Anyone who knows Zack Snyder’s career knows that the director stands out for having a unique way of representing violence, the use of slow motion and dark photography. We saw it in Sucker Punch, in Batman vs Superman and also in 300. However, this film was not only responsible for finishing solidifying the career of the filmmaker (already known previously for Dawn of the Dead), but it is also a one of the best adaptations of a comic ever made. Luckily, we can currently see it through HBO Max.
Where to watch 300
In 300 We know the events that occurred during the famous battle of Thermopylae in which 300 spartans They faced the entire Persian army during the Persian Wars. An event that occurred in the history of humanity in a true way, but that under Snyder’s touch becomes a spectacle.
Based on a comic by Frank Miller, we will learn how the king of Sparta, Leonidas, leads the troop of soldiers and tirelessly confronts a much more powerful army. We will also learn in a theatrical way about Spartan brutality, its laws and rituals, and the portrayal of concepts such as love, betrayal or honor. In a totally epic way as only Snyder knows how to do, we find heroism as well as violence and blood, although as a curiosity, most of what we see in the film was added in post-production.
300 is a solemn film and we see it from the first moment the narration of the events begins, the explanation of Leonidas’s youth or the bloodthirsty functioning of the city state of Greece. Each element on the tape has to be spectacular, hypnotic, mystical and, everything must be said, taken from a comic strip. If we took the original work and this one, we could find totally identical scenes and shots. And it was difficult for Snyder to get the project approved and, to achieve it, he had to shoot sample scenes and use a unique style in order to demonstrate that he could adapt it. The result was a collection of 456 million dollarshaving had a budget of 65. A complete success of which Snyder himself commented that he and his team were left speechless when they saw the final product.
The staging of 300 was not just about recreating something that already existed, but Snyder also put a lot of effort into it. offer something different. We found scenes shot in very particular ways, trying to be as realistic as possible and taking advantage of their previous experience in creating video clips. Slow motion, perhaps heavy in other films, here is perfect for the viewer to observe the slaughter in a contemplative, majestic, cinematic way. Scenes like Leonidas kicking the Persian emissary are already part of cinema history. “This is Sparta!”
Continuing with this, the film also has memorable dialogues, some of them even based on phrases that real characters said or on the culture of the moment. One of them would be “Return with your shield or on it”, pronounced by Queen Gorgo, alluding to the fact that cowardice was not an option and reflecting the mentality of the time of the citizens of Sparta themselves. Spoken by actors of the stature of Gerard Butler, Lena Headey or a still unknown Michael Fassbender, they become much more spectacular.
Of course, a film like this had to have a very particular aesthetic. Xerxes would be one of the most striking examples with his colossal stature, (later explained in the sequel 300: Rise of an Empire), the gold paint on him, and his 33 piercings. However, it is not only the Persian king who attracts attention. To give the oracle scene more spectacularity, it was decided that the actress would film underwater without going any further. This is how that sensation of the paranormal was achieved.
On the other hand, it is also known how the actors were subjected to harsh physical training. Although it was rumored that the abs of all the Spartans were digitally enhanced, Gerard Butler himself declared that he had destroyed his body for the role of Leonidas, as Sensacine’s colleagues tell us. Despite being false, it would not be unreasonable to think so, taking into account that the digital production involved more than 1,300 effects shots, ten different companies and almost a year of post-production.
With all of these details in mind, what better time to watch 300 than now that it’s available on HBO Max? At the time it was one of the biggest blockbusters of the moment, being in the top ten of its year, but today it continues to hold the title of one of the best action films and, of course, one of the best adaptations of a comic.
In 3Djuegos |This animated science fiction film accompanied many afternoons of my childhood. I’ve tried to watch it again and I can’t believe it’s not available on streaming
In 3Djuegos |It is one of the best fantasy films in history, it lost an Oscar unfairly, and now we can see it on Netflix – Moving Castle
