300 (EOTWS)

End Of The Week Shorts #51 extract: 300 (2006)

Enjoyable... but so hard not to see bullshit in. 

300's primary value is in its visual spectacle. The CGI hasn't held up too well, and Snyder's style has become slightly tiresome after seeing it thrown all over DC nonsense, but the direction, the meeting of fight choreography, slow motion, liquid long-shots and computerised CUs do what they intend to do very well. 300, you may say, is true comic book cinema at its best. Its commentary on stoicism, individualism and sovereignty, however, is poisoned by some unquestionably questionable motives in a post-9/11 era. Though you can say this is a story from the perspective of Spartans, and so will inherit their views of their enemies, the anti-Asian, historically skewed sentiments are jarring, and they certainly overwhelm any attempts for substantial commentary. Not one to see this complete eclipse the film, but also not one to be blind to what is obvious, I can say 300 is well-designed nonsense worth intermittent attention.