Just watched the movie and there's only one word to describe this swords-and-sandals masterpiece: BEAUTIFUL.
Set in 480BC and is loosely based on Battle of Thermopylae where King Leonidas led a group of 300 men to defend their lands from the incoming (estimated) 1 million-men Persian horde led by the megalomaniac Xerxes, the ruler of 100 nations a.k.a the King of Persia.
Plot-wise it is pretty straightforward but that's what makes this film amazing in the first place. A simple plot with lots of details been taken to the characters and a whole lot more is given to the visuals. Every single frame of the movie (not counting the opening credits) is a work of art. The movie is presented in a lack-of-colour comic book style that it is like watching a comic book coming to live.
The action scenes are amazingly detailed and it is perhaps the most accurate depiction of the violence of war during ancient times than any other movie I had watched. Slow motions are applied so frequently and with beautiful timing in action sequences that pulls me right into it. Every single thrust of a Spartan's spear into Persian flesh is depicted in extreme detail and every single action scene choreograph beautifully that it is as if you are watching a very beautiful dance rather than watching half-naked man in underwear slaughtering overdressed barbarians.
This is definitely going to be one of my Film of the Year candidate for this year. Only one complain though. Why is ultra violence deemed ok by the Censorship Board (most of it, if not all is not cut at all) while artistically done sex scenes are not? Weird double standards there....
P.S: Now if only Zack Snyder can direct the upcoming Warcraft movie.... hmmmm....
Set in 480BC and is loosely based on Battle of Thermopylae where King Leonidas led a group of 300 men to defend their lands from the incoming (estimated) 1 million-men Persian horde led by the megalomaniac Xerxes, the ruler of 100 nations a.k.a the King of Persia.
Plot-wise it is pretty straightforward but that's what makes this film amazing in the first place. A simple plot with lots of details been taken to the characters and a whole lot more is given to the visuals. Every single frame of the movie (not counting the opening credits) is a work of art. The movie is presented in a lack-of-colour comic book style that it is like watching a comic book coming to live.
The action scenes are amazingly detailed and it is perhaps the most accurate depiction of the violence of war during ancient times than any other movie I had watched. Slow motions are applied so frequently and with beautiful timing in action sequences that pulls me right into it. Every single thrust of a Spartan's spear into Persian flesh is depicted in extreme detail and every single action scene choreograph beautifully that it is as if you are watching a very beautiful dance rather than watching half-naked man in underwear slaughtering overdressed barbarians.
This is definitely going to be one of my Film of the Year candidate for this year. Only one complain though. Why is ultra violence deemed ok by the Censorship Board (most of it, if not all is not cut at all) while artistically done sex scenes are not? Weird double standards there....
P.S: Now if only Zack Snyder can direct the upcoming Warcraft movie.... hmmmm....
Xerxes. Yea...pretty gay in the movie. The scene with him holding Leoidas' shoulders was like wtf? haha... but the movie followed the comic. Frank Miller made Xerxes a bit more effeminate.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful movie though. Gotta agree with that.
its xerxes :P...
ReplyDeleteIIRC they did mention something about the Persian "boy-loving" culture at the beginning of the movie that might explain why Xerxes looked so gay :P
That might be the reason why Leonidas refuses to kneel before him... You never know what that Persian dude might do when you are in that vulnerable position ^_^
its more of a guys movie, i think. some of the scenes were quite a "duhh moment". but overall, its ok i guess.
ReplyDeletehey hey hey! i saw the movie too and thot it was beautiful. i did a review - catch it on my blog. many people i knew didnt like it for the violence but i said - its a movie lah- work of art - so i am glad to find people who appreciated it. hahaha! keep blogging. xerxes was gay or bi-sexual? its quite normal back then you see :=)
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