Man, check out this discussion forum: http://www.discovervancouver.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=147469
Persians (iranians) are so angered by the movie that they have gone so far as to call the movie "racist".
What exactly is it about this movie that has caused so much anger among persians???
2007-03-17 23:15:58 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Entertainment & Music ➔ Movies
Many believe that the Persian invaders in the movie are portrayed as vile monstrous creatures, much more barbaric then they actually were. Also despite the fact that the battle did occur, they feel it is western biased, and is not as historically accurate as it should be.
2007-03-17 23:19:59 · answer #1 · answered by Sagely 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
First off the guy who was posting needs to relax. The Persians were the bad guys in this film, historically they did attack the Greek city states, so depending on which culture you like better, they could be the protagonists or antagonists. Secondly the only scene with an orgy in it was when the Persians were tempting the hunchback to defect to their army. No where else in the movie did it imply that that's what the Persians sit around doing all day. Its not racists its a movie that was taken from a comic book. I believe the poster on the forum just took the movie too seriously and didn't want to see his nationality in anything but the most positive of lights. If people went to 300 expecting to see a historically accurate representation of the Spartans, Persians or the battle of Thermopylae then, I'm sorry but they were stupid. It says Frank Millers 300, you know the guy that did Sin City? This was a movie, nothing more, just a good way to waste a couple hours and shouldn't be taken politically or as trying to make some sort of statement.
2007-03-17 23:26:39 · answer #2 · answered by in vino veritas 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Based on Frank Miller's graphic novel, "300" concerns the 480 B.C. Battle of Thermopylae, where the King of Sparta led his army against the advancing Persians; the battle is said to have inspired all of Greece to band together against the Persians, and helped usher in the world's first democracy. This last sentence is of course rubbish as the Spartans were famously governed by an oligarchy and were very much the antithesis of Athenian democracy.
2007-03-17 23:23:42 · answer #3 · answered by Pask 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Haven't seen the current film yet but I've seen the old 300 Spartans film with Richard Egan which is enjoyable sunday afternoon fare. I've also read Herodotus's account and the Frank Miller series (Xerxes black? Since when? Artistic licensing I guess)
Anyway, it should be the Ancient Greeks who are blamed foremost for starting up any cultural biases and misconceptions of the Ancient Persians. They wanted to show the Persians has ultimately soft and decadent because of their tyrants who reigned in extreme opulance whereas Greeks were hardened and honest.
2007-03-17 23:34:16 · answer #4 · answered by samurai_dave 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That middle eastern people are portrayed as villainous and monstrous. The audience is asked to identify with the Spartan supermen (they become associated with the West) while the Persians succeed by treachery. Film can be read as propaganda if you think that the message is the West is dominant but vulnerable to Middle Eastern treachery. While Persia is geographically located in the same place as Iran the Islamic republic of Iran is entirely distinct from Persia having its own history, traditions and religion.
But the film is a thing in its own right and these meanings only exist if you apply them. It is just a film, a very good one. Its up to the viewer to decide if they have moved beyond thinking of different cultures as evil just because they are different.
2007-03-17 23:49:56 · answer #5 · answered by Mr. Fox 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
At times they appeared subhuman, like when one of the mortals had his helmet pulled off then to show his face looking more like a monster than a human being.
The persian leader for some reason was about 10ft tall...they had some kind of giant ogar too fighting for them....
The movie is very theatrical, loosely accurate to what really happened.... the movie deliberatly linked ugly with evil...thus making out that the persians were all evil people.
I'm sure the persians are very proud of their history and culture, and probably feel like that they have been mocked in the movie.
I enjoyed the movie (but I'm not persian) lol
2007-03-17 23:48:46 · answer #6 · answered by nickieca 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The greeks and persians have never got on since alexander and probably before that.Too much blood has been shed for forgiveness.The 300 just said it as it is .The film is very realistic and the turks/persians should accept the story as it is .Both sides were blood thirsty and lived for war . Its part of history and its not racist to like a film thats true and part of our identity.
2007-03-23 08:59:20 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
It depicts the persians (especially the Immortals) are being orcs and ogres. Heck, they even had a cave troll. Its like the producers of the movie took scenes left of the cutting room floor from the Lord of the Rings and used that to make the Persian army.
I'm no fan of Iran, but 300 did suck big time and I understand why they'd find it offensive.
2007-03-17 23:27:07 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
It's a fictional movie loosely based on some truth for crying out loud not a history lesson. Modern day Iranians are just typical humourless, miserable, paranoid Muslims. They are certainly not Persians. Just as the modern day Egyptians bear no resemblance to the ancient Egyptians who built the pyramids. The Arabs destroyed these wonderful ancient cultures and replaced them with the secular culture we see today.
2007-03-18 00:29:57 · answer #9 · answered by ANON 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Maybe it's because of the movie showing the real culture of the Persians at that time, and maybe because it's kind of a bad time for the Iranians, considering the fact that they are having problems with their country. I don't really find it offending for them, it's just a movie for entertainment.
2007-03-17 23:20:59 · answer #10 · answered by Dia M 1 · 1⤊ 2⤋