300

**Written for my school paper**

“This. Is. SPARTUHHHHHHHHH!”

On the one hand, director Zack Snyder's newest film, 300, is the most mind-bogglingly awesome thing basically ever made. On the other hand, it's a terrific film, a visually arresting work of art. How does one approach a movie like this?

Ever since the trailer debuted for this film last summer, attached to SUPERMAN RETURNS, the buzz has been huge. If this was anything like graphic novelist Frank Miller's first film adaptation, 2005's SIN CITY, we were in for a hell of a good time at the movies, filled with blood, stylized action, and gaudy visuals. If the trailers were any indication, 300 would also be filled with warrior characters who YELLED. ALL. OF. THEIR. LINES. LIKE. THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS. All signs pointed to 300 being a pretty awesome movie.

The buzz has paid off. Nearly $71 million worth of tickets were sold over opening weekend, and those lucky customers got to witness the first 'event movie' of 2007. After mediocrity like WILD HOGS, NORBIT, and GHOST RIDER has dominated the first two months of the box office, people poured into a movie that stood out in the crowd: a film of such artistic purity and adapted so closely to its source (which is a terrific book, by the way), and so much unfiltered, bloody, and stylized butt-kicking, it had to be seen to be believed.

The film chronicles the account of King Leonidas, leader of the Greek city-state of Sparta, who led 300 of his soldiers to battle against the invading army—1 million strong, the legend goes— of Persian King Xerxes. They were 300 men who made a final stand, perhaps THE final stand, against this extraordinary army, taking down more than 25,000 of them (that's 80 Persians for every Spartan, if you're counting), and were defeated only after being betrayed by a rat. The Battle of Thermopylae is one of the greatest war stories in history, and visionists Frank Miller and Zack Snyder have made a film that is just about as awesome. Similar to SIN CITY, the movie was filmed entirely on a green screen, producing eye-popping visuals, mostly sandy tones of tan with the intense red of blood.

As King Leonidas, Gerard Butler gives a frighteningly intense performance. Butler spent eight months getting into character, most notably chiseling a six-pack and growing the most awesome beard ever. As Leonidas, Butler gives a strong, surprisingly complex performance for such a thinly written part. He wonders whether or not sacrificing 300 men is worth anything, even though Spartan law has always said that 'death on the battlefield is the most glorious thing a man can ever achieve'. He leads his men with pride, fearlessness, and ferocity. The battle scenes reflect this, and although there are many throughout the film, they do not get repetitive or boring for a second. This is a compliment to Snyder, who gives this film such an amazing look.

If you see any movie this spring, make it 300. Because seriously, this is pretty much the greatest thing since the invention of life.

Best Movie Ever