Ancient warfare movies

**penguinking** · 10-12-2008, 05:33

I despised 300, and I realize is wasn't meant to be historical. I watched it with an Iranian friend, and he was extremely offended at the depiction of the Persian Empire as a nation of slaves.

**mlc82** · 10-12-2008, 06:27

Originally Posted by penguinking

I despised 300, and I realize is wasn't meant to be historical. I watched it with an Iranian friend, and he was extremely offended at the depiction of the Persian Empire as a nation of slaves.

The thing I hated most about 300 is how it just proved how ignorant and stupid toward history most of my fellow US citizens are. The flood of "Spartan Mania" across the country, and forum posts all over the net of 'OMG dood spartanz were like buff defenders of FREEDOM!" (probably a bunch of the same people who also claim gays in the military should just keep their mouths shut or be thrown out), and other such BS to cope with for history nerds like us just destroys all of the entertainment value. Everything about that movie was just stupid IMO, a big mockery of the actual event and story behind it. Imagine Saving Private Ryan as a rap musical starring a buffed up Ben Stiller (one actor I like even less than Vin Diesel, who's best moment in that movie was getting shot and not being included in the rest of it), and it begins to give an idea of a WWII version of the farce that 300 was IMO.

**a completely inoffensive name** · 10-12-2008, 07:36

I really loved Star Wars, unless we are just talking warfare a long time ago in this galaxy, then Gladiator would be my favorite.

**Gleemonex** · 10-12-2008, 07:37

Originally Posted by penguinking

I despised 300, and I realize is wasn't meant to be historical. I watched it with an Iranian friend, and he was extremely offended at the depiction of the Persian Empire as a nation of slaves.

It would have been a whole lot more insulting if they were believably portrayed as a nation of slaves (and don't forget disfigured monsters and transsexual S&M perverts). Personally, as someone who is regularly mistaken for middle-eastern, I was relieved that they exaggerated enough for the caricature to be obvious.

Originally Posted by mlc82

The thing I hated most about 300 is how it just proved how ignorant and stupid toward history most of my fellow US citizens are.

Don't look now, but the 2004 presidential election already proved that

-Glee

**a completely inoffensive name** · 10-12-2008, 07:48

Originally Posted by Gleemonex

Don't look now, but the 2004 presidential election already proved that

-Glee

Cue Foot telling us to take this into the backroom.

**Ramistrov** · 10-12-2008, 09:19

Oh another film I quite liked was Last of the Mohicans, not really Medieval or ancient but a good adventure movie!

**Poppis** · 10-12-2008, 09:33

Originally Posted by Conradus

You guys sure are hard on most of these movies.

I don't know about others, but I for one watch these movies because I like history, which means I want the movies to be historically accurate(especially concerning battles), or at least not so obviously ahistorical as some of these movies are.

This is why movies like Troy or King Arthur didn't really do it for me.

Originally Posted by Gleemonex

The reason I can accept it is that (IMO) Hollywood has been doing alright in portraying the human side of military leaders lately. The best examples that come to mind now are We Were Soldiers and A Few Good Men. Also, I'm told that Hitler: The Rise of Evil is really good, and I'm a big Robert Carlyle fan.

Der Untergang also springs to mind.

Originally Posted by mlc82

The thing I hated most about 300 is how it just proved how ignorant and stupid toward history most of my fellow US citizens are.

And that's the movies fault?

Originally Posted by penguinking

I despised 300, and I realize is wasn't meant to be historical. I watched it with an Iranian friend, and he was extremely offended at the depiction of the Persian Empire as a nation of slaves.

Again, that was only Dilios' opinion/observation of the opposing army.

And I agree that a historically accurate movie of the battle of Thermopylae would be awesome, but in the meanwhile people shouldn't try to squeeze 300 into that role.

**Conradus** · 10-12-2008, 10:57

Originally Posted by Poppis

I don't know about others, but I for one watch these movies because I like history, which means I want the movies to be historically accurate(especially concerning battles), or at least not so obviously ahistorical as some of these movies are.

This is why movies like Troy or King Arthur didn't really do it for me.

You watch a movie like Troy, based on one of the first fiction novels in history and you expect it to be historically accurate? I mean, be glad they didn't include gods in the fighting or Achilles fighting against an entire river.

Though I wouldn't mind if they'd stay closer to the Illiad. But that would be unfilmable.