300 and Thermopylae

Ok, this weekend I am in Washington, but I had the chance to finally see the movie 300 last night. All I can say is that the movie was at an intellectual level of near zero (0). It was fun to watch in a way, but it was intellectually flat. It was embarassing not only to the Persians, but also to the Spartans. It did not make the Spartans look good. It was a good movie for kids (less than 10 years old), but not for adults.

I was also shocked by the complete inaccuracy of certain facts in that movie. For instance, in one scene it shows king Leonidas as a child fighting a wolf in the middle of a snowstorm. Whats wrong with that? Think about it. A snowstorm in ancient Greece? In the southern part of Ancient Greece (Sparta)? That makes no sense. Why? Because it simply never snows in Sparta. The wheather there is like Los Angeles or even warmer. Have you ever heard of a snowstorm in Los Angeles?

Of course, lets not forget that the Spartan system had nothing to do with democracy. Athens had democracy in ancient Greece but not Sparta. In fact, people who read history know well that the Spartan system was totalitarian. It was some sort of a "communist" system in a way. That did not stop some right-wingers from calling the Spartans "freedom fighters". Of course, thats not surprising. Anyway, if you watch the movie you will understand why I am so critical.