The 300 Spartans
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Actor: Barry Coe, David Farrar, Diane Baker, Ralph Richardson, Richard EganDVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 1.0; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0; Spanish (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0
Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 108 minutes
Published: 2004-05-01
DVD Release Date: 2004-05-11
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Reviews of The 300 Spartans
DVD Review: The Alamo of Ancient Greece
Summary: 4 Stars
1961 film on the defiant stand at the pass of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. by Spartans against the Persian hordes of Xerxes. Although a 'B' movie not unlike the 1963 version of 'Jason and the Argonauts', the film makes decent attempts towards accuracy and reflecting the norms and values of each culture.
The film follows the general historical facts pretty accurately. To avenge his father Darius' humiliating defeat at Marathon, King Xerxes of Persia prepares a major invasion of the Greek mainland with a gigantic army of over 100,000 men: the largest ever assembled up to that time in antiquity. Upon the Persians crossing the Hellespont into the Greek mainland, the Greek city states meet and discuss what to do next. King Leonidas of Sparta (Richard Egan) calls for an avant garde contingent to delay the Persian army at the pass of Thermopylae (The Hot Gates), a narrow mountain pass so called because of the hot geysers nearby. A protracted battle there would delay the Persians and give the Greek cities time to mobilize and prepare their defenses. Debate ensues but Leonidas knows there's no time to waste. Ignoring a Spartan holiday's restrictions on fighting, Leonidas heads out with a group of his own bodyguard of 300 hoplites to the mountain pass: inspired by the Spartans' bravery, other Greek cities contribute a force of approximately 6000 men.
At Thermopylae, the Greeks hold a narrow pass with a smaller force, giving them the most favorable position for a defense. The small plain leading to the pass had the topography of a trapezoid covering a very small area with mountains on two sides and cliffs to the sea on the other. The terrain offering limited maneuverability, the Greek hoplites defeat the poorly organized foreign army several times: the Persians being primarily adept at cavalry and archery were ill-prepared to fight in close quarters with heavy infantry formations such as the Greek phalanx. The Greeks armed with heavy armor, large metal shields, and long spears were much better equipped than the Persians who barely wore any armor and carried wicker shields. Victory almost seems plausible but the majority of the Greek army chooses to retreat and prepare better defenses; with their departure, only Leonidas and his 300 hoplites remain to hold the Persians back. After being betrayed and encircled, the remaining Spartans choose to stand their ground and fight to the bitter end.
As shown in the film, the battle was a phyrric victory for the Persians that cost them many lives as well as the initiative. Although Xerxes would later exact revenge by plundering the Greek countryside and burning Athens, the Persian fleet's destruction by the Athenians at Salamis effectively cut off the main army from future supplies or reinforcements. In desperate straits, the Persian ground forces were finally crushed at Plaetea. The Persians would never again attempt an invasion of Greece; instead, the Greeks (with memories of Xerxes still in their collective psyche) eventually conquered Persia under Alexander The Great a century-and-a-half later. As for Thermopylae, the original stone plaque placed in memory of the brave Spartans who so valiantly stood their ground is still there today 2500 years later.
The film does a good job at contrasting both the Greeks and Persians in terms of their cultures and military traditions such as social structure; political organization; as well as military discipline. The story shows how the Greeks and even the Spartans were endowed with a sense of equality while the Persians were not. Greek aristocrats were more first-among- equals as opposed those in Persia who clearly distinguished themselves from those they ruled and were bound to do the King's bidding on a moment's notice. The sense of equality was a product of the independent city-state that was governed by a constitutional government and written laws. Even Sparta's dual monarchy was a constitutional one. Persia on the other hand was the largest known empire: its boundaries spreading from Egypt to India. Its kings were very much like the pharaos of Egypt: absolute monarchs vested with divine powers to rule through a feudal system of noble vassals and their retainers. The Persian king was inviolate and would dispense with laws and his subjects on a whim: his word was law and to disobey or disappoint him could mean a cruel death by a method pleasing to his fancy.
In terms of military organization, the film shows how Greeks treated war as a science instead of just a random display of power: there was high cohesion among the soldiers as they were free men collectively fighting for their homes. In contrast, the Persian army was a mixed bag of vastly different cultures and fighting styles in which the king, not his generals, had supreme command even though he knew little about military strategy. Persian military organization and discipline was therefore lax with a very rigid top-to-bottom command structure: their camps were always accompanied by all sorts of fluff such as courtiers, entertainers, harems, relatives, and other useless baggage. The Greeks were, well, Spartan in comparison. One error in the film is showing the Spartans throwing short spears. Javelins and arrows were used by the Helot squires. Spartan soldiers carried a 10-12 foot spear which they held over their shields to thrust and poke at the enemy: they didn't throw their spears as the phalanx would lose its effectiveness especially in a defensive engagement.
As far as social structures, the film improperly compares the two when it states that the conflict represented a fight between free men and a society of slaves serving a despot. The film fails to note that all societies in antiquity practiced slavery and that slaves in Greece were probably no better off than those in Persia. Furthermore, freedom in Greece was limited. Sparta was a military state ruled by a dual monarchy in which male and female citizens were all trained to be soldiers: its economy was entirey dependent on a large slave society (helots) to support the citizenry. In democratic cities such as Athens and Corinth, political suffrage was given only to adult men who were vested with property and usually born free in the city itself (the liberal enfranchizement of foreigners through broad grants of citizenship was a uniquely Roman concept): women, children, slaves, and foreigners had limited to non-existant rights.
Again, this is a 1960's 'B' movie. The script is weighed with Cold War propaganda. Although many of the main actors are seasoned theatrical actors, most of the method actors playing secondary roles are pretty stiff. Despite these faults, the plot moves at a rather steady pace and has good action. The cinematography is quite good and the combat scenes are well choreographed. A good film to rent or own. I heard that Michael Mann is planning to adapt and direct Stephen Pressfield's book 'Gates of Fire' for film; I look forward to seeing a modern version of this epic battle.
Description of The 300 Spartans
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