300 (Spartans, that is)

Originally Posted by Lemurmania

I don't know how many of you have read Frank Miller's 300, but it's a really great piece of work. Very pro-Spartan, very rah-rah bronze age fascism, but a lot of fun.

I guess Sin City inspired the wonks in L.A. to try again, 'cause they're doing 300 this time. Here's a link to their site, including, most interestingly, a video diary.

What does this forum of history buffs think? Will it be good? Interesting? Even vaguely historically accurate? Will they make any attempt at all to show what a phalanx looked like?

Merry Boxing Day, Brother Lemur!

I trust that most of your guests have departed by now, bar a few who will stay for the rest of the week and who are now out walking in the woods or feeding the ducks with the kids. This is a time for Dads all over the world to retire into their studies and disappear into virtual limbo for the rest of the afternoon.

And what a lovely study in fascism it brings!

My idiocy detector with regard to Sparta is always the oldest source, Hedorotos, particularly the passage where he states that Spartan warriors wore red cloaks and long hair which they combed before going into battle. In the words of Plutarch: 'They would take particular care in arranging their hair, which was long because Lycurgus said that long hair adds beauty to a good face, and terror to an ugly one.'

The cloaks are there on the gentlemen in the video, but their curly wurly hair-do's (which seem to have been taken from Athenian sculpture and vases) are not authentic. Spartans wore skirts as well, not those perky little tanga's from the video which, I trust, will go down a riot with a certain audience in San Francisco.

I suppose there will be another audience for it as well, mainly youths who like to imagine themselves as cold-hearted avengers in a black and white world (the actors certainly look as if they are unable to read or write, as were most Spartan warriors). A world where women know their place (there seems to be one female character in the movie who symbolises womenhood, always a sure sign of fascism). Also, if I may venture fore a moment beyond my own habitat, I imagine some Americans long for the sort of warriors depicted here, men without political doubts or nagging consciences, without any other emotion than the patriotism and sense of duty that they were indoctrinated with since early youth.

I have not read the book, so maybe you can correct any mistaken impressions on my part. But at first sight, Brother Lemur, I have to say this looks like total cr@p to me. So, um..

.. enjoy!