300

Loosely based historical fantasy directed by Zack Snyder, the 300 tells a fictionalized tale of the battle of Thermopylae, based on Frank Miller's graphic novel of the same name. The film is graphically gorgeous, with more than a years worth of post production work going into creating scenes that flow into and out of the pages of the graphic novel. Narration voice over is provided by Dilios (David Wenham) and sets the scene for the Valiant defense of Greece. The virtues of reason and freedom are set in stark contrast to the debauched and depraved actions of the Persian Horde.
The start of the movie comes when a Persian messanger comes to Sparta to demand earth and water from the Spartans, and is summarily front kicked into a large open pit for his troubles. The King of the Spartans, Leonidas (Gerald Butler) then visits the Ephors, mystics of Sparta to seek permission for a defense against the Persians. It is denied due to treachery, but Leonidas makes the decision to take 300 volunteers to the "Hot Gates" at Thermopylae and prevent the Persians from entering into Greece.
The defense of the pass is a series of tightly shot sequences that depict the superior fighting skills of the Spartans and their allies, and is designed to make the Persians come to them rather than seek a way around them. In this they succeed, but are betrayed by a deformed creature, Ephialtes (Andrew Tiernan), son of a Spartan father and mother who fled their State rather than have the boy exposed to die for his deformities.
In the defense of the pass Leonidas meets with the Persian King, Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and informs him that his blood too may be spilled at Greek hands.
After their betrayal the Spartans find themselves surrounded and abandoned by their allies and Xerxes comes once again to offer King Leonidas the position of Warlord of all Greece. Leonidas sheds his helmet, shield and spear and appears to bow before Xerxes, but it is a ruse to allow one of his men to kill the officer blocking Leonidas from casting his spear at Xerxes. He fails to kill the great king, but does manage to tear away some of his rings and bloody his mouth. An arrow storm finishes the remainder of the Spartans, and only Dilios remains to tell the story of the defense to a new army, raised from all the Spartans to defend against the Persians at the battle of Plataea.
Historically, this is a very loose rendering of the tales of the Classical Historians Aeschylus, Diodorus, Herodotus and Plutarch. Ancient Greeks would not have understood the morals that this interpretation renders, or would have laughed openly at them. While some aspects of the story are accurate enough, there is no mention of the institutionalized homosexual relationships of the Spartans. The role of Spartan women is decently portrayed, and the side story of Gorgo (Lena Headey) is used to tie the failure of the Spartan Army to come to Leonidas' aid to the treachery of Theron (Dominic West.)
All in all this film is a graphic novel brought to the big screen, and is pleasant action flick fair for most. Not a great philosophical treatise on East vs West, not a racist commentary on Iran or the Middle East, just an action fantasy that has some great graphics and pretty bodies and horror elements.

Critiquegod's rating E for Exceeds Expectations