Watched 300 at Power Plant Mall yesterday and thought it was a remarkable tale of David versus Goliath. As I checked out the reviews today – like I always do, to avoid having pre-conceived ideas about what to expect – I came to realise that some media reports have speculated that either of the two adversaries (Spartan King Leonidas and Persian Emperor Xerxes) was supposed to represent US president George Bush.
For instance, Claudia Puig of USA Today opines, “Nothing about 300 is intended to be subtle. It’s a quasi-mythical tale of valor and sacrifice, but it has undertones that for some observers might bring to mind the Iraq war: The Spartans, like U.S. forces today, were focused on taking down a tyrant and fighting for freedom. That the Spartans knew they couldn’t win the battle is all the more intriguing when seen through a contemporary lens.”
Indeed, seen through a contemporary lens, I wonder if the Persians were demonised in the movie because of the fact that the Persian empire has become what we know today as Persia, or more commonly, Iran.
Political undertones aside, this film adaptation of the graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller sort of debunks my observations in Lord of the Rings.
Related stories:
A Movie Only a Spartan Could Love
Oh, what a lovely war – that hides its violent truth
Persian Aversion
