'300' strikes a chord

[thedrifter]

MOVIES
'300' strikes a chord
Marines see parallels between war in Iraq and the film's story, which tells of Spartans fighting against mighty Persian invaders.
By Tony Perry and Robert W. Welkos, Times Staff Writers
March 14, 2007

To the U.S. Marines serving at Camp Pendleton, there is much to learn from the Spartans, those heroic warriors of ancient Greece whom one might have called "the few, the proud" centuries before the Marine Corps adopted the motto.

In the hit new film "300," Marines see parallels between the current war in Iraq and the film's story, which tells of hopelessly outnumbered Spartans fighting heroically to the death against mighty Persian invaders at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC.

There was periodic cheering Monday night at the Regal multiplex in downtown Oceanside, a few blocks from the main gate of Camp Pendleton, where young Marines attended showings of "300" on three screens. Some Marines nodded in recognition at lines in the movie that were familiar from their training — such as when King Leonidas instructs his son that the more troops sweat in training, the less they will bleed in combat.

"When the Spartan officer says that Spartans are all about protecting the guy to the left and right rather than being worried about themselves, that struck a chord," said Pfc. James Lyons, 20. "That's what they tell us all the time."

The R-rated film set box office records over the weekend, pulling in more than $70 million.

Meanwhile, the film has sparked outrage in modern Iran, which denounced the blockbuster's depiction of the ancient battle as "hostile behavior which is the result of cultural and psychological warfare." According to Reuters, poor-quality pirated DVDs are already circulating in Iran and a broad spectrum of government leaders and bloggers have denounced the movie as portraying the Persians as decadent, sexually flamboyant and evil in contrast to the noble Greeks. Some elected officials in Iran are urging other Muslim countries not to show "this anti-Iranian Hollywood movie."

It probably comes as no surprise that Marines would like the film.

"I barked and cheered my way through '300' with two fellow Marine infantry officers who have shed blood and tears in the back alleys of Iraq," said Ilario G. Pantano, whose book "Warlord: No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy" details his experiences in Iraq and his criminal case on charges of murdering two Iraqis. He was exonerated and is now a sheriff's deputy in New Hanover County, N.C.

At a time when mounting U.S. and Iraqi casualties in Iraq have alarmed the American public, the movie seems to celebrate war, militarism and battlefield carnage.

The clash between the Spartans and Persians at Thermopylae was classic war: force on force, enemies looked in each other's eyes, no hidden improvised explosive devices, one nation versus another.

To scholars, the Spartans are an extreme example of a society trained for war and soldiers who were expected to go into battle without questioning authority.

Kathryn Morgan, who teaches classics at UCLA, said there is much to learn from the Battle of Thermopylae.

"The Spartans were the marvel of the ancient world," she said. "For a long time, it was thought that you couldn't conquer Spartan soldiers in battle. This was a society that was totally devoted to creating fantastical warriors."

At the Battle of Thermopylae, the Spartans were hopelessly outnumbered, but they fight to the end, refusing to surrender.

"They fight even when they could have escaped," she noted. "They are making a statement of what it is to be a Spartan. It's a hugely tear-jerking thing." Furthermore, she said, history remembers these men as virtuous defenders of freedom and civilization. "That's the way the Greeks saw it. It made a huge impression at the time. These dead warriors were considered heroes ever after."

Vincent Farenga, who teaches classics at USC, said via e-mail that he believes the movie "300" strikes a chord with young people because they are "very curious about the ancient world.

"As [the film] 'Gladiator' proved, film can burn right through the impediments of verbal histories and archaeological studies — but only if it has a 'look' and 'feel' that strikes young people as 'right on.' "

Bill Stutzman, an upper-school humanities teacher at Foundations Academy, a nondenominational Protestant K-12 school in Boise, Idaho, that stresses teaching of the classics, said one of his students showed a trailer for the film in class and described what it would be like living in Sparta as a woman.

"What we are seeing is that kids, from the youngest age on up, love these stories," he said.

There is, of course, precedent for Americans showing a cultural cross-current in their movie preferences during wartime. In 1967, with the Vietnam War protests raging, "The Dirty Dozen" was hugely popular.

The film "300" and the Frank Miller graphic novel on which it is based celebrate a warrior cult that prizes physical fitness, discipline and bravery. The numbers are small, but the hearts are stout. The cult is part of the society it protects but yet is separate, even alienated, from it.

"Currently, the U.S. Marine Corps embodies the Spartan code, as shown in the Fallouja battles," e-mailed Bing West, former assistant secretary of Defense and author of two books about Marines in Iraq.

How frequently did "300" remind the young Marines in the movie audience of the Marine Corps?

"Every second," said Pfc. Zach Marino, 23. The Spartans and the battle at Thermopylae are an official part of Marine Corps mythology and self-image.

"Gates of Fire," Steven Pressfield's novelistic treatment of Thermopylae, has been on the commandant's reading list for enlisted ranks. Officers are asked to read Thucydides' accounts of the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens.

Of course, all current cultural concerns aside, there is also another possible explanation for the success of "300."

As West noted, Aristotle thought courage was the most important virtue of all because it makes possible all other virtues. There is a modern box-office equivalent.

"A good war movie is a good movie," said Robert Thompson, professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University.

tony.perry@latimes.com

robert.welkos@latimes.com

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ellie

[usmcmule]

I heard on FOX news a few minutes ago that Iran don't like the movie, something about making Persians look bad?? I have not seen it, waiting for the DVD to come out then I don't have to deal with people at the theater. As I get older I get more recluse/keep to myself.

peee on Iran is what I think anyhow...

[testforecho2112]

I saw it at the IMAX theater this weekend, it is a great blood and guts movies, about a great band of warriors...not unlike alot of you here.

"We are Sparta" Sounded alot like, "We are Marines!"

[slowrider]

Yup, Seen a trailor on it this morning on the "Today Show" Might have to go check that out this weekend

[Zulu 36]

From what I've read about the movie "300," it is somewhat historically innacurate (how many movies are 100% accurate anyway?). It leaves the impression that the Spartans did all of the real fighting when they actually had many more Greek troops to assist them and they all took turns on the front line. Also, the movie does not show the Greek forces fighting in their "hoplite" formations, which is primarily why they were able to hold off the Persians for so long until betrayed (not by a PO'd Spartan, but by a local Greek).

No mention of the Athenian Navy is made in the movie and their naval equivilent of Thermopylae taking place at the same time, although the Greek navy got away mostly intact with the Persian navy mostly destroyed (the Greeks got welcome help from the weather).

However, the movie does accurately reflect one historical fact: The small Greek forces put an ass kicking on the Persians they didn't quickly forget (evidently even to this day). Those psychological memories caused serious problems later for the Persians when they faced a far larger force of Spartans and other Greeks.

Apparently, the Persians/Iranians are still pretty sensitive about getting their collective butts kicked. Facts are facts. Looooosers!

[thedrifter]

The few, the proud among fans of '300'
By Tony Perry and Robert W. Welkos, Times Staff Writers
March 14, 2007

To the U.S. Marines serving at Camp Pendleton, there is much to learn from the Spartans, those heroic warriors of ancient Greece whom one might have called "the few, the proud" centuries before the Marine Corps adopted the motto.

In the hit new film "300," Marines see parallels between the current war in Iraq and the film's story, which tells of hopelessly outnumbered Spartans fighting heroically to the death against mighty Persian invaders at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC.

There was periodic cheering Monday night at the Regal multiplex in downtown Oceanside, a few blocks from the main gate of Camp Pendleton, where young Marines attended showings of "300" on three screens. Some Marines nodded in recognition at lines in the movie that were familiar from their training — such as when King Leonidas instructs his son that the more troops sweat in training, the less they will bleed in combat.

"When the Spartan officer says that Spartans are all about protecting the guy to the left and right rather than being worried about themselves, that struck a chord," said Pfc. James Lyons, 20. "That's what they tell us all the time."

The R-rated film set box office records over the weekend, pulling in more than $70 million.

Meanwhile, the film has sparked outrage in modern Iran, which denounced the blockbuster's depiction of the ancient battle as "hostile behavior which is the result of cultural and psychological warfare." According to Reuters, poor-quality pirated DVDs are already circulating in Iran and a broad spectrum of government leaders and bloggers have denounced the movie as portraying the Persians as decadent, sexually flamboyant and evil in contrast to the noble Greeks. Some elected officials in Iran are urging other Muslim countries not to show "this anti-Iranian Hollywood movie."

It probably comes as no surprise that Marines would like the film.

"I barked and cheered my way through '300' with two fellow Marine infantry officers who have shed blood and tears in the back alleys of Iraq," said Ilario G. Pantano, whose book "Warlord: No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy" details his experiences in Iraq and his criminal case on charges of murdering two Iraqis. He was exonerated and is now a sheriff's deputy in New Hanover County, N.C.

At a time when mounting U.S. and Iraqi casualties in Iraq have alarmed the American public, the movie seems to celebrate war, militarism and battlefield carnage.

The clash between the Spartans and Persians at Thermopylae was classic war: force on force, enemies looked in each other's eyes, no hidden improvised explosive devices, one nation versus another.

To scholars, the Spartans are an extreme example of a society trained for war and soldiers who were expected to go into battle without questioning authority.

Kathryn Morgan, who teaches classics at UCLA, said there is much to learn from the Battle of Thermopylae.

"The Spartans were the marvel of the ancient world," she said. "For a long time, it was thought that you couldn't conquer Spartan soldiers in battle. This was a society that was totally devoted to creating fantastical warriors."

At the Battle of Thermopylae, the Spartans were hopelessly outnumbered, but they fight to the end, refusing to surrender.

"They fight even when they could have escaped," she noted. "They are making a statement of what it is to be a Spartan. It's a hugely tear-jerking thing." Furthermore, she said, history remembers these men as virtuous defenders of freedom and civilization. "That's the way the Greeks saw it. It made a huge impression at the time. These dead warriors were considered heroes ever after."

Vincent Farenga, who teaches classics at USC, said via e-mail that he believes the movie "300" strikes a chord with young people because they are "very curious about the ancient world.

"As [the film] 'Gladiator' proved, film can burn right through the impediments of verbal histories and archaeological studies — but only if it has a 'look' and 'feel' that strikes young people as 'right on.' "

Bill Stutzman, an upper-school humanities teacher at Foundations Academy, a nondenominational Protestant K-12 school in Boise, Idaho, that stresses teaching of the classics, said one of his students showed a trailer for the film in class and described what it would be like living in Sparta as a woman.

"What we are seeing is that kids, from the youngest age on up, love these stories," he said.

There is, of course, precedent for Americans showing a cultural cross-current in their movie preferences during wartime. In 1967, with the Vietnam War protests raging, "The Dirty Dozen" was hugely popular.

The film "300" and the Frank Miller graphic novel on which it is based celebrate a warrior cult that prizes physical fitness, discipline and bravery. The numbers are small, but the hearts are stout. The cult is part of the society it protects but yet is separate, even alienated, from it.

"Currently, the U.S. Marine Corps embodies the Spartan code, as shown in the Fallouja battles," e-mailed Bing West, former assistant secretary of Defense and author of two books about Marines in Iraq.

How frequently did "300" remind the young Marines in the movie audience of the Marine Corps?

"Every second," said Pfc. Zach Marino, 23. The Spartans and the battle at Thermopylae are an official part of Marine Corps mythology and self-image.

"Gates of Fire," Steven Pressfield's novelistic treatment of Thermopylae, has been on the commandant's reading list for enlisted ranks. Officers are asked to read Thucydides' accounts of the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens.

Of course, all current cultural concerns aside, there is also another possible explanation for the success of "300."

As West noted, Aristotle thought courage was the most important virtue of all because it makes possible all other virtues. There is a modern box-office equivalent.

"A good war movie is a good movie," said Robert Thompson, professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University.

tony.perry@latimes.com

robert.welkos@latimes.com

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ellie

[ZSKI]

I want to visit the memorial at thermopolyae.

"Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by,
that here, obedient to their laws, we lie"

[drumcorpssnare]

Granted, this is a very broad statement, but for the most part the Persians had nowhere near the mettle of the Spartans.
Throughout history, unless they were certain of an easy victory, the Persians were quick to negotiate or run away.
drumcorpssnare

[hankhoffman]

This was a great movie. If you like good action movies you need to see this one.

[Osotogary]

I only counted 297 Spartans!
Not too much is said about the Spartan woman but they also were known for their athletic prowess. Public Broadcasting did a whole series on Greece and the Spartans. The fall of Sparta, that is also part of this PBS presentation, can also be made current with a few name changes.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

My plan is to see this, this weekend.

I've read up prior to attending, and just for general knowledge, I'd suggest the following to give you a good idea of the 'whys and wherefores'....

"The Western Way of War", Victor Hanson. Discusses, in great detail (but not boring detail) the reasons the Hoplite Infantryman fought the way he did. A must read to understand the Greek Grunt.

Followed by:

"Gates of Fire", by Pressfield. Damn good read. Fiction, but the story was well researched, from the Greek, and Greek scholars (including Hanson).

That having been said, I know '300' is a story, based on a comic book (Ok, Graphic novel...hardback comic book LOL) so I'm not expecting a documentary. I expect to be entertained without my intelligence being insulted. I think I will get both from this movie.

[DWG]

Granted, this is a very broad statement, but for the most part the Persians had nowhere near the mettle of the Spartans.
Throughout history, unless they were certain of an easy victory, the Persians were quick to negotiate or run away.
drumcorpssnare

Easy there Drum; you might hurt the feelings of the iranians! Hmmm, I-RAN, maybe there is something to a name!

[drumcorpssnare]

DW- Makes me wonder if today's French are descendants of the ancient Persians. Must be they both used to smoke "Chesterfields"...backwards...hence, "I'd rather switch, than fight." LOL
drumcorpssnare

[DWG]

Damn Drum; you must be OLD; do they even still make Chesterfields?


The problem with the french is that they have had their a$$es handed to them by EVERYBODY in the world at one time or another; they're just punch drunk! (and chickensh*t)

[Devildogg4ever]

300

Click on this link and you can watch the movie 300 for free!

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