300/Christianity Debate

Triad

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New movie with a Braveheart or Gladiator feel coming out in a few weeks. Could be a great film on Greek civilization if the PC police don't kill it.

Yahoo Movies said:
In the ancient Battle of Thermopylae, King Leonidas 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

TrailersEdited by: Triad
 

Colonel_Reb

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Jimmy Chitwood told me about this moviethe other day. I know I'm gonna check it out.
 

Triad

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Not sure if it will be historically accurate but I got a new avatar out of it and the trailers look great.
 

white tornado

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If your looking for historical acuracy you have come to the wrong place even as hollywood is conserend. I talked to some Persain people who were royaly pissed that the movie portrayed they as a bunch of blacks. The Persian I was talking to consider themselfs white and would pass for Southern Europeans.
 

White Shogun

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It looks like there are a lot of monster-like beings, ogres or something, in the Persian army as well. Perhaps even some supernatural forces like black magic.

I don't care. The trailers look great and I am all for a movie about a small band of heroic men standing up and doing battle against overwhelming odds. There isn't enough of it in real life and it's exactly what the doctor ordered to fill this guy's prescription.

And I'm glad the Persians are portrayed as black. Haven't you seen enough movies lately with white villains?
 

white tornado

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I did not mean to say the movie was bad just not acurate. Its a fantasy movie not a historical movie.
 

White Shogun

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Sorry, WT, didn't mean to come across as criticizing your post. I've already heard of some complaints that the movie isn't historically accurate, it seems from the same crowd who didn't like Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto", apparently.

It seems to me that Hollywood doesn't want any movies made with true heroes in them, who stand up against mighty villians and the empires behind them. They want movies with 'anti-heroes,' movies like "Harsh Times" and the rest of the thug movies that star blacks and crooked cops and their ilk.

Apocalypto took a shot at the indulgent, violent, hedonistic type of societies that we live in today, and I expect that "300" will be labeled as too violent, unrealistic, and historically inaccurate as a way of demeaning the heroic sacrifice of the men of Sparta.
 

Triad

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The movie is based on a comic book based on history, not sure what to expect there. The trailer looks awesome. Small band of European looking Spartans against a marauding multicultural band led by the Persians intent on taking over their country. It may be historically inaccurate but prophetic.
 

jcolec02

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I saw the trailer and the white guy kicked the black guy into the well and said "for sparta!!!"
smiley36.gif
 

white tornado

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White men kicking black ass it has to be historicaly
inacurate.
smiley2.gif


I am a history buff so I tend to like movies that are as historicaly acurate as possible am also not a comic book fan so you could see why this movie would not be my type. With that being said. I am going to watch it and see our European heroes kick some a$$Edited by: white tornado
 
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Yeah I'm a history buff too, but this movie looks sick. It's really a great story
and kind of the opposite of what hollywood would normally show (because
the underdogs the viewers are rooting for are actually white, fighting the far
greater middle-eastern side). I do hope they make a more serious version in
the Braveheart/Gladiator mold, but I'm really looking forward to this one.
 
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There was a fantastic book by Stephen Pressfield I think called Gates of Fire that tells the story of that battle. Suggested reading.
 

Triad

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Great movie. Has a Braveheart feel to it except it is more high tech with Matrix-like action. No PC BS here either. The ancient Greeks are depicted as European looking, brave physically beautiful men and women. Heroes are white, villains are not. Again, great movie.
 
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Wow, what a great movie. And clearly I'm not the only one who thought so because it raked in 70 million dollars in its first week making it the biggest March opening ever, and the 3rd highest grossing R rated movie.
 

Maple Leaf

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Since when is Hollywood concerned about "historical accuracy"? All Hollywood movies are scripted with barely a sprinkle of historical truth.
 

Sean

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300 was an absolutely amazing film! Definately the best I've seen for a long while. Anyone who didn't see it, should, because there is nothing PC about it. One of my favorites.
 

Colonel_Reb

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I'm going to watch it sometime this week.
 

Solomon Kane

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Yes, I definitely want to see this film. But I agree with the concerns of Iranians--at having their ancestors portrayed as blacks. The Iranians (Persians) were and are a noble people, and they were and are, broadly speaking, whites.

My other concern is that this the film might help to fuel the fires--albeit in a very small way--for the next unfortunate neo-con war--with Iran.
 

Sean

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Solomon Kane said:
Yes, I definitely want to see this film. But I agree with the concerns of Iranians--at having their ancestors portrayed as blacks. The Iranians (Persians) were and are a noble people, and they were and are, broadly speaking, whites.

My other concern is that this the film might help to fuel the fires--albeit in a very small way--for the next unfortunate neo-con war--with Iran.

Well, I won't give away any spoilers, but the Persian army in this film is much like it was in real life, a hodge-podge of many different peoples. In the film (based off a graphic novel, not actual history) there are plenty of monsters and stuff fighting for the Persians as well. The actor portraying Xerxes is Brazilian, but would easily pass for a Iranian when in his makeup for the film.
 

Triad

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Xerses' army according to the movie was comprised of many slaves. As Sean pointed out it's a racial hodge- podge. It was implied that you bowed and swore to serve Xerses and in exchange he didn't kill you. His "Royal Guard" were your traditional Persians while parts of his regular army were assorted Africans, Arabs, Asians, etc. A key point of the movie is that this multiracial assortment might not be as effective as a homogenous, motivated force.
 

Solomon Kane

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Sean and Triad:

Well, you're right, the Persian Empire consisted of many races (though the elite "Immortals" were 100% Persian, as you say Triad), though I didn't know it reached to Africa.

If, as you say, they stress the homogenous Spartans vs. the polyglot multiracial army, then it may have a good cultural effect.

Still, I don't like the idea of rather African-looking Brazilians playing Persian Aristocrats, even if the Persians are the "bad guys" in this movie.
 
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I am trying to decide if I should see this in the theater or wait until it comes out on DVD. The DVD will have more scenes.

How those this movie show the victors of the Persian war, the Athenian navy?
 

Colonel_Reb

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I just got back from seeing 300, and it was good. There were a couple of scenes I wasn't expecting, but overall I thought the message of the picture was very relevant to the present in the U.S. As for the Athenian navy, they weren't in it.
 

Triad

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The movie is about a 2 day battle during the Persian War; therefore, it centers on the Spartans.
 
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