<!--quoteo(post=1616763:date=Mar 25 2007, 02:32 AM:name=UltimaGecko)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(UltimaGecko @ Mar 25 2007, 02:32 AM) [snapback]1616763[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> I could extrude deep sociological commentary from an episode of Friends, that doesn't mean it was intended. <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> As much as I agree with this statement, and think it's pretty ridiculous to make outright parallels to modern day politics from <i>300</i>... Have you ever read any other Frank Miller comics?
Could just be me, but it sure as heck seems like the guy's got a definite lean to the Right going on. I mean, while I'm not a Republican by any means, I like to think I'm pretty far from a baby-killing, ACLU-loving Liberal. With this in mind, I burst out laughing at some of the super-patriotic "AMERICA ROXXORS!!!!!" garbage in <i>The Dark Knight Returns</i>. I'll go thumb through it and edit in some quotes if I've got time.
Maybe it's just the melodramatic comic book style, or something.
<b>Edit:</b> Here's an example of what I was talking about.
Some background info, <b>spoilers</b> if you haven't read <i>The Dark Knight Returns</i> and plan to:
There's this gang in Gotham called the Mutants that have been a real bunch of asshats lately, and Batman is working on stomping them out a new one, etc. They decide that they don't like this, and send some teenage member of the gang to try and assassinate Police Commissioner Gordon. Gordon defends himself and shoots the boy, who turns out to be only 17 years old.
The media in Gotham city goes crazy, accuses Gordon of being a boy-killer, and he ends up falling out of favor with all his old colleagues, replaced by the media darling candidate for the job. This exposition is done through a series of panels showing the TV screen of Robin's parents, talking to each other in the background.
While this is all happening, Robin's parents are sympathizing with the media, hating on their Police Commissioner, not paying attention to where Robin is or what she's doing(sneaking out of the house to chill with Batman). Oh, and they're smoking marijuana. Here's a piece of their dialog:
"What a bring down... seventeen years old..." "Machismo with a badge -- just like Chicago. Remember Chicago, hon?" "Not real well. I was tripping the whole time..."
Still not saying the dude is trying to write political allegories -- <i>300</i> is a blood and guts action movie and you probably shouldn't read in to it any deeper than that IMO. However, it seems pretty obvious to me that there's some political bias in Frank Miller's work.
Jeez, that was the longest forum post I've made in like a year.
I didn't necessarily mean to imply that the story doesn't have any pro-conservative views in it, but to view the film as some ######-bashing, pro-America, anti-Arab extravaganza is way, way, way, way, way over the line. To be considered liberal (...and more historically accurate) you'd need some Spartan-on-Spartan stuff going on that the majority of American audiences would frown upon (...despite the fact that close familial and physical ties were one of the means of maintaining a strong cohesiveness in a phalanx), or as mentioned before to be more liberal Miller could have mentioned the Spartan's reliance of slaves for the maintanence of their lifestyle. The movie's not liberal by any means, but everything people seem to be attributing to Miller and Snyder is taken out of the comic's/movie's physical historical background and even the time period it was written in.
Personally, when I saw the "and the world would know that few stood against the many." I was thinking "okay, well, hopefully we don't get Islamic extremists seeing this, because they'll be all 'We are Spartans!"" ...except probably not. Everyone always gets all excited about Xerxes' appearance in the film, but I'd like these people to please illuminate the symbolic meaning of the giant, the rhinoes, the immortals and the fuzzy guy at the beginning (the "our arrows will blot out the sun"-guy). I mean, it's a bunch of guys running around in thongs with spears rubbing up against eachother and fighting, it can't be that conservative (oooh, see how crazy examinations of subject material twist it to your whim <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" /> ).
Zig...I am Captain Planet!Join Date: 2002-10-23Member: 1576Members
<!--quoteo(post=1616918:date=Mar 25 2007, 07:18 PM:name=RuBy)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(RuBy @ Mar 25 2007, 07:18 PM) [snapback]1616918[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->blar<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> It wasn't so much that we (the people who truly enjoyed the style and flow of the movie) were tricked by superfluous and flashy effects... Have you yourself read the comic? The movie reflects it impeccably.
I think you might have liked it a little more had you already read the comic.
<!--quoteo(post=1616918:date=Mar 25 2007, 09:18 PM:name=RuBy)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(RuBy @ Mar 25 2007, 09:18 PM) [snapback]1616918[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> I felt like the background was just bluescreen the entire time. <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Funny you should say that, because in the majority of the scenes, it was. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
<!--quoteo(post=1617309:date=Mar 27 2007, 03:04 PM:name=Amped1)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Amped1 @ Mar 27 2007, 03:04 PM) [snapback]1617309[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> Funny you should say that, because in the majority of the scenes, it was. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Yeah but it shouldn't be. Even in the scene when Leonidas climbs the rock it seems fake.
<!--quoteo(post=1617350:date=Mar 27 2007, 07:19 PM:name=RuBy)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(RuBy @ Mar 27 2007, 07:19 PM) [snapback]1617350[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> Yeah but it shouldn't be. Even in the scene when Leonidas climbs the rock it seems fake. <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> It seemed 2d, almost like a comic book would. Now only if the movie was made reflecting the art style of a comic book... hmmmmm.... only if.....
<!--quoteo(post=1617355:date=Mar 27 2007, 06:25 PM:name=Xyth)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Xyth @ Mar 27 2007, 06:25 PM) [snapback]1617355[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> It seemed 2d, almost like a comic book would. Now only if the movie was made reflecting the art style of a comic book... hmmmmm.... only if..... <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
No. It did not look 2d. It looked like it was made of polystyrene.
I'm all for a stylized, comic book feel - Sin City did it perfectly. But "making things look 2d" is no excuse. The paper medium has limitations which film can transcend, the art should take advantage of this fact.
<!--quoteo(post=1617389:date=Mar 27 2007, 09:53 PM:name=RuBy)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(RuBy @ Mar 27 2007, 09:53 PM) [snapback]1617389[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> No. It did not look 2d. It looked like it was made of polystyrene.
I'm all for a stylized, comic book feel - Sin City did it perfectly. But "making things look 2d" is no excuse. The paper medium has limitations which film can transcend, the art should take advantage of this fact. <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Im kind of confused what you mean by 2D then. Polystyrene? Do you have an image or something that represents what you mean?
<!--quoteo(post=1617393:date=Mar 27 2007, 09:05 PM:name=Xyth)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Xyth @ Mar 27 2007, 09:05 PM) [snapback]1617393[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> Im kind of confused what you mean by 2D then. Polystyrene? Do you have an image or something that represents what you mean? <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ok. These images aren't great but I hope you'll see what I mean: <a href="http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vlcsnap470257sr8.jpg" target="_blank">http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=v...ap470257sr8.jpg</a> <a href="http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vlcsnap472188pi3.jpg" target="_blank">http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=v...ap472188pi3.jpg</a> <a href="http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vlcsnap474231ft3.jpg" target="_blank">http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=v...ap474231ft3.jpg</a> <a href="http://img151.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vlcsnap475174ft5.jpg" target="_blank">http://img151.imageshack.us/my.php?image=v...ap475174ft5.jpg</a>
locallyunsceneFeeder of TrollsJoin Date: 2002-12-25Member: 11528Members, Constellation
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> "The mad king throws his beasts from halfway across the world at us, but they are clumsy animals and the corpse of the fallen Persians are slippery"
*cue elephant falling into ocean*<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I loved that part. But seeing it in type I now hear how Morgan Freeman as the narrator in my head.
That_Annoying_KidSire of TitlesJoin Date: 2003-03-01Member: 14175Members, Constellation
All the major lines from the movie were direct from the comic book, there were a couple changes that were minor, but it looks like it stayed true to the comic book
EpidemicDark Force GorgeJoin Date: 2003-06-29Member: 17781Members
edited March 2007
300 rocked my loins as well, nice entertainment value even though it slowed down towards the end. I really liked the highly stylized version of Xerxes' horde.
Btw, it wasnt like 300 ever, I think at max it was 40 people.
I watched this last night, awesome/fantastic movie. Why is it Frank Miller's comic books are the ones that seem to migrate to the big screen with better results than any other comics?
The visual filters applied to each scene just looks fantastic; high saturation, high contrast.
Apparently 90% of the movie was filmed on a blue or green screen, if you can believe that. They all look so well integrated into their environment, a billion times more-so than in the first 3 star wars episodes. It was also filmed in 60 days.
One thing I could not help but draw a parallel between was 300 and Serious Sam. It's like one influenced the other, somehow....there need never be a Serious Sam movie because 300 is -it-. The similarities? Wave upon wave of increasingly bad*** monsters, all under the command of a single power-hungry king who has taken monstrosities from all over the globe to aid in his attacks.
On another note, it's quite amusing (in a sad/painful way) that an Iranian adviser referred to this movie as 'American psychological warfare' against Iran.
Merkaba, the movie just pwnt its way into the psyche of other people. It can't help that its made of 110% 1337. It wages warfare where it feels like it. You can't tell 300 what to do!
<!--QuoteBegin-commissioned+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(commissioned)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->The reason the men in 300 are all running around in their underwear is because the movie producers had no money left to buy them clothes.
The entire budget was spent on awesome.
The end.
Good hunting;
O Written by : O<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
Zig...I am Captain Planet!Join Date: 2002-10-23Member: 1576Members
<!--quoteo(post=1618027:date=Mar 31 2007, 09:01 AM:name=Merkaba)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Merkaba @ Mar 31 2007, 09:01 AM) [snapback]1618027[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> I watched this last night, awesome/fantastic movie. Why is it Frank Miller's comic books are the ones that seem to migrate to the big screen with better results than any other comics?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> What, you didn't like <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=0clxDuJsq_8" target="_blank">Spiderman</a>?
Batman Begins was excellent as well. Sure, Miller did The Dark Knight Returns, but he didn't invent the character. Daredevil, on the other hand, was utter crap.
I loved 300, the only little gripe was how the final stand made by the Spartans (when Leonidas threw his spear at Xerxes) wasn't much of a stand at all. One guy shoots out of the phalanx and strikes down the general, Leonidas throws his spear at Xerxes cheek, and then they all get slain. I was hoping for some insane 300vs300000 action at the end.
Comments
I could extrude deep sociological commentary from an episode of Friends, that doesn't mean it was intended.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
As much as I agree with this statement, and think it's pretty ridiculous to make outright parallels to modern day politics from <i>300</i>... Have you ever read any other Frank Miller comics?
Could just be me, but it sure as heck seems like the guy's got a definite lean to the Right going on. I mean, while I'm not a Republican by any means, I like to think I'm pretty far from a baby-killing, ACLU-loving Liberal. With this in mind, I burst out laughing at some of the super-patriotic "AMERICA ROXXORS!!!!!" garbage in <i>The Dark Knight Returns</i>. I'll go thumb through it and edit in some quotes if I've got time.
Maybe it's just the melodramatic comic book style, or something.
<b>Edit:</b> Here's an example of what I was talking about.
Some background info, <b>spoilers</b> if you haven't read <i>The Dark Knight Returns</i> and plan to:
There's this gang in Gotham called the Mutants that have been a real bunch of asshats lately, and Batman is working on stomping them out a new one, etc. They decide that they don't like this, and send some teenage member of the gang to try and assassinate Police Commissioner Gordon. Gordon defends himself and shoots the boy, who turns out to be only 17 years old.
The media in Gotham city goes crazy, accuses Gordon of being a boy-killer, and he ends up falling out of favor with all his old colleagues, replaced by the media darling candidate for the job. This exposition is done through a series of panels showing the TV screen of Robin's parents, talking to each other in the background.
While this is all happening, Robin's parents are sympathizing with the media, hating on their Police Commissioner, not paying attention to where Robin is or what she's doing(sneaking out of the house to chill with Batman). Oh, and they're smoking marijuana. Here's a piece of their dialog:
"What a bring down... seventeen years old..."
"Machismo with a badge -- just like Chicago. Remember Chicago, hon?"
"Not real well. I was tripping the whole time..."
Still not saying the dude is trying to write political allegories -- <i>300</i> is a blood and guts action movie and you probably shouldn't read in to it any deeper than that IMO. However, it seems pretty obvious to me that there's some political bias in Frank Miller's work.
Jeez, that was the longest forum post I've made in like a year.
Personally, when I saw the "and the world would know that few stood against the many." I was thinking "okay, well, hopefully we don't get Islamic extremists seeing this, because they'll be all 'We are Spartans!"" ...except probably not. Everyone always gets all excited about Xerxes' appearance in the film, but I'd like these people to please illuminate the symbolic meaning of the giant, the rhinoes, the immortals and the fuzzy guy at the beginning (the "our arrows will blot out the sun"-guy). I mean, it's a bunch of guys running around in thongs with spears rubbing up against eachother and fighting, it can't be that conservative (oooh, see how crazy examinations of subject material twist it to your whim <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" /> ).
It wasn't so much that we (the people who truly enjoyed the style and flow of the movie) were tricked by superfluous and flashy effects... Have you yourself read the comic? The movie reflects it impeccably.
I think you might have liked it a little more had you already read the comic.
I felt like the background was just bluescreen the entire time.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Funny you should say that, because in the majority of the scenes, it was. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
Funny you should say that, because in the majority of the scenes, it was. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah but it shouldn't be. Even in the scene when Leonidas climbs the rock it seems fake.
Yeah but it shouldn't be. Even in the scene when Leonidas climbs the rock it seems fake.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It seemed 2d, almost like a comic book would. Now only if the movie was made reflecting the art style of a comic book... hmmmmm.... only if.....
It seemed 2d, almost like a comic book would. Now only if the movie was made reflecting the art style of a comic book... hmmmmm.... only if.....
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
No. It did not look 2d. It looked like it was made of polystyrene.
I'm all for a stylized, comic book feel - Sin City did it perfectly. But "making things look 2d" is no excuse. The paper medium has limitations which film can transcend, the art should take advantage of this fact.
No. It did not look 2d. It looked like it was made of polystyrene.
I'm all for a stylized, comic book feel - Sin City did it perfectly. But "making things look 2d" is no excuse. The paper medium has limitations which film can transcend, the art should take advantage of this fact.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Im kind of confused what you mean by 2D then. Polystyrene? Do you have an image or something that represents what you mean?
Im kind of confused what you mean by 2D then. Polystyrene? Do you have an image or something that represents what you mean?
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ok. These images aren't great but I hope you'll see what I mean:
<a href="http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vlcsnap470257sr8.jpg" target="_blank">http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=v...ap470257sr8.jpg</a>
<a href="http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vlcsnap472188pi3.jpg" target="_blank">http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=v...ap472188pi3.jpg</a>
<a href="http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vlcsnap474231ft3.jpg" target="_blank">http://img408.imageshack.us/my.php?image=v...ap474231ft3.jpg</a>
<a href="http://img151.imageshack.us/my.php?image=vlcsnap475174ft5.jpg" target="_blank">http://img151.imageshack.us/my.php?image=v...ap475174ft5.jpg</a>
*cue elephant falling into ocean*
*cue elephant falling into ocean*<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I loved that part. But seeing it in type I now hear how Morgan Freeman as the narrator in my head.
Btw, it wasnt like 300 ever, I think at max it was 40 people.
The visual filters applied to each scene just looks fantastic; high saturation, high contrast.
Apparently 90% of the movie was filmed on a blue or green screen, if you can believe that. They all look so well integrated into their environment, a billion times more-so than in the first 3 star wars episodes. It was also filmed in 60 days.
One thing I could not help but draw a parallel between was 300 and Serious Sam. It's like one influenced the other, somehow....there need never be a Serious Sam movie because 300 is -it-. The similarities? Wave upon wave of increasingly bad*** monsters, all under the command of a single power-hungry king who has taken monstrosities from all over the globe to aid in his attacks.
On another note, it's quite amusing (in a sad/painful way) that an Iranian adviser referred to this movie as 'American psychological warfare' against Iran.
<a href="http://www.commissionedcomic.com/index.php" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.commissionedcomic.com/strips/com_strip_718-1175349601.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" /></a>
<!--QuoteBegin-commissioned+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(commissioned)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->The reason the men in 300 are all running around in their underwear is because the movie producers had no money left to buy them clothes.
The entire budget was spent on awesome.
The end.
Good hunting;
O
Written by : O<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
What, you didn't like <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=0clxDuJsq_8" target="_blank">Spiderman</a>?
Daredevil, on the other hand, was utter crap.
I loved 300, the only little gripe was how the final stand made by the Spartans (when Leonidas threw his spear at Xerxes) wasn't much of a stand at all. One guy shoots out of the phalanx and strikes down the general, Leonidas throws his spear at Xerxes cheek, and then they all get slain. I was hoping for some insane 300vs300000 action at the end.
-snip of above post-
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Exactly my thoughts, ending was lame <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />.
after leaving the theatre I wanted to fight something.