Frank Miller’s 300 review
I’ve reviewed Frank Miller’s 300 over at Splash Panel. It’s most definitely one of the few graphic novels that every red blooded male should have on their shelves.
It's mine, all mine. All contents copyright © Khaled Abou Alfa 2004 - 2007
Nice review dude :) I haven’t read it, and it’s now on my list of things to get.
Keep rockin’ on!
Josh
↓ Quote | 29/10/2006
I’ve yet to read the full story, but the issues I did read (and currently own) were frickin awesome. I’m currently trying to track down issues 2, 4 and 5. I cannot wait for this movie to come out.
↓ Quote | 30/10/2006
i dont think i can be as excited as you about the 300 film coming up, but i’m close. i say that purely because i havent yet read the graphic novel yet, but thanks for the review.. you’ve only served to get me even more worked up about the upcoming film.
↓ Quote | 31/10/2006
Dudes, I can’t tell you how much you’re going to enjoy this GN, it’s seriously absolutely brilliant in soo many ways. I’ve heard that the movie does add a couple of new characters (or expands a few characters) however from the trailer the only scene I saw that wasn’t found in the GN was the scene with Leonidas in the field with his mother.
↓ Quote | 31/10/2006
Well i bought it today and read it all, was great. really enjoyed it. And then i watched the traiiler again. Can’t wait for the movie.
↓ Quote | 23/11/2006
I saw the movie yesterday definitely it the best movie ever..no doubt
↓ Quote | 11/3/2007
One of the best Hollywood movies I’ve seen so far. Mind blowing cinematography. The colors, the graphics, the characters all make u feel as if you are in the middle of the action. Not a single dull moment in the film. Even the sex scene was shown with so much class that it blended perfectly with the movie.
5 stars from me. A must watch for every adult.
↓ Quote | 20/3/2007
To those who’ve seen 300 - what did you feel about the realism of this film? Did you come away thinking this is a fantasy story, or did you believe it was at least based on facts?
I’ve been involved in an online debate with some Iranian friends who are uncomfortable with the depiction of the Persians as horribly deformed, and sexually deviant aggressors - at a time when Bush has them labelled part of the Axis of Evil, with the very real threat of attack on their nuclear plants something many Iranians believe to be immanent.
Part of me wonders if this is just thin-skinned paranoia on the part of a people demonised in the West (in particular the US), and part of me wonders if they have a point.
Hollywood is guilty of rewriting history to suit their target audience, recent tales about WW2 Uboats and Enigma have utterly distorted the facts in order to put the US in a far more positive light; I wonder if this is in some way finding its way into this story. Given the lack of impartiality in the US on almost any topic (including history) I can see why my mates in Iran are concerned… (these folks aren’t part of the baying mass of anti-westerners who are calling for a fatwa on Frank Miller though; the people I am talking to are intelligent liberals - which is why I’m inclined to take them seriously).
So, does this fictional interpretation of events c. 381 BC (?) have a negative impact on the way Iranians are viewed today? I haven’t seen the film, but even the book came across as a story set in another age, one that did not influence, nor seek to influence the way we should regard modern day Iranians.
Just to explain - I enjoyed the graphic novel, and I look forward to the film as eagerly now as when Khaled first showed me the early trailers all those months ago.
↓ Quote | 21/3/2007
I am persian and while I cant take a fictional novel seriously i will say this.
I feel the persians have always been misrepresented in western culture. For the worlds second largest empire to ever walk on earth, I think its a little strange that the only glimpse of this empire is seen in a movie like 300 portrayed as barbarians and uncivilized people with tribal gear.
This is nothing new. I think a lot of sensitivities rise from this issue. We have never been portrayed properly and truthfully in western movies and books and now that we are mentioned, we’re portrayed as demons. This is a touchy subject with most persians as it directly related to the culture and history.
Xerxes never claimed to be a God. The persians believed in one god at the time unlike the greeks and xerxes was a promoter of the zorastrian religion. that alone is a insulting to the iranians as their ancient religion and basis of the culture is misrepresented. I think if there was more awareness about the persian this movie would have sliped away fine. however, the movie realy plays on culture bashing and misrepresenting anything persian. I think alot of this was unnecessary. everything about xerxes is fictional aside the name. His race, appearance, ideologies and his army.
It just seems like the director went to great lenghts to misrepresent him and the persians on purpose.
hope this helps.
↓ Quote | 21/3/2007