|
|
|
“300” more than Ancient history By Randy A. Salas
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT) One can't help but be mesmerized by "300," the wickedly violent new film that recounts the tale of a vastly outnumbered contingent of Spartan warriors who fought valiantly against a massive Persian army. It's all based on ancient history, but there's plenty more to explore online for those fascinated by the stunning film.www.300themovie.comThe official "300" website isn't quite the sight-and-sound spectacle of the film, which was shot to replicate the look of Frank Miller's graphic novel, but it offers a taste of what to expect in theaters. In particular, check out the Video Journals and Production Blogs in the Making of 300 section to see how the movie was largely created using live actors with computer-generated imagery and green-screen technology.tci.homestead.com/300.htmlThe Comics Interpreter has a good overview of the graphic novel that inspired the film, saying, " '300' reads like Frank Miller's version of Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War.' " Ultimately, the reviewer decides, the graphic novel "is a helluva war comic." You can click on an image to open a large full-page spread from the book.sincity.kryspin.net/gallery/300/comics-to-screen-comparisonBut it's not until a visit to the fan site Sin City that you realize how faithfully "300" director Zack Snyder and his crew have reproduced the look and feel of the graphic novel in the film. In its Comics to Screen Comparison, the site presents 16 large stills from the movie alongside the source images from the book. Not all of the scenes are exact interpretations, but the overall effect is absolutely stunning. Clicking on a thumbnail image from the gallery brings up a medium-size image; be sure to click on it again to get the largest view.www.moebiusgraphics.comArtist and writer Frank Miller is a fan-boy favorite whose film-noir-like comic book creations have included the reinvention of Batman and Daredevil and the creation of the ultraviolent world of "Sin City," which was made into a similarly innovative film in 2005. This fan site claims to be the most comprehensive guide to his huge output, for those who want to delve beyond "300."www.startribune.com/a2429There's no shortage of information online about the Battle of Thermopylae, the fifth-century B.C. event that inspired "300." Much of it is poorly presented or repeats exaggerations without elaboration, such as the size of Persian leader Xerxes' army. HistoryNet writer David Frye offers an easy-to-read summary that strikes a nice balance in describing how a small band of Spartans fended off a much larger force for days before being done in by the actions of a traitor. "After the battle, Persian King Xerxes secretly buried most of the Greek dead and all but 1,000 of his own slain, in order to conceal from his army just how few men had held up his progress for so long," he writes.www.startribune.com/a2428It's not often you hear a long discourse about ancient history on the radio. In this 43-minute installment of the British program "In Our Time," archived as a Real Audio file at the BBC - Radio 4's website, host Melvyn Bragg and scholars separate myth from historical fact in the Battle of Thermopylae. Click on the link under "Listen Again" on the left side of the page to hear their spirited discussion — well, as lively as British historians get, anyway —about the famous battle and the effect of the Persian-Greek wars on democracy today. No matter what aspects of those ancient days have been fictionalized over the centuries, historian Edith Hall notes, "It still is an exciting story — all those battles are — and that's why they make such excellent movies." Like "300." Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Randy A. Salas is a columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Do you have a favorite Web site or a question about how to find something on the Internet? Send a note by clicking here.
Looking for E.T. © 2007, Star Tribune Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. |
Columnists
Toons
Lifestyles | |||||||||||
