I just saw "300." Let's bomb Iran now!
I’ve heard some comments recently about how “300,” the box-office success released this past week, is essentially propaganda to help gain support for a possible military action against Iran. Though I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing the movie myself yet, this claim is so preposterous that I’m tempted to pick up a straight-edged Spartan sword and start hacking people’s heads off.
Perhaps I should start by pointing out the obvious comparisons.
Persia —> Modern-day Iran
Greece —> Western civilization, specifically the United States
An awesome story about how 300 really-well-trained soldiers make a last stand against an overwhelming force backed up with the might of one of the strongest empires in the world at the time —> ???
Exactly. The comparison breaks down. People started panicking as soon as they saw the words “Persia/Iran,” “Greece/U.S.,” and “battle” in the same sentence, but they didn’t bother taking a closer look. In fact, ignoring points one and two in favor of point three, one would be tempted to cast the U.S as the strong empire, making the Iranians the underdogs we’re supposed to root for. This claim is no less valid than the claim that the film is propaganda. It’s only more immediately foolish.
Here’s a similar thought experiment: “four close allies,” “threat,” and “space.” A movie about the efforts of the U.S. and three allies reviving SDI or a missile defense system against space-based attacks from hostile nations, right? No, actually — you’re watching “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.” That looks like an awesome movie, by the way, so I’m definitely going to be sure to catch that one.
“300” is not a film intended to brainwash the American public into supporting an attack against Iran. The only political message you can get from this gory action film is one you create yourself. Yes, I suppose there’s a natural tendency to view the Persians as evil because they vastly outnumber the Spartans. If so, then perhaps we should be chasing after our history classes because that’s how this battle was cast in my mind when I learned about it in history earlier this year; I was rooting for the Spartans. Who wouldn’t? The Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae appeal to our tendency to root for the underdog, the little man.
I realize, as Mr. Butler pointed out in a schoolwide e-mail today, that propaganda films supporting specific wars exist, perhaps best evidenced by the “Why We Fight” films of World War II. A closer look at the plot of “300,” which had a producer back in 2003 before Iran was even rocking the boat, reveals that “300” is not one of these propaganda films. Appreciate the Battle of Thermopylae for what it is — really darn cool.
Check out: The New York Times on “300“‘s real message | A satirical review of the “300” trailer
— Ben Hyman