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Tuesday, 27 March 2007 14:06 |
| | David Forbes |
Nothing could illustrate the difference between the cinematic world and the literary one more clearly than the moment I saw the preview for ì300,î the recently released cinematic version of Frank Miller and Lynn Varleyís 1999 lurid operatic bloodbath of a graphic novel (Dark Horse, 88pp. $30).
In the movie, the Spartan King Leonidas, played onscreen by Gerard Butler, screams ìThis... Is... (dramatic pause)... Sparta!î before kicking an emissary from the approaching Persian armies down a bottomless pit.
By
contrast, the original has no exclamation point or pause, just a much
more haggard-looking king stating flatly: ìThis is Sparta,î as he
carries out a brutal act.
That, in a nutshell, is the difference between the two and I wonít
infringe upon our movie reviewersí territory by going too deeply into
the cinematic version.
Nonetheless, with the movie breaking box-office records, itís worth
taking a look at Miller and Varleyís tale of 300 elite Spartan soldiers
and their last stand at the rocky pass known as Thermopylae against the
vastly superior forces of the Persian Empire, who sought to subjugate
the fledgling Greek city-states.
The above summary is where history and ì300î mostly part ways. Miller
uses the barest bones of the actual events to tell a grim, flawed, but
nonetheless very gripping tale. This is definitely historical fiction,
verging into fantasy at some moments.
In writing, Miller manages to do quite a bit with very little. The
Spartans, after all, were notorious for speaking bluntly and shortly
(the word ìlaconicî stems from the name for their homeland) in voices
more used to barking orders than reciting poetry.
In contrast to their more bombastic screen versions, Leonidas and his
fellows are harshly short, both with one another and their enemies.
Miller hints at quite a bit with these, including the limits of men
trained to obey unflinchingly trying to express deep feelings in the
face of certain death.
That leaves the sometimes awe-inspiring visuals, provided by Varley, to
fill in the blanks. To say she goes over the top would be an
understatement. Her twisted line work, extravagant costumes and
desolate landscapes almost make the whole thing look like itís being
fought on Mars instead of ancient Greece. Thereís not a horde she
doesnít make larger, a villain that doesnít become more monstrous.
Corrupt priests donít just take bribes; theyíre shadowy lepers living
on top of a barren outcrop. If the Spartansí speech is short and
restrained, everything else becomes massive beyond belief.
This makes for a very gripping tale, and Miller and Varleyís talents
combine perfectly on the battle scenes, which practically end up
popping off the page.
Despite a resurgence of attempts to classify the story politically, it
remains at heart a tale of a courageous last stand ó any other
implications are probably the result of looking at it too long. The
Spartansí heroic fight did help preserve cultures and ideas of freedom
ó including many they despised. Yes, they were one of the most
conservative (and communistic) societies in history, but one can draw
metaphors any number of countless ways from this tale.
Any story set in ancient Greece is bound to be politically interpreted,
because so many of the ideas central to Western political thought had
their beginnings there, not all of them good. Itís worth noting that
the Spartans pioneered both public education and secret police.
While Miller has Leonidas mention the creation of a society based on
freedom and the rule of law, Miller also makes clear that the world he
dwells in ó including Sparta itself ó is very, very far from that goal.
Leonidasí own actions, sometimes arrogant, cruel and barbaric, have
their own set of consequences. The protagonists of ì300î mention the
seeds of a better world being present in Greece, but itís made clear
that it will be a long time before those plants bear fruit.
Nonetheless, some of the particular ways Miller chooses to deviate from
history are worth shaking oneís head at. The Spartans make some
homophobic asides, which is ironic, as they spend most of their time
around each other barely clothed and constantly exercising.
Furthermore, the actual practices of the historical Spartans make a
handy counterpoint to the modern (and completely idiotic) notion that
military prowess and heterosexuality are somehow magically joined at
the hip.
In addition, the Spartans were not alone at Thermopylae, even at the
end. Where ì300î has the rest of the Greek forces retreating when times
get tough, the Thespian soldiers there also fought to the last. I would
have liked to see Miller bring the Spartans down just a few pegs more.
But, as noted earlier, this is more historical fiction than accurate
retelling. There are many excellent books out there to tell you what
actually happened at Thermopylae, or about who the Spartans actually
were, from rise to their eventual (and well-deserved) fall.
Meanwhile, ì300î remains, for all its problems, a brilliantly bloody
read that hits some universal themes ≠ó and well worth a look.
ï
David Forbes, who writes book reviews and covers news for the Daily Planet, may be contacted at marauderAVL-at-hotmail.com.
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