(Above: screen shot of the opening title card on the IMAX
screen, for "300." Photo: Omar P.L. Moore)
Prepare For
Gory!
The Exquisite Visual Art of The Kill
The Popcorn Reel IMAX Movie Review: "300"
By Omar P.L. Moore/March 13, 2007
Zach Snyder's film promises so much, and delivers quite a lot of
its promise. "300", a story about the battle to save Sparta in a bygone
century is rich in visual splendor, thunderous in its scope, visceral imprints
and towering performances, especially that of Gerard Butler. So why is it
then, that even in IMAX -- on a screen eight stories tall -- that a feeling of
emptiness pervades the viewer when all is said and done?
Make no mistake, Frank Miller's graphic novel has been spectacularly translated
on the big screen and the best way to see this film is via IMAX. One of
the reasons this review came late is because many IMAX shows have been sold out,
and the film, which in North America made $70 million-plus in its opening
weekend, has received incredible word of mouth. The story of 300
men valiantly trying to vanquish a Persian army of seemingly millions is a
David-and-Goliath tale (based on the true ancient Battle of Themoplylae) that should rouse any audience. And at some points
it does. But even with the well-intended story, hidden or not so hidden
analogies to the current war in Iraq, and plenty of humor, there is simply a
sense that after the heavy body counts, blood-letting and witty lines of
dialogue passes, there is just no place else to go.
Obviously the battle movie has been done many times before, and even in the
innovative, grand visual style in which it is presented here there is a
feeling that nothing new is offered. There are some sumptuously beautiful
images throughout, including that of a young Sparta woman dancing and undulating amidst a veil
that barely covers her. It is a hypnotic image, one of the amazing litany
of indelible images that "300", at one hour and 57 minutes in length, has to
offer.
The film's advertising posters trumpet the words "Prepare For Glory!" but the
"l" in "glory" should have stayed at home, as blood (as you would expect in a
war epic) flies by the bucket-load, sometimes in real-time, and at other points
in slow-motion. Lena Headey plays the Queen of Sparta, while Butler
carries tremendous physicality as King Leonidas. (Had Russell Crowe not
been able to do "Gladiator", Mr. Butler would have filled in admirably, as his
presence in "300" fits perfectly.) All the actors during the battle
scenes carry an intensity in their eyes that is both convincing and convenient
for this genre of film.
Simply put, the marvelous computer graphic imagery, special visual effects and
cinematography are the ultimate stars of "300", a film that is impressive but
slightly underwhelming. Judging from the IMAX audience's tepid response at
the end and throughout the film in general, there is every indication that "300"
hit some targets but didn't galvanize as much as it deserved to.
Gerard Butler as King Leoniadas of Sparta, in a scene near
the end of "300" -- the IMAX version. (Screen shot: Omar P.L. Moore)
"300" is rated R for strong graphic violence, gruesome
killings, language and some nudity. The film's duration is one hour and 57
minutes. The film opened last Friday (March 9) in the United States and
Canada, and will soon make its way around to other countries. The film is
released by Warner Brothers.
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