5th July, 2008 Login • Register
Search This Site
300 (2007) DVD Review
300 (2007) DVD Credits:
300 (2007) Directed by:
Zack Snyder
300 (2007) Written by:
Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, Michael Gordon
300 (2007) Cast:
Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Vincent Regan, Rodrigo Santoro, Dominic West
300 (2007) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
300 (2007) DVD Release Date:
30th July 2007
Our Rating: Extras Rating:

User Rating:  Log in to rate this DVD
300 (2007) Synopsis:

Based on the epic graphic novel by Frank Miller, "300" is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy, drawing a line in the sand for democracy. The film brings Miller's (Sin City) acclaimed graphic novel to life by combining live action with virtual backgrounds that capture his distinct vision of this ancient historic tale.

300 (2007) DVD Review:

Simper Fi-ght! “300” fetishizes the phallic. Sweat, mussels, musk, brass, balls and crimson skies, too. Told in the form of techno onanism, the film fearless plunges head first into the age long battle between the West and East. And for the hell of it, it's also an epic fantasy revisionist film in which the enemy is imbued with demonic powers, astounding numbers, and glowing eyes. As the sculpted Greeks hold their ground against " Asia 's endless hordes" --depicted as monsters, literally monsters!-- these Spartan Greeks mission is to protect all of Europe from the eventual destruction that the East poses. Overkill? You bet. But is this story critiquing the Middle East’s provocation of the West or is it a "fascist" film about preserving ourselves against the “Others” as we fight to the bloody end? Having not read the comic by Frank Miller (he who also wrought “Sin City” and “Batman: Year One”) I must admit to not knowing (or caring) as to the exact nature of the looming details. Rather, in place of applying any extratextual or ideological meanings to a film as meaningless as a late night barfight, I found myself completely swept up by the provocative visuals (which play great on DVD and especially Blue Ray) and nationalistic fervor set to the constant hum or war drums. The way I figure, in the same year as “Ghost Rider” or “Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer” I’ve grown to appreciate REAL comic book movies. Ones with vision, lasting appeal and, most importantly, attitude.

"GIVE THEM NOTHING... BUT TAKE FROM THEM EVERYTHING!!!" In every sense of the word, “300” is a film that exists in a perpetual caps lock state. Every sound bite is spoken with a weighty baritone while every movement and spear thrust is exaggerated to its manly excess. "They look thirsty," a Greek Spartan growls to his commander while facing hundreds upon hundreds of armor clad Persians. "WELL, THEN, LET’S GIVE THEM SOMETHING... TO DRINK!!!" is said back as if it's the most natural response in the world. And in this film's reality, is it. Personally, I got a kick out of this hyperbolic style. I mean, really, who can take this film seriously? Take a look at Gerard Butler's grinning maw and phallic spear, thrusting forever upwards, and tell me there's not something gloriously campy (not to mention homoerotic) about that? Initially, it came as a surprise to me that this film was directed by Zach Snyder, who got his start with features on “Dawn of the Dead” and, there, only got his feet wet with the possibilities. While I enjoyed “Dead” as much as one could a Romero rip-off, the filmmaker’s remake was criticized by me for neutralizing all of George Romero's political subtext and rendering the hordes of zombies mere flesh tinted ciphers against a green tinted screen. By embracing such an artifice rather than trying to mask it under the guise of story, “300” is a trailblazing work of hyperreality. With “Dawn of the Dead” and now “300” under the young filmmaker’s belt, Snyder's ability to gravitate towards the popcorn-y essence of the material is hard to criticize because it’s so upfront about what it’s doing. While there is an undeniable emptiness to it, the exhilarating sense of pure visual excitement fills the void.

This sword and sandals film is not attempting to be a melodrama on par with “Gladiator,” nor is it some sallow history lesson like “Alexander.” Think of it more in the Victor Mature sense of the word, as a campy B-movie.

Gerard Butler stars as the King of Spartan. All bearded, six packed and bronzed-out, the character is an amalgamation of Kratos from PS2's “God of War” and a giant bolder with sandals and a beard. Nuance be dammed, the actor and fellow Scotsman’s bravado and theatrical posturing/muscle flexing really sets the tone for this hyperkinetic epic. That the film attempts to humanize the every day-ness of Grecian life stands as major Achilles Heel because any attempts to do so through flash-backs or scenes aimed to familiarize the audience with the King's post-feminist wife (Lena Headey) –few as they may be– are clumsy and unnecessary. We all know that Snyder wants to get back to the action and, you know what, so does the audience. The rest of the cast --unknowns unless you're a David Wennim fan-- do their part without ever getting in the way of the plot. Which brings me to the central question: what plot? I'm not sure I really saw beyond the whole 300 Greeks vs. 1,000,0000000000 Persians angle but, again, there’s certainly nothing wrong with that. I admire the utilitarian, workmen like ethos that went into the creation this film. With stylization at a premium, plot becomes secondary anyways.

"A beast approaches, and it was Leonidas that provoked it." So says the narrator, whose function is to preserve the valor of the 300 soldiers into the Western cannon. This notion quickly announces itself as the spirit of the film. Yes, a "beast" does approach but it is also true that King Leonidas feeds off of the discord that comes with it while hiding behind his shield of democracy. The central dichotomy is that he is both defending his people and putting them in danger. The Spartans believed that the natural state of humanity was at war and the Persians were certainly no different (oh, how little everybody’s changed since then). This worshiping of the fighting way is sitting uneasy with many but the truth is that one doesn’t see “300” without knowing exactly what “300” is. Thanks to the brilliant marketing, the huge cultural impact the film has made indicates to me that everyone who wanted to see this film, saw this film, and that all those people got, more or less, exactly what they came for. Blood. In this respect seeing it again at home makes for a fiery second helping. EAT HEARTY BOYS!!!

The DVD
Wow, for once the studio delivers a somewhat decent package in place of having us wait for some super special edition (though I'm sure one is on its way). Sure, we would all like to have it on a High Def system (in which “300” blows away the standard edition in terms of picture transfer, color vibrancy and sound quality) but us old schoolers kicking it DVD-style have luckily not been left out in the cold with that wolf. We have the option of a 2-disc edition or a single disk. For my personal collection I went with the single and was not entirely pleased because the sole extra is a standard techno-babble commentary by Snyder. While as full of energy as his characters I’m not really into commentaries that focus too much on the process; I’m more of an ideas man and would have a liked a more detailed look into Miller, the historical vs. myth component and ruddy themes. If you're not as cheap as me, the two-disc set is much more worth your dollar in that it hooks you up with extended scenes involving the traitorous hunchback and hours of featurettes and webisodes, my favorite being "300 Spartans - Fact or Fiction."

Our Rating: Extras Rating: User Rating:  Log in to rate this DVD

300 (2007) DVD review written by: Greg Douglass

Content Management System provided by P J Thomson - Freelance Web Design - PHP/MySQL Development