The 300 Spartans
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Movie Reviews of The 300 Spartans
Movie Review: You get what you pay for
Summary: 3 Stars
I saw this movie when it first came out in 1961. I remember all the kids running to the candy counter during the "boring" senate debate scene. It's fun to watch for nostalgia's sake, but it's far from a good movie.My key problem is the way it depicts the Spartans fighting. They preferred not to engage in individual swordplay, as shown in the film. The Spartans' power came from the phalanx--shields locked together, men surging forward in step, and spears plunging again and again into the Persians. (They didn't throw the spears, by the way; they simply stabbed over the tops of their shields.)
Also, as a kid I thought it ludicrous that the Persian Immortals would use wicker shields, but later I found out they're quite ingeneous. A sword or spear plunged into a wicker shield is very hard to pull out, which effectively disarms an opponent.
The Spartans defeated the Persians basically by bowling them over with the phalanx.
Anyway, a fun movie if you don't expect too much.
Movie Review: Ok, for a 60s movie.
Summary: 3 Stars
This movie was just 'alright'. For a 60's type movie, it holds my attention pretty well. Of course, it is very 'Hollywood-ized', with cheezy dialog and romance. But hey, if you are basing the movie on that, and not the historical importance of this battle, then this movie would be a flop. Historically, battle-wise, it seems pretty accurate. Well, at least accurate in the fact we don't really know what happened on those days. We just rely on writings of people who probably were not there. Sure, the Persians recorded some. And the Greeks heard stories of what happened from those who survived. History is full of half-truths. Ok, let us assume Herodotus is right - then the battle scenes are pretty good and accurate. For those who would like a remake of the film, then your wait is finally over! Frank Miller's "300" is being made into a movie, scheduled for release February 2007. Movie trailers are out on the web. Looks pretty cool! More Spartan, less Hollywood. :)Movie Review: Wooden? Yes! Glorious? yes ... yes .. yes!
Summary: 3 Stars
As many reviewers have pointed out, the acting in this semi-epic is wooden to the extreme ... with one major exception.It's almost like Ralph Richardson is acting in another movie. His Themosticles is eloquent and truely moving. But his scenes with Richard Egan are almost painful to watch ...
As for the rest ... well, this is a movie I saw when I was like 13 years old and it was perfect for me then. Now? I look back with affection, despite its flaws. It's not a great movie by any means, but it's still a wonderful film. I'm very happy to get the widescreen edition at last on DVD (allowing me to retire the old PS version I taped off TV).
For a slightly more sophisticated look at the battle of Thermopalye, let me recommend Stephen Pressfield's novel "Gates of Fire." It's available in paperback and is a first-rate fictional re-telling of the stand of the 300 Spartans.
Movie Review: Old movie; it is what it is.
Summary: 3 Stars
This is an older movie, and that means a few things. It may come off as a little campy to younger viewers. There are no big special effects, no CGI, no elaborate sets. The acting and direction is typical of movies 40 years ago - not slick, and lacking in the intensity you would might find in a movie like Gladiator The Spartans looks surprsingly un-athletic in comparison to the buff actors you's find in Troy or Alexander. It's a little like watching a play that was filmed.
All that said, it is what it is: an old movie about the battle of Thermopylae. And if you love watching any movie you can get your hands on about Ancient Greek history, you'll probably get a kick out of it. And I'm not aware of any other film adaptation of the battle, so it may be all there is out there.
Movie Review: Not as good as I remembered
Summary: 3 Stars
Of course, that is because I was a very young child when this movie was originally being played. It's still fun to watch. The acting is marginal, costumes are poorly done and some of the spoken lines are terrible. It's main redeeming quality...it's a good clean movie that is biased toward the admirable qualities in mankind...duty, honor, country. This is something that you don't get to see very often from Hollywood these days.
I waited a very long time for this to come out on DVD, and bought it immediately. It will forever be part of my collection, and I will watch it many more times over the years. It's not The Ten Commandments or Ben Hur, but for me and probably many other baby boomers, it's still a "must have" movie.