Movies

Movies News

Mar 12, 2007, 16:20 GMT

Tehran condemns 'anti-Iranian' movie 300


And Also

Look Back at the Worst Celebrity Breakups


Your Talkback on this Story

Latest Headlines in Movies

Older Talkback

page: 1  2 

SkinnymonkeyMar 13th, 2007 - 14:50:47

I'm not sure how it was a US political plot when the original comic book was written in 1998! Almost 10 years ago. Way before 9-11 and several years before George W. Bush was even in office.

I'm no fan of Bush, but I think it's insulting to Frank Miller to insinuate that he is a puppet of the US govt.

Report this comment

TroutMar 13th, 2007 - 14:57:02

Had the Persians not sat around whining, like they're doing now, they may have won the battle sooner and have conquered Greece. Instead, Xerxes was out fought, out thought, and outright got his ass kicked.

Hey, Iran, you can make your own film version of events at Thermopylae, but no matter how you spin Thermopylae, the truth is that Xerxes got his ass handed to him by the combined city states of Greece. A group that hated each other just slightly less than they hated Persia.

No one likes a whiner!

Report this comment

markMar 13th, 2007 - 16:03:39

I can see their point. I don't think it is a deliberate attack on them but this movie is total BS from a historical perspective. Most movies are for dramatic reasons but if you are the ones being cast as a villain then maybe you wouldn't be too excited about it either.

I also agree that this movie is essential the violent equivalent to porn. Its 'vorn'.

Report this comment

capnhankMar 13th, 2007 - 16:12:24

Most of the people who saw '300' over the weekend were probably unaware of that fact that Iran used to be the Persian Empire and, lest Hollywood decide to revisit the Greco-Persian Wars in more detail, they might want to keep it that way. Let's face it, Iran's going to look pretty bad after the general public learns about the failed campaigns of Darius and Xerxes. Rather than risk the 'From Marathon to Salamis' series, Iran would be better off letting this one go. Besides, I don't recall any uproar over 'Alexander', do you?

Report this comment

Julia GliffordMar 13th, 2007 - 16:34:44

Is Zack Jewish? I bet he is.... American Jews keep doing this - using Hollywood for mass propaganda reasons... making Islam, Persia, Arabs and Germans our enemies.

WE ARE NOT AT WAR WITH ISLAM>>>> JEWS ARE!! REmember that..

They hide their ethnicity and manipulate opinion with impunity. They are an enemy within and we won't have peace with the rest of the world until we face the enemy within.

Report this comment

skadeMar 13th, 2007 - 16:44:29

It is both preposterous and ironic that officials of Iran, with its state-run media, would criticize the free and predominately politically liberal Hollywood of assisting the Bush administration with an alleged anti-Iranian propaganda campaign. I don't doubt that most Iranian citizens under the age of 40 are mortified by yet another misguided government PR stunt.

Report this comment

artMar 13th, 2007 - 16:52:41

WOW,
Now that's what I can racism! Jews are the enemy within? Are you freakin kidding me.

And Frank Miller is no Government stooge.
It's not meant to be 'Historically accurate', It's a COMIC BOOK!

Iran is really taking this too far.

Report this comment

bleetMar 13th, 2007 - 16:58:04

Hey Julia; Why not start your own site where you can post your hate messages all the time without looking for flimsy excuses to do so on every other site on the internet. (Folks, do a quick Google on her.)

Meantime as it relates to the actual topic at hand... the Persians were out- generaled and out-fought and they're trying to politically correct history.

And finally, there are plenty of people in Iran today who would love to recreate the old Persian empire in the guise of Islam.

Report this comment

brainbleachMar 13th, 2007 - 17:01:06

WB to Iran. Thanks for the publicity. I am also insulted about the way that hunchbacks are protrayed.

Report this comment

capnhankMar 13th, 2007 - 17:16:19

Sounds like Julia might have a 'solution' in mind, if you know what I mean.

Say, did anybody else notice that '300' was conveniently released the weekend before the PS2's swansong 'God of War II'? Isn't Kratos a Spartan? If you ask me, Julia, it's not anti-Iranian but rather pro-Greek propaganda. Watch out! They might be bearing gifts!

Report this comment

ArtsandmindsMar 13th, 2007 - 17:43:25

This is a laugh, when the De Vinci Code came out the church went crazy, making the producers install a disclaimer to the movie to express it was fictional. I am an American but I am constantly amazed at the double standards we apply to others. And for those of you who discount concerns about Israel having undue influence in our nation, you can do what you always do and yell “racism” or you can look at the facts. Many movies that Hollywood makes do cast dispersions upon Germans, Russian...et al. Does any one doubt this? It is also true that Hollywood is run by groups and individuals that are by far of the Jewish faith. Many of the largest most powerful lobbying firms are Jewish /pro-Israel( if their cause is so just why do they need the largest most powerful lobbying organizations to make there points/sway policy?). Many of the groups individuals that pushed up into a conflict with Iraq were Jewish, Richard Pearl, Douglas Fieth, William Crystal, Paul Wolfowitz(all Jewish, all pushed hard behind the senses for the war and now are pushing for it again against Iran)…. Please those of you who choose to ignorant the truth, that is to say doubt that we are manipulated by our mass media to conform to a pro-Israel anti Muslim mind set, don’t post attacks upon those who are trying to confront such biases just keep your heads in the sand and leave the rest of us to deal with reality.

Report this comment

herodotusMar 13th, 2007 - 17:53:12

Although Mr. Miller may have written the comic book in 1988, the film is certainly exploiting anti-Iranian hysteria in the states. Insofar as the theme is a movie now, it serves the purposes of the Neoconservatives who want war with Iran. By portraying the Persians as invaders, the film makes it a little easier for the west to invade them.
The Iranians have a point in their assertion that Hollywood has always demonized the current perceived political enemies with stock stereotypes.
The average American movie fan accepts as truth whatever he sees in the darkness of the cinema. And why not? He has empirical evidence, since he saw it with his own eyes (Plato's allegory of the cave).
I guess America has to bomb Iran now since Persia invaded Greece in the fifth century BCE. Won't those Persians ever learn?
The popularity of the film does not bode well for our future.

Report this comment

SpinyNormanMar 13th, 2007 - 17:53:42

Julia, here's your 'enemy within'. Right here. Now what are you going to do with me?

Report this comment

XerxesMar 13th, 2007 - 18:10:53

Typical Zionist propaganda. Jews are nuts.

Report this comment

GoebbelsMar 13th, 2007 - 18:20:09

The director just wanted to adapt a comic book written in the 1980's by a good artist onto the silver screen, but now movie is starting to function like a rorschach test where people are projecting their biases and prejudices onto it and ascribing to it political overtones that none exist.

Report this comment

VisitorMar 13th, 2007 - 18:25:52

To 3 enlightened commentators - Julia Glifford, artsandminds, and Xerxes.

Why don't you make an appointment with David Duke and get fitted for your brown shirts. Here's another thought, how about arranging for a symposium on the authenticity of the battle of Thermoopylae. Finally, get back on your medication. The 3 of you are one of a kind.....Idiots.

If I neglected to acknowledge any other neglected wing nuts. I apologize.

Report this comment

Gre ForestMar 13th, 2007 - 18:42:27

Boy is this a PC world. Apocaplyto gets the Mayans riled because it depicts them as blood thirsty savages. Uh, if I'm not mistaken they WERE blood thirsty savages. Not that the rest of the world wasn't - they were burning folks alive in Europe at the time too. Now Iran is put out that an action movie depicts them as losers. Uh, they lost. Seems impossible to produce any kind of art these days without getting somebody's dander up. Teletubbies are gay, the tomb of jesus is anti-christian and on and on ad nauseum. Mullah dude, get over it.

Report this comment

Kroenung58Mar 13th, 2007 - 18:48:34

As usual, it's much simpler--and more innocuous--than everyone wants to make it...
The film expresses how the Spartans perceived their enemy (much as you all seem to be doing right now), rather than any objective reality. It doesn't intend to show how the Persians really were, but attempts to communicate the feeling experienced by the Spartans (who were, historically, a horrorshow themselves). AMADEUS does the same with the character of Mozart, as seen through Salieri's filter .

Report this comment

LolaMar 13th, 2007 - 19:51:17

Hmmm... And I thought that the movie was antiamerican.

Biggest, baddest empire on the world assembles an invincible army from all over the map to attack little reduct of proud free men. A few brave men of said reduct stand in front of that army, and by using their willingness to sacrifice their lives, against all odds, find a way of neutralizing the enemy's numbers to give the rest of their compatriots an example and some time to organize.

If you wanted to peel off all the sadistic homofilic comicbook imagery and dig for some supposed moral lesson from this movie, I would say that you would find that A) war is a bad thing, B) sucking up to the great power is not always to your advantage, C) just because you look omnipotent does not mean you are, D) sacrificing yourself for what you love is a good thing and you might end up saving it.

Hardly the message that President Bush would want to peddle. If I was OBL, I would make 300 a compulsory view for new recruits.

It is funny how USAns would immediately think that the good ones in the movie always stand for them.

Oh, and I loved the movie. Even though I do not agree with the morals...

Report this comment

RegaaronayMar 13th, 2007 - 20:00:18

Can we have a brief discussion on the fact that Black actors played the part of the Persians. I would have to say that Black people and Persian/Iranian's don't really resemble each other. Also, why did Xerxes have to be flaming queen? Just food for thought.

Report this comment

page: 1  2 

M 77
u 117
s 115
e 101
u 117
m 109
32
o 111
f 102
32
t 116
h 104
e 101
32
M 77
o 111
v 118
i 105
n 110
g 103
32
I 73
m 109
a 97
g 103
e 101
32
S 83
a 97
l 108
u 117
t 116
e 101
s 115
32
C 67
l 108
i 105
n 110
t 116
32
E 69
a 97
s 115
t 116
w 119
o 111
o 111
d 100
32
w 119
i 105
t 116
h 104
32
S 83
p 112
e 101
c 99
i 105
a 97
l 108
32
S 83
c 99
r 114
e 101
e 101
n 110
i 105
n 110
g 103
32
o 111
f 102
32
' 39
i 105
n 110
v 118
i 105
c 99
t 116
u 117
s 115
' 39
32
- 45
32
A 65
r 114
r 114
i 105
v 118
a 97
l 108
s 115
K 75
e 101
v 118
i 105
n 110
32
B 66
a 97
c 99
o 111
n 110
' 39
g 103
o 111
d 100
32
o 111
f 102
32
C 67
a 97
r 114
n 110
a 97
g 103
e 101
' 39
32
B 66
r 114
o 111
a 97
d 100
w 119
a 97
y 121
32
P 80
h 104
o 111
t 116
o 111
c 99
a 97
l 108
l 108
C 67
h 104
r 114
i 105
s 115
t 116
i 105
n 110
e 101
32
L 76
a 97
h 104
t 116
i 105
M 77
u 117
s 115
e 101
u 117
m 109
32
o 111
f 102
32
t 116
h 104
e 101
32
M 77
o 111
v 118
i 105
n 110
g 103
32
I 73
m 109
a 97
g 103
e 101
32
S 83
a 97
l 108
u 117
t 116
e 101
s 115
32
C 67
l 108
i 105
n 110
t 116
32
E 69
a 97
s 115
t 116
w 119
o 111
o 111
d 100
32
w 119
i 105
t 116
h 104
32
S 83
p 112
e 101
c 99
i 105
a 97
l 108
32
S 83
c 99
r 114
e 101
e 101
n 110
i 105
n 110
g 103
32
o 111
f 102
32
' 39
i 105
n 110
v 118
i 105
c 99
t 116
u 117
s 115
' 39
32
- 45
32
A 65
r 114
r 114
i 105
v 118
a 97
l 108
s 115
C 67
l 108
i 105
n 110
t 116
32
E 69
a 97
s 115
t 116
w 119
o 111
o 111
d 100
M 77
u 117
s 115
e 101
u 117
m 109
32
o 111
f 102
32
t 116
h 104
e 101
32
M 77
o 111
v 118
i 105
n 110
g 103
32
I 73
m 109
a 97
g 103
e 101
32
S 83
a 97
l 108
u 117
t 116
e 101
s 115
32
C 67
l 108
i 105
n 110
t 116
32
E 69
a 97
s 115
t 116
w 119
o 111
o 111
d 100
32
w 119
i 105
t 116
h 104
32
S 83
p 112
e 101
c 99
i 105
a 97
l 108
32
S 83
c 99
r 114
e 101
e 101
n 110
i 105
n 110
g 103
32
o 111
f 102
32
' 39
i 105
n 110
v 118
i 105
c 99
t 116
u 117
s 115
' 39
32
- 45
32
A 65
r 114
r 114
i 105
v 118
a 97
l 108
s 115
H 72
i 105
l 108
a 97
r 114
y 121
32
S 83
w 119
a 97
n 110
k 107
Latest Pics

300

Based on the epic graphic novel by Frank Miller, 300 is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought ...more

  • US Release: 2007-03-09
  • UK Release: 2007-03-23

Related Articles

Greeks go “ga-ga” for Spartans

External Links

Official Site 

From Sites we Like

"For 99 euros ($162) a night, you can eat hamster grain, run in a giant wheel and sleep in haystacks in what is called the Hamster Villa" [Weird]
Photoshop these two two-day-old zebrafish [Photoshop]
More Not News from Fark