A critical view of 300: A Film Analysis

With 300: Rise of an Empire expected to hit theaters in 2014, a curiosity has been building over the first 300 movie.  The first 300 film was released in 2006 and was adapted to the screen by Zack Snyder from Frank Miller's graphic novel. The story depicts the fight of 300 Spartans to repel a much larger Persian invading army from Greece. While the film is appealing to me on a superficial aesthetic level I find the story and how it is represented to be extremely problematic. 


First there is the issue of all the historical inconsistencies in the film (which pain me). Secondly there is the issue of the film as extreme propaganda dressed up in the guise of an action film and historical drama. The film is clearly pro-war, ethnocentric, racist propaganda which also has tones of homophobia and prejudice towards people with disabilities. These issues coupled with the film's use of "black face" for Xerxes (the main villain) make 300 comparative to films such as "Birth of a Nation". Although I would like to think that 300 was accidentally made into a hegemonic monument, the extreme message of the film and the background of the director lead to me to believe that it was done purposefully.

Pro-War Propaganda

The film 300 is pro-war propaganda on two different levels. First it is Propaganda within in the world and time that the story takes place. The story of 300 is being told by the soldier and poet Diliois who has been sent by Leonidas to tell the tale and inspire the Spartan armies to fight in their memory. The intent of Dilios’ story is shown in one of his final lines when he says " 'Remember us.' As simple an order as a king can give. “Remember why we died…Go tell the Spartans, passerby, that here by Spartan law, we lie.”  While the story is presented to audience in the film as historical fact it is actually an epideictic portrait, that is a story that is meant to teach the audience on the virtues of a person and their life. Epideictic rhetoric is one of the three major branches of rhetoric that was described by Aristotle and was often used for funeral orations, obituaries, etc. Looking at the story in this context it can be seen as hegemonic propaganda meant to inspire the Spartan army to fight.

            The Entire film itself is meant to be pro-war propaganda for a modern audience as well. Parallels can be drawn between the events in the movie and the very real war being fought at the time in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Greeks can be seen to represent the U.S and other western countries, The Persians can be seen as to represent the Middle East and even the "threat" of Muslim religion. The fight is seemingly provoked by aggression from the Persians who wish to take the Greeks freedom and who will commit atrocities such as completely decimating an entire city and its inhabitants. At one point Queen Gorgo says that "Freedom isn't free at all" which is a statement mirroring that used is the U.S as a slogan for the reasons needed for going to war, "Freedom isn't Free".         

  

Ethnocentrism and Racism

            There is the use of "Black Face" and "White Washing" in this film which is difficult to ignore. Blackface has a long history in theatre and film. Traditionally Caucasian actors would paint their face black (using burnt cork, grease paint, or shoe polish) and present a caricature of a Black person. "Whitewashing" is a term used to describe the act of taking an ethnic character such as an Asian person Native American person, or Hispanic person and instead of having a person of that ethnicity play the character, a white person is cast to play that ethnic role. Jake Gyllenhaal in the Prince of Persia is a recent example of whitewashing. Arguably Jennifer Lawrence playing Katniss Everdeen is another example of Hollywood whitewashing an ethnic character. In the history of theatre and film Black Face and Whitewashing have been visual manifestations of racism. The film 300 can be viewed as either being guilty of both using Black Face and White Washing. The character of Xerxes was played by Rodrigo Santoro a Brazilian actor who is several shades lighter than the "Xerxes" shown in the film. I would ask what was the purpose of making Xerxes so dark skinned and if it was a necessary quality of the character, why could somebody who naturally posses that skin tone have been chosen.

            While celebrating western hegemony the film also condemns eastern hegemony and exalts western culture. Ethnocentrism is shown in the ways that western and eastern cultures are depicted. The Western Greeks are hardworking, freedom respecting, and somewhat democratic. The Eastern Persians are depicted as indulgent, slave owning (or as slaves), threatening mysticism, and tyrannical. While the Spartans are depicted as more human with families and people they care about as part of their motivation for fighting, the Persians are one dimensional characters who seem to be fighting out of pure greed and the need to have the entire world submit to their God (God-King) and culture. Eastern Culture is depicted as dangerous as it is used in all it lavishness and false promises to seduce characters into betraying their country. The Greeks are portrayed as humans while the Persians are portrayed as monsters. The Immortals are never given actual human faces but are only shown in terms of their monster-like masks, Xerxes is ghoulish, and many of his servants who are not shown as outright monsters are shown as grotesque at the very least. So not only are people of color the enemy in this film, but they are also demonized and de-humanized. We are never meant to sympathize with them or view them as actual people, and by dehumanizing them the violent actions of the Spartans are never called into questions because the audience is never allowed to become emotionally attached to the Persian characters. Xerxes who called the "God-King" is shown to be a character very comparable to the Devil as he seduces people into betraying their country by playing on their greed and lust, he is the "Foreign Devil".  

Homophobia

            Homophobia also seems to be pandered to in the film. While it has been argued by others that the film is homoerotic due to the main characters being attractive and muscular men who spend a majority of the time half naked and in male only society, the film actually seems to be against homosexuality. The muscular and loin-cloth clad Spartans are not meant to be homoerotic but instead are supposed to represent the ideal of masculinity. They are the ultra-buff action heroes of their (and our) day. They are meant to be masculinity at its perfection and to cut a contrast to the indulgent and effeminate Persians. Within the first few minutes of the film Leonidas takes a jab at the Athenians by calling them  "boy-lovers" which in the context of the film is meant to be derogatory. Xerxes is then depicted as a bejeweled , long nailed, and effeminate character who is a sticking contrast to "real men" like the Spartans. The director himself said that this was done on purpose because "What’s more scary to a 20-year-old boy than a giant god-king who wants to have his way with you?" (Belonsky, 2007)

Conclusion

            The film 300 has a clear hegemonic view.  It is also a film that throws support to war and specifically the war in Iraq and Afghanistan by drawing parallels between the "Western culture and Eastern Culture" conflict during the time period of the story and in recent years. Wars and violence are glorified, dissenters are traitors, and being a good citizen is defined as being willing to give your life for the state without question. 

What do you think?  In your opinion, is this film analysis of 300 accurate?  Let us know in the comment section below.

GUEST BLOGGER INFO

Contributing writer: Rainbow S. Coan

Rainbow Coan is a Sci-fi and fantasy movie/T.V enthusiast and all around nerd. Her hobbies include playing StarCraft II (mainly as Terran), reading Sci-fi & fantasy books, and playing games on Xbox. She has a Zombie Apocalypse survival plan and identifies strongly with Hobbits. Her favorite game of all time is King's Quest 6.