Suprising substance considering the style

The first digitally constructed historical epic, comes from the director of the surprisingly good Dawn of Dead remake from a couple of years back, Zack Snyder. A barrage of shouting, carefully orchestrated swordplay and oiled chests, the film is the spiritual successor to Sin City, based as that film was, on a Frank Miller graphic novel.

The film clearly never takes itself too seriously and what it lacks in historical accuracy (endless invading Persians, goat-headed minstrels and giant, axe-armed executioners) it makes up for in spectacle and volume as 300 warriors attempt hold off the advance of the million-strong Persian army into Greece.

Gerard Butler, appears to channel Brian Blessed in his role of Leonidas, King of Sparta. However hammy the acting and overblown the action, the performance somehow remains just the right side of ridicule. More to do perhaps with the enhanced role (from the novel) of his Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) working passionately against the Spartan political system who refuse to support him in his attempted defence of the realm.

Surprisingly, for a film so seemingly rooted in style over substance, the film explores ideas of religious dogma, political paralysis and the power of mythic sacrifice inspiring the masses. For all the spectacular action, and it is spectacular, I was left mainly with an powerful impression of the love in the relationship between Leonidas and Gorgo – perhaps Snyder’s greatest achievement in pulling the images from the pages of Frank Miller.