The 300

thanks for your response...yes i agree with you there is something to be learned from the Spartan attitude especailly in our modern world where sustainability is the key to our future wellbeing although as with all past societies there ares ome things we can learn from ans some things that we would discorage...

dont be so sure of yourself.."learn before you type " how rude are you...?? im posing a hypothetical question here which has nothing to do with dates on the calendar...sure if the Persians had of controlled the Greek mainland then there is the possibility that Islam would not have been allowed to develop..we all know that the Muslims were in Spain for several hundred years...the point im making is that western civilisation based on the Greek model would not have made the vast impact it did...as we all know greek language and civilization dominated the easterm mediterrnean for hundreds of years and gave us such great philosophers and other aspects of their culture..

im not sure about the movie as a story or as an epic...the special effects and the graphics are key to the movie.. i may be being sexist here but dont think the film appeals to a very wide audience..any females out there who would like to throw in their two cence worth??

sure.. i made a comment earlier to the same effect...the plot of the film is loose and weak it depends how true to recorded history the director and producer wanted the film...i dont think they were interested in a plot just to retel the valour and self sacrifice of the Spartans... men from the part of Grece today that was Sparta still hold their ancestors in great regard and believe they truly are descended from Hercules the killer of Lions.. the name Leonidas indeed means "of lions" there are direct quotes for example from Herodatus who was one of the main sources of recorded writings for those times.."Persian arrows will blot out the sun" ... "then we will fight in the shade"...the background to the Spartans is historically correct as far as we know...Frank Miller did however add a bit in his graphic novel on which the film is based which carries over well for the movie...no creatures fought in the battle for example and the Spartans certainly did wear armour..Miller depicted the Spartans in his graphic novel as bare chested to differentiate them from the Persian masses....the deformed creature who betrays the Spartans by telling the Persians of the old goat trail that leads to the back of the Spartan army is certainly enhanced in appearance for effect..there is no historical evidence of the betrayor being deformed with a hunch.. i think Miller uses this for dramatic effect to emphasise the practise of Eugenics the Spartans indulged in and later on Hitler praised..in modern Greek the name of the betrayor is now synonymous with the english translation of nightmare...

if you have access to the dvd check out the special features... the whole film was done on a sound stage becasue Miller didnt think a real life location would do justice to the effects he wantted to create...the movie is dark and Gothic in some parts which has more of a dramatic effect..most Battles in this part of the ancient world were fought in full sun in very hot conditions due to the locations and the climates of those areas... it doesnt quite seem right when such dreadful bloodshed and loss of life takes place in a soundless and beautifully sunny background...