Maybe it has to do with me being a teacher of history and a fan of graphic art, but I never even considered the graphic novel "300" to be more than a retelling of the classic tale of the Battle of Thermopylae. I'm therefore a bit surprised by this new topic of conversation.

A handful of reporters gathered in Los Angeles at screening for the WARNER BROTHERS movie "300," about the battle of Thermopylae some 2,500 years ago, cornered the director Zack Snyder with an unanticipated question. "Is George Bush Leonidas or Xerxes?" one of them asked.

Snyder, who said he intended neither analogy, suddenly knew he had the contemporary version of a water-cooler movie on his hands, the NY TIMES plans to report on Monday.

"But the danger is that an accidental political overtone will alienate part of the potential audience for a film that needs broad appeal to succeed," reports the paper's Mike Cieply.

Is the film a thinly veiled polemic against the Bush administration, or is it slyly supporting it?

I don't think it is either, but I think that the analogy to the current situation is an apt one.

I cannot help but remember that Persia was the greatest threat to Western Civilization for centuries -- and nukes in the hands of that country's current regime, headed by the Madman of Teheran, once again raises the specter of expansionist moves by the successors of Xerxes. I therefore place myself in the "Bush as Leonidas" camp -- and cannot help but put the Neo-Copperheads and the White Flag Republicans in the same category as those Spartan leaders who lacked the will to stand against the enemies of Western Civilization.

Posted by: Greg at 10:46 PM | Comments (19) | Add Comment
Post contains 288 words, total size 2 kb.

1 Would there be a Western Civ if the West had lost the Battle of Salamis, or the Battle of Lopanto, or the Battle of Poitiers?

Posted by: bird dog at Mon Mar 5 00:20:48 2007 (MlJ8O)

2 Hey, Greg, Drudge is now running this article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/05/movies/05spartans.htm?_r=1&oref=slogin

Posted by: Jacob at Mon Mar 5 07:33:29 2007 (xxcXy)

3 Well if anything I see the threat through the perspective of any individual from the east and they may think that they are the Spartans of today. See what many fail to see is that in the movie they are showing not the significance of the battle for history, it was more the spirit of free men and how the battle was more to prove to the 300 men that they existed for a reason. They lived and gave their life happily. Why would one not compare them to the Suicide bombers of today? They supposedly give up their lives. The Spartans were trained and breed to kill. The same goes for these terrorists in the world today. Both see ultimate glory in dying in battle. It was their will that won that battle, their cockiness. They wanted glory and they got it. They knew that the consequences would be good for society (after all they are killing the people that want their land and doing it all to well). Did that battle give way to what we now know as democracy? Yes but that was a added bonus. At the time Leonidas was fighting the war, He was thinking of the future of the world but he was not certain of what would happen. He was not a politician, he left that work for his smart queen whose words could shed through the farce that was put up called the Greek senate. I can go on and on but need more stimulation.

Posted by: Raman at Thu Mar 15 00:13:21 2007 (bJcv4)

4 In my opinion I would not use the Spartans as any type of a relation to a terrorist organization of today, this I think would be an insult to the Spartans.  Spartans fought for their country under a flag(or standerd etc) they met their enemy head on and although portrayed as warriors they fought as one.  Terrorists fight more cowardly and do not fight for a country but a religious idealogy.  I would suggest to not try to politicize this movie to fit a personal liberal agenda or what ever agenda one might have.  Just Enjoy the movie,  I just wish that there was more history movies like 300.      

Posted by: john havell at Thu Mar 15 08:50:47 2007 (kwNBx)

5 Those who want to make the Spartans into terrorists are generally of the same ilk as those who paint the terrorists as the equivalent of our own American Founding Fathers.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Thu Mar 15 10:04:10 2007 (UFovI)

6 This is truly madness. 300 is a historical fiction movie about the battle of Thermopylae and the sacrifices a group of warriors made to protect their way of life. This movie was meant as a source of entertainment, And all i can hear since it's release is how people want to compare it to today's political standings.
Now, As far as I'm concerned you people out their who think that way, are drawing your own connections. I might as well say It's like comparing it to the movie "Ghost and the Darkness" where the British were building a "bridge"(Iraq), But are attacked by two fearless "lions"(terrorist or bush). So a group of Brave "hunters"(terrorists or bush), head out to kill/ capture the lions.
Honestly just enjoy life. You don't like the setting or background of a movie, maybe it's not for you.

Posted by: Adam at Thu Mar 15 12:46:55 2007 (yki4R)

7 rvznyiw ldncjirty ziqv ldtayj vjdwts jwhu sqjyxru

Posted by: rcybpxf xfqgciptw at Sat Jun 21 10:44:49 2008 (bw4IP)

8 cnqmve bkfhayvxl blxqwh whotln vhia jwvqihm tysqik

Posted by: hywiedn idofnlxcq at Sat Jun 21 10:52:21 2008 (6yHRr)

9 nokd eqzxma big huge boobs

Posted by: big book of boobs at Thu Jul 10 08:56:42 2008 (Va3sO)

10 grlyna aduwbcq vcei fcivamr huge amature tits

Posted by: huge japanese tits at Thu Jul 10 17:18:51 2008 (R2gB3)

11 http://wwwyotube90.iloveu.com.tw WWW YOTUBE http://yutubecom93.iloveu.com.tw YUTUBE COM http://groups.yahoo.com/group/toutube67/ TOUTUBE http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/yourube86/ YOURUBE http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wwwyotube10 WWW YOTUBE COM

Posted by: Wernu at Sat Aug 9 17:37:29 2008 (4FXoC)

12 love tag woodshed collective fergie on black eyed peas safarilandstore dog sleds

Posted by: Larcik-vt at Wed Jan 21 09:50:04 2009 (lR9KD)

13 red scare palmer raids how many can you find the fates when should i add fish to my tank hall custom homes texas

Posted by: Larcik-hr at Wed Jan 21 22:34:22 2009 (4PPjC)

14 lotus boats uab marching band travel rose rosette disease archer farms flavored water earthworms digest food

Posted by: ellaelax-rb at Thu Jan 22 13:07:22 2009 (K77OU)

15 laguardia high school prom boat sunsentinal obituaries gemini selections buy tapestries gianna-michael

Posted by: Larcik-gc at Tue Jan 27 21:38:49 2009 (nW1AU)

16

Remember that day when I buy Tibia Gold, on that day, I feel happy. Because of that I am come into the next rank. It proves that I am not waste of my hard work. Every day, I am hard to training the power leveling, in order to celebrate my success, I buy Tibia coins. One day, I met a girl, and then I give her some Tibia money, in order to thank her come with me so much time. She always buys tibia gp and leaves me alone. Now looking at the Tibia Platinum, I have no words.

Posted by: Tibia Gold at Fri Feb 13 17:34:05 2009 (1s+3E)

17 Buy Plavix 98971 Generic Prevacid rowmvb

Posted by: Discount Actos at Fri Feb 27 14:49:05 2009 (NhVLE)

18 Very nice site!

Posted by: John1471 at Wed May 6 07:05:57 2009 (DpSLK)

19 sexgay videos megaupload com badongo com file rapidshare com files mediafire com gigasize com get php easy-share com filefactory com file files filefront com depositfiles com files d turbouploa - www happysex www happyse - www animalfuckers com - wwwporno - fuckaro -

Posted by: ellaelax-lu at Tue May 19 15:57:47 2009 (of6sv)

Hide Comments | Add Comment