The 300 Spartans

The 300 Spartans
by Rudolph Mat?

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DVD Cover Information

Actor: Barry Coe, David Farrar, Diane Baker, Ralph Richardson, Richard Egan
Director: Rudolph Mat?
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0; Spanish (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0
Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 108 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-05-11
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Movie Reviews of The 300 Spartans

Movie Review: The 300 Spartans
Summary: 3 Stars

This version of the Spartan stand at Thermopalyae is historically more accurate than 300 which came out in 2007. 300 does have the better special effects, after all, it's 45 years later. The 300 Spartans was my first experience with this famous battle, as a child I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sadly, I'm now an adult, this film doesn't have the same impact on me. Richard Egan, a second tier star at best, as Leonidas is barely adequate. But I will be honest, the script is stiff, not giving the best lines for the actors to deliver. But as far as the story goes it's fairly accurate to the historical events of the battle.

The basic story is that the Persians are invading Greece with one of the largest armies ever assembled up to that time. Xerxes (David Farrar) is bent on conquering the Greeks but the why isn't mentioned nor is his character given much room to develop, this is an action-adventure film. The Greeks decide in a Senate style meeting that a holding action must be done in order to give themselves enough time to muster their armies. It must be understood, at this time, Greece wasn't a unified country, they were a loose confederation of City-States headed by their own king & not always willing to cooperate with one another. Once all of this is decided, etc., King Leonidas of Sparta is approached & convinced he is the needed buffer between the Persians & Greeks. In essence, Thermopylae is The Greeks version of the Alamo; here they'll stand in order to preserve the Greek democracy. Unfortunately, the Spartans are in the midst of a religious festival & can't go to battle. Leonidas, in order to circumvent the festival, names 300 Spartans as his personal bodyguard.

The selection of Thermopylae as a defensive position was a stroke of genius & luck. It is a very narrow stretch of beach with water on one side & high, unscalable cliffs on the other. This forces the Persians to attack in piecemeal, never able to throw their entire army into battle in mass. The Spartans were probably the first truly professional army in the world which gave them a great advantage on this narrow strip of land. The movie focuses on the 300 Spartans but they weren't the only Greeks there. They are others mentioned & shown in the movie but their presence doesn't have much to do with the film. This is the Spartans' heroic stand against a superior force, fighting to preserve democracy. What's barely mentioned is the navy the Greeks were assembling in order to cut off the Persians. The Greeks needed time to do this also, in fact, not long after the Battle of Thermopylae, there was a naval battle where the Greeks succeeded in defeating the Persian navy, thereby cutting them off from supplies & an escape route. Themistocles (Sir Ralph Richardson) is basically the brains behind it all & the leader of the Greek navy.

The 300 Spartans is a so-so movie once you get past the dialog. It's also easier to take as a story than it's more famous 300. I consider this film to be a better & more historically accurate version of the Spartans stand than 300 though the special effects are miles apart.

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Summary of The 300 Spartans

The futile yet inspiring stand of 300 Greek soldiers against the hugest army ever assembled in the ancient world inspired this typical example of Hollywood epic movie-making. King Leonidas of Sparta (Richard Egan, Demetrius and the Gladiators), prevented by political squabbling from sending his entire army to defend the narrow pass of Thermopylae, sets out with his personal bodyguard to fight off the ambitious Persian king, Xerxes. Along the way are a pair of young lovers, scantily clad dancing girls, and treachery though a secret mountain path. The 300 Spartans, made in 1961, has an overstated cold war subtext--there's much talk of freedom vs. slavery--and there are a few too many shots of armored men marching through the Greek countryside, but the historical conflict has a fundamentally stirring quality. Also featuring Sir Ralph Richardson (Dr. Zhivago, Dragonslayer) as a wily Athenian politician. --Bret Fetzer

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