Accuracy of film (Movie Spoiler, skip subject if you haven't seen movie)

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I know it's only a movie, and I love the message about Liberty and freedom and honor and glory, but was anybody bothered by the inaccuracies of the film? I guess it bothers me because many people I talk to believe it is historically accurate. Even considering artistic and editorial license so the film would be more enjoyable, I had problems with some of the accuracy and hypocritical messages. First, although it referred to Persians as Asians, it depicted Perisan royalty as African. I guess it was to contrast Xerxes with the manly Spartans, but Xerxes was a bit too flamboyant for a warrior/god/king. In their meeting, I thought Xerxes was going to make a pass at Leonidis. And in another scene to depict contrast, though I know the Persia army had a lot of slaves, Persia had a great warrior army and I thought the movie depicted them as cowardly. The Perisans are also shown as ogres and monsters and an hedonistic uncivilized society, but it is the Saprtans who brag that they kill their "weak looking" babies by abandoning them. As far as the story, the movie makes it sound as if the Spartans went at it alone, with some help from the Thebians on the way. From what I know, the Athenians had to talk the Spartans into joining the war. It was the Athenians who talked about a unified effort to defeat the Persians. The movie had Leonidis disobeying the council. He kind of did, but the council had already voted in favor of sending the Spartan army, but not before the end of the festival. As a compromise, Leonidis left Sparta early with his personal bodyguards. I know every movie changes stuff around on true stories. Am I overreacting? Were these omissions and depictions part of artistic license to make the story more dramatic? Or should the movie have tried to be a bit more accurate? Did it bother anybody else besides me? (Iranian government need not respond - I know you didn't like the film). Finally a confession, I don't know if my facts are true, it's just my recollection from 7th grade when we learned world history.