Guest Review - 300
Every so often I will post a review of a movie that I did not see (and have no interest in seeing). That is the case with 300. Although it is very popular and has gotten some good reviews it just isn't my cup of tea. But my nephew Scott saw it and really liked it. Here is what he has to say about it:
Not often does a movie adapted from a comic book get it right, but 300 did.
300 is a film based on the comic book mini-series/graphic novel by master writer and artist Frank Miller, known for his dark series Sin City (also adapted into one of the best movies of 2005, and rather accurately) and his dark adaptation of Batman, The Dark Knight Returns. Director Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead 2004) takes the comic book's story based off the real life account of 300 Spartans fending off a Persian army of up to a million soldiers and brings it to a cinematic level I never thought it could reach. Miller's fantastical view of the historical event, considered the first war to be documented, seems a simple story.
King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) is warned of Xerxes' (Rodrigo Santoro), ruler of the Persian Empire, eventual conquest of Greece. Leonidas demands to go to war, but the Oracle forbids it, as it is time for celebration and tribute to the gods, and war is forbidden. Even so, Leonidas takes 300 Spartan warriors, all with sons to carry on their name, and set off to defend his homeland, Sparta, and the freedom it offers. The following battles are composed with such beauty it is beyond belief. The ending may be obvious (especially to those who know the true story or read the comics) but the trip to it is absolutely brilliant.
Obviously, this is a violent film, filled with blood, death, and a surprising amount of graphic beheadings. But the violence does not get old while watching it, especially if you focus on the strategies displayed by the Spartans throughout the film.
Beyond the violence and story is the beauty that is the graphics. This film utilizes "bullet time" slow motion in a very unique manner. Instead of picking a pretty or dynamic moment to focus on, most violent death dealing strikes would be slowed down. Now, some might find the bothersome and overbearing, but I found it to be equal to watching a living comic book, panel for panel on screen. Each time the scene slowed, the feel on screen was that of a snapshot you would see in a comic book panel; it had a very graphic novel way of story telling.
One last focus. The blood. This is important to me, because of my background as and artist. Some have said it looks comical and cartoonish. I have to disagree. The blood reminds me of the technique Klaus Janson uses when inking. He takes the tip of a brush, and use the bristles to splatter ink onto the paper. I have done this myself, and the effect can be similar to splattering blood, and every time I saw the blood in the film, especially from stabbings, that was what I felt inspired that.
Not often do comic book based movies stay true to the source material, but this truly is one of the rare comics to make the adaptation accurately and successfully. This is one of the better films I have seen in my life, and will have trouble seeing any movie surpass 300 this year.
Don't hesitate to look at my art: http://nexusdx.deviantart.com/
Not often does a movie adapted from a comic book get it right, but 300 did.
300 is a film based on the comic book mini-series/graphic novel by master writer and artist Frank Miller, known for his dark series Sin City (also adapted into one of the best movies of 2005, and rather accurately) and his dark adaptation of Batman, The Dark Knight Returns. Director Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead 2004) takes the comic book's story based off the real life account of 300 Spartans fending off a Persian army of up to a million soldiers and brings it to a cinematic level I never thought it could reach. Miller's fantastical view of the historical event, considered the first war to be documented, seems a simple story.
King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) is warned of Xerxes' (Rodrigo Santoro), ruler of the Persian Empire, eventual conquest of Greece. Leonidas demands to go to war, but the Oracle forbids it, as it is time for celebration and tribute to the gods, and war is forbidden. Even so, Leonidas takes 300 Spartan warriors, all with sons to carry on their name, and set off to defend his homeland, Sparta, and the freedom it offers. The following battles are composed with such beauty it is beyond belief. The ending may be obvious (especially to those who know the true story or read the comics) but the trip to it is absolutely brilliant.
Obviously, this is a violent film, filled with blood, death, and a surprising amount of graphic beheadings. But the violence does not get old while watching it, especially if you focus on the strategies displayed by the Spartans throughout the film.
Beyond the violence and story is the beauty that is the graphics. This film utilizes "bullet time" slow motion in a very unique manner. Instead of picking a pretty or dynamic moment to focus on, most violent death dealing strikes would be slowed down. Now, some might find the bothersome and overbearing, but I found it to be equal to watching a living comic book, panel for panel on screen. Each time the scene slowed, the feel on screen was that of a snapshot you would see in a comic book panel; it had a very graphic novel way of story telling.
One last focus. The blood. This is important to me, because of my background as and artist. Some have said it looks comical and cartoonish. I have to disagree. The blood reminds me of the technique Klaus Janson uses when inking. He takes the tip of a brush, and use the bristles to splatter ink onto the paper. I have done this myself, and the effect can be similar to splattering blood, and every time I saw the blood in the film, especially from stabbings, that was what I felt inspired that.
Not often do comic book based movies stay true to the source material, but this truly is one of the rare comics to make the adaptation accurately and successfully. This is one of the better films I have seen in my life, and will have trouble seeing any movie surpass 300 this year.
Don't hesitate to look at my art: http://nexusdx.deviantart.com/
posted by Film Fanatic | 12:53 PM
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