300: Most Anti-Liberal Movie in Recent Memory

quesney ^

[quesney]

This the most anti-liberal movie I've ever seen in recent memory. In less than two hours 300 directly rejects most of the basic tenets of contemporary American liberalism.

For starters, it dismisses the idea....

1) that self esteem matters more than merit and that all people should be treated as equally capable of all tasks (a handicapped man is treated politely by the King but immediately rejected as unsuitable for military service)

2) that sentimentality matters more than reality

3) that peace is a higher virtue than violence in the defense of core ideals

2) that all cultures are created equal and that multiculturalism is a high virtue

3) that there is any point to diplomacy with enemies that have threatened you and your family "with slavery and death"

4) that kindness is a higher virtue than morality and effectiveness

5) that tradition, however absurd and archaic to contemporary eyes, can be dismissed lightly

6) that duty, honor, glory and defense of the nation are not worth dying for

And I think that was just the first 30 minutes.

On top of all this, the movie shows a King submitting to the rule of law and the will of the legislature at the cost of his own life.

I can't believe this film got past Hollywood unscathed.

[quesney]

Here's what I meant to post:


This the most anti-liberal movie I've seen in recent memory. In less than two hours 300 directly rejects most of the basic tenets of contemporary American liberalism.

For starters, it dismisses the idea....

1) that self esteem matters more than merit and that
all people should be treated as equally capable of all
tasks (a handicapped man is treated politely by the
King but immediately rejected as unsuitable for
military service)

2) that sentimentality matters more than reality

3) that peace is a higher virtue than violence in the
defense of core ideals

4) that all cultures are created equal and that
multiculturalism is a high virtue

5) that there is any point to diplomacy with enemies
that have threatened you and your family "with slavery
and death"

6) that kindness is a higher virtue than morality and
effectiveness

7) that tradition, however absurd and archaic to
contemporary eyes, can be dismissed lightly

8) that duty, honor, glory and defense of the nation are not worth dying for

And I think that was just the first 30 minutes.

On top of all this, the movie shows a King submitting to the rule of law and the will of the legislature at the cost of his own life.

I can't believe this film got past Hollywood unscathed.

[Constantine XI Palaeologus]

Be that as it may, I still shudder whenever I see commercials for that movie. I like a comment I read while scanning a newspaper. Something along the lines of the movie being "so stylized that it makes the Lord of the Rings look like a documentary."

Why couldn't a more "normal" director choose to make a movie about Thermopylae? I'm actually not a big fan of the ancient Greeks, but it seems like it's dishonoring a great battle.

[WLR]

One thing historically... Leonidas was not a King like you might think of. He was one of two Kings which in fact were Hereditary Generals of the Spartan Army.. One usually stayed home to defend while the other went out and fought..

The elders were all old soldiers themselves and served in the proto democratic controlling body of Sparta. The Hereditary King/Generals would usually annually be required to swear loyalty to the small controlling body of Sparta.


W

[dr_lew]

I'm actually not a big fan of the ancient Greeks,

Whaaaaaa?

That's a Dan Ackroyd doing Nixon to Dick Cavett's John Dean "Whaaaaaa?" ... but I mean it sincerely.

Of course it is fashionable these days to discount the "Greek miracle" and so on, but from my own reading, I don't see how the ancient Greeks can be taken as anything less than the miraculous origin of our own modern intellect. I truly feel that at some level, we are the Greeks.

[Northern Alliance]

I don't know anything about this movie. Is is based on the Book "Gates of Fire"? (A great book, btw. At least one US commander in Iraq read excerpts to his troops).

[durasell]

Uh, Sparta was anti-democratic. Supported the oligarchs rather than democratic societies and wasn't a real friend to Athens, as evidenced by the Peloponnesian (SP?) War.

[Ajnin]

That damn movie almost made me re-enlist in the Marine Corps. One more freakin' movie like this and I'll be divorced for sure.

[quesney]

"Uh, Sparta was anti-democratic. Supported the oligarchs rather than democratic societies and wasn't a real friend to Athens, as evidenced by the Peloponnesian (SP?) War."

Talking about the movie, not the real history.

[durasell]

The movie looks like it might be okay -- but the special effects are somewhat troubling. Style over substance, blah,blah,blah

[Caipirabob]

I think people needed to be more aware that this was a highly stylized adaption of the graphic comic novel "300" by Frank Miller. The movie was presented as a visceral entertainment spectacle and had the same depth as the comic. It wasn't meant as a historical depiction of the battle, but Frank Millers "Fantasy" of what the battle was like.

All in all, it was simple a great story. But yes, if you went expection historical accuracy, it would have certainly been lacking.

But as a story? Great! All that blood flying over the place... I felt like I was watching "Gallager" smashing a watermelon. We should have brought a plastic tarp - lol!

[snoringbear]

Well, if it piss's the Iranian's off, then it's got to be ok with me. Can't wait to see it.

[Sherman Logan]

Well, the Spartans were experts at slavery and death.

For others.

While there is much that is admirable about Sparta, it was perhaps the most totalitarian society in all history. Family life, child-rearing, post-natal abortion at the command of the state, murder of possible rebels, enforced economic equality (among Spartans), domestic terrorism as state policy, and institutionalized pederasty were key components of their society.

All necessitated by their deciding to support themselves by enslaving many times their own number of neighboring Greeks.

All told, not a very nice society.

[CarrotAndStick]

The Spartans used to take their smallish infants and dispose of them in a mountain.



That, and I believe the Persian king depicted, Xerxes, was a positive figure in the Bible...


Est 8:7 King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have impaled him on the pole he set up. 8 Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring—for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”

http://www.zondervanbiblesearch.com/ResultsPassage.aspx?Passage=Esther+8

That said, this is a work of pure fiction, with no historical parallels, barring the main theme.

[GeneralisimoFranciscoFranco]

Well, uh, yea, but they all voted on that stuff, right?

[Caipirabob]

We saw it Sunday. It was a liberal's nightmare. Now understand that it's based on a comic book, and you'll appreciate it for all that it's worth. People are loving this movie because it is great entertainment.

[JoeGar]

It wasn't meant as a historical depiction of the battle ...

I can't wait to see the History Channel's recreation of the battle. I love their stuff.

[highlander_UW]

I'm surprised the liberals don't love this movie. The Spartans really took to the "it takes a village" mentality in the raising of their children.

[BuffaloJack]

It PO'd the Iranians, so it must be phenomenal. Of course it doesn't take much to upset the sensibilities of the religion of perpetual anger.
As for historical content, watch the account of the 300 Spartans shown on the History Channel this past week. Well done, factual, not overhyped, and it still came in with a mostly non-liberal message.

[visualops]

Very enjoyable movie:

One Night With the King

http://www.8x.com/onenight/main.html