movie "the 300"

[snedeker]

I joined the bandwagon and saw this over the weekend and enjoyed.  A few scenes with Persian composite bows in use.  Funny how Hollywood always has a scene where the archers hold the  full draw for a about 3 minute while tension builds.  Sure, one could hold a 100# draw all day, right?

Dave

[medicinewheel]

yes it's also really funny to see the limbs of a highly curved bows not move at all but the strings get longer instead  - i guess i saw that  in the old 'spartacus'-movie...

[D. Tiller]

Did you see that arrowheads they were shooting? Come on!!! Also, how about mixing bronze age weapons with iron age?

Was Thermpylea durring the Iron age or the Bronze? Never could remember.

[Kegan]

I think 99% of hollywood should take history class again.

[D. Tiller]

Yep! Me too. Send them all back to school.

[wolf among dogs]

supposed to be a little over the top as its creator is a comic guy..Sin city by frank miller...check the history on it as it is a true story,,sad really but very interesting as "freedom seekers"..

[Dale]

Looking forward to seeing the movie.  As an ancient history student and as someone who likes a good movie I have learned to accept Hollywood's take on movies based on historical events.  Even  in the ancient world history was a good story.  Facts were altered even back then.  That being said, if you are looking for a good show about the Battle of Thermopoli (probably misspelled) check out Spartians at the Gates of Fire.  This is a documentary which periodically airs on the History Channel.

[Agbowyer]

I plan to see it, but I'm a little reluctant. my favorite all time movie (even with the lack of special effects) was "The 300 Spartans" original.

[Mechslasher]

looking forward to seeing the movie myself.  i took several classes of greek and roman history in college and have read several books on that time period.  i'm thinking the persians of that era used rather weak palm wood bows and not the composite bows we think of when talking about later persian history.  the battle started with a shower of arrows that was suppose to block out the sun but they proved ineffective against the spartan armor.  i think one of the spartans even said they will fight in the shade or something to that effect.  the bows really didn't come back into the battle until they were called in to finish off the corner spartans.  evidently, no on wanted to go in and finish them off with a sword.

[duffontap]

I love how the Persians' bows 'crrrrrrreeeeeeekkkkk' as they are drawn.  Yeah, I could pinch-draw a war bow and hold it for five minutes. 

               J. D. Duff

[Miles]

“How about mixing bronze age weapons with iron age?”

Bronze age weapons were still use in iron the age but with limited use like Axe-heads.

Spartan of that times would wear just big a red cloaks were basically nude they had long zz-top type beards very basic armor used helmet and large round shield they lived with there mess mates and sleep over there wife who they had basically to make babies and hopefully son’s to one day wear the red cloak.

 The Historically-Challenged in Hollywood just look at the bottom line and we know Hollywood makes movies to make money to do a historical film cost lots of money.

[perry]

         I know this is an old topic but I have got hold of a pre release copy of the 300 down here in Australia - loved it . The comic book film style and mythical overtones of the film set it apart from anything I have seen before .
          Also got back from the Queensland Traditional Bowhunters Rendevous held over the Saturday and sunday of the easter long weekend -  challenging shooting  good mates , my youngest daughter won the cub longbow division [ 2 years straight now ] .  Cant ask for a better way to end a great weekend than a good movie .regards Perry

[a finnish native]

there is one bad side about this hobby.. "aina alkaa vituttamaan kun katsoo jonkun elokuvan jossa on jousia" that's Finnish and means: always when you see a movie with bows in it you get really pissed off. vittu means fu*k .. hopefully I did not break any forum rules.. yall got a Finnish lesson anyways eh?
anyway, the bows were not composites in that movie, just some sort of wooden recurves, the arrowheads were pure hollywood, the Persians were the only Mediterranean people who did not use the "traditional" 3 finger pulling technique. Oh and the spartans were always screaming about freedom and blah blah.. Sparta was a community full of slavery and violence so that was truly a mood spoiler.

[Loki]

Was Thermpylea durring the Iron age or the Bronze? Never could remember

Greece's iron age started around 1,000BC so thermpylea at 480BC falls into that period,but they would of still used Bronze armour.Bronze armour was used up until the the third century (AD),the most famous example being the Roman Montefortino Helmet,as used by Caesars boys  .

Its worth remembering that this movie is an adaption of a comic book,hence the Persian monster's and hunchbacked Hoplites  .The Battle of Thermpylae is historicaly important for various reasons but saying its a Spartan victory is like calling Waterloo a British victory,the 300 couldnt of done what they did with out the support of the other 5,000 Greek warriors who were allso present at the battle,not to mention the Athenian fleet what was Keeping the persians from landing troops behind the pass.

  i think one of the spartans even said they will fight in the shade or something to that effect.

Dienekes said that,Dienekes was supposedly the greatest Spartan warrior,so Herodotus writes in his history's.In this movie they've changed his name to Stelios fro some reason  .

check the history on it as it is a true story,,sad really but very interesting as "freedom seekers".

Spartans freedom seekers!?! i find that a bit hard to swallow  ,Spartans were the ultimate Nazi's,this is a race who made war on their neighbours and made the entire tribe Spartan slaves,for generations!Helots the Spartans renamed them but they were Messenians.It was totally illegal to make other Greeks your slaves,but the other tribes (Athenians,Corinthians etc) seemed to have ignored it,they made some public protests but no threats of war or anything that severe,cant figure that out.

[wanabehunter]

i think lotrs is the only quality war movie(s) except for the legolas never running out of arrows ect.. its pretty good and at least seems real. they used real armor even, the only difference between their swords and medieval swords was there was some polyurethane in the handle so they could redo scenes all day without icing there hands, viggo mortenson (aragorn) even broke his toe when he kicked an orc helmet lol