

I think the Spartans would have sought a deal with the Persians, and if that was not successful then by their previous limited actions they would have preserved the bulk of their forces for further resistance.

My 2 Cents.

[Melas]

Lol, there were no Muslims at Thermopylae. Muslims don't arrive on the scene for another millennium.

[Jo Nuvark]

Muslims don't arrive for about 1200 years ??? (Math challenged).
I was thinking geneology from Abraham. Trust me. Freedom44
spanked me pretty good about this.

See post #51.

[scrabblehack]

"...But far on San Jacinto's field the Texan toils are set
And Alamo's dread memory the Texan steel shall whet.
And fame shall tell their deeds--who fell, till, all the years are run,
Thermopylae left one alive----the Alamo left none."
-- James Jeffery Roche, "The Men of the Alamo."

http://www.tamu.edu/ccbn/dewitt/texianpoetry.htm

[smith288]

In many cases the characters were caricatures.


Nooooo...say it aint so. LOL

[Black Guy who is a Republican]

It's foreign to them, so they hate it.

I hear the Greek are a very xenophobic people. From what I read, that also bleeds into their movie reviews. :)

[eleni121]

Greeks---"Very Xenophobic"? You heard wrong. The Greek word xenophobia is more akin to garden variety prejudices and preconceptions than an ideology of perpetuating the Good Life and were certainly less xenophobic than any other ancient peoples in terms of kind.

I will agree with you on your very salient point regarding their movie reviews. Greeks, too, in the modern era, suffer from the secular humanism that infects many of the self styled European intelligentsia...hey look at us here.

[finnman69]

Saw 300 in IMAX today. Incredible, totally entertaining, visually spectacular. Very violent, definitely an R rated non pussified film.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

The Ancient Greek City States were very independent and competed with each other, however, they abhorred the ideal of domination by Barbarians.
Leonidas' and the other Spartans sacrifice was no half measure, it was meant to slow down the Persians until Greece could unite. The 300 knew they were going to die. The isthmuses leading to the Peloponnese would not have protected Sparta, as once the Athenian Navy was destroyed, the Persian Navy could have landed forces behind anyone at the isthmus. After Thermopylae the Athenians defeated the Persian Navy at Salamas. Also, at Plataea the Greeks defeated the Persians in land Battle. In both cases the Greeks were outnumbered.
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/salamis/g/Salamis.htm
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/persianwars/g/Plataea.htm

http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/weaponswar/p/blpwtherm.htm