tatlong daan

Has everybody seen 300 yet? So what can you say, yeah? Spectacular, isn't it?

I really enjoyed watching this movie! From the first time I saw the movie trailer, I knew I was set to see it on the opening day--and eventually, Rina and I did. Two thumbs up on the CGI and the dark quality of the film (I'm a sucker for these genres). If this is the trend of modern film making, I'm all for it (see the ground-breaking movie, A Scanner Darkly). And as for casting people with fabulously developed 6-pack abs and pecs (digitally enhanced or not) to play those 300 Spartans, I'm sure it got the expected "whoa" reaction for the audience. They probably wouldn't have been believable Spartan warriors if they hadn't been true to form.

Despite all the blood-splattering, the dead corpses piling up, and severed heads flying in shooting trajectories; I honestly didn't cringe as much as I had when I saw the Passion of the Christ, or even Apocalypto.

Beyond the gore and flesh exposure (of both men and women), this graphic novel adaptation is one of the best films I've seen in this genre. From what I hear, director Zach Snyder's been receiving a lot of praise for making an accurate rendition of Frank Miller's work. And for that, he was received warmly by comic book lovers and authorities, and was deemed worthy to recreate Alan Moore's Watchmen, which is antithetical to the reviews given to the Wachowski brothers for the sacrilege they did on V for Vendetta.

I would think 300 was not really intended to serve as a documentary of this epic battle during the Greek-Persian Wars, but rather an artistic interpretation of the events that transpired in those times. I believe that can be said for Miller's graphic novel as well. But of course, some historians and critics are inclined to say otherwise, saying it lacks historical accuracy or is even completely horseshit. In my opinion, they're barking at the wrong tree.

Anyway, I went to see 300 again yesterday. I normally take second servings (and sometimes thirds and fourths) on a movie when I particularly enjoy it--either the characters really moved me or the story-telling was really so masterful that I couldn't help but see it again--or when I have to see it with a different set of friends, provided that the movie was fantastic, of course.

If I was bent on following the storyline during the first time, I was more into seeing the details of the film on the second--not to mention the trash-talking. I hadn't really expected to hear that kind of humor in a story with seemingly endless bloodbaths, but I found it innovative (similar to the effect of the modern rendition of Romeo + Juliet). It introduced a light-hearted contrast to the overall puke-inducing carnage, and made it look like the kings of men were engaged in childish pissing contests.

The most memorable line was when Spartan King Leonidas, speaking to Persian god-king Xerxes, quipped, "Oh, clearly you don't know our women. Judging from what I've seen today, I should've sent our women to fight instead..." (paraphrase mine). Pang-asar e 'no?

Of course, I'm assuming everybody's seen 300 by now. But if in case you haven't, you must be out of your mind!