300: THE RISE OF AN EMPIRE

US, 2014, 106 minutes, Colour.
Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Heady, Rodrigo Santoro, Hans Matheson, Callum Mulvey, Jack O’ Connell, David Wenham.
Directed by Noam Murro.

300, Rise of and Empire, takes up the history of the Greek confrontations with the Persians in the fifth century BC. There are allusions to the original film, 300, in the opening credits, the dead lying at Thermopolae with Leonidas amongst them. Dilios, played by David Wenham, is also a link, giving an account of what happened at Thermopolae. The other link is Leonidas’ wife, (Lena Heady who not only provides a voiceover narrative, but becomes part of the action, advocating the superiority of Sparta, but eventually leading her fleet to the action).

The King of Persia, Xerxes, who looked so strangely exotic in the original film, appears again trying to save his father, Darius, from being killed at the Battle of Marathon, then influenced by Artemisia and going through a ritual out of which he appears covered in gold and chains.

However, this film is not a sequel. Rather, it is a parallel story of what was happening in Athens and in the Bay of Salamis as the Athenians confronted the Persian fleet while the Spartans were battling at Thermopolae.

The hero of the film is Themistocles, the Athenians leader, who commands the smaller forces of Athens and their fleet. He is played by Australian, Sullivan Stapleton, commanding in appearance (though his Australian accent is less forceful than that of, say, Russell Crowe in Gladiator), clever in strategies, eliciting loyalty from friends and soldiers. The villain of the film is Artemisia, played with full force by Eva Green, a Greek woman whose family was brutalised by Greek soldiers, she herself raped and taken into slavery and ultimately rescued by a Persian – hence her being an aggressively vicious leader of the Persians. She is played as an intense, malevolent and sadistic monster, with her moments of sensuality and seduction, defying Themistocles, and ultimately facing up to him, one-on-one, both at sword point.

While there might be some inaccuracies in the history of the story, it nevertheless brings this picture of Greek history and legend to life. The main reason for this is that it uses, visually, the equivalents of the graphic novel, the graphic comic. The sets are stylised, the colour grading dark and ominous, especially during the sea battles. The photography and editing is for the equivalent of cartoon panels, the action sometimes in slow motion, even slowest motion, so that the audience has time to focus on particular panels, close-ups, but, especially, on the vivid combat scenes and death. There is a moment when there is a discussion that war is not for glory – but, with so much bloodshed and the blood spurts coming at the audience (especially if seen in 3-D), it is certainly gory.

This means that polished acting is not required. Rather, there is a great deal of posing and posturing, both with Themistocles and Artemisia, but, more especially, with Xerxes (who looks more like someone on a float in a parade rather than King of Persia).

There is a thundering score, pounding sound engineering, all creating an atmosphere which makes quite an impression whether one likes it or not.

This reviewer studied Greek and ancient history at school and was basically familiar with the plot elements – and found a certain satisfaction in seeing them come alive in graphic novel style, graphically.

1. The title, the original film? The parallel story, a meanwhile… story?

2. The historical background, Persia and its attack on the Greek city-States, Darius and Xerxes? The role of Artemisia? Leonidas? Themistocles? The battle of Marathon, Thermopolae, Salamis?

3. The visual style of the film, Frank Miller and his graphic novels, a visual graphic novel? Not realism? The use of slow motion and slowest motion? The action of the film like panels of the graphic novels, both static and in motion?

4. The colour style, the darkness? The 3-D style?

5. The framing, quiet and action, the panels? the framing of the fight sequences, combat, killing, aftermath?

6. Themes of war, war glory, gory? Sacrifice for the nation? For freedom and democracy? The motivation for war, revenge and whims?

7. The staging of the battles, the combat, the deaths, the blood spurting and spattered, swords, access, arrows, fire?

8. The strategies, the parting of the boats and trapping the large Persian vessels? The second battle with fire and destruction? The third battle with the Athenian aggression and the arrival of the Spartans?

9. The voiceover of Queen Gorgo? Her perspective on Sparta, Leonidas, Spartan superiority, grief, the requests of Themistocles, coming with her fleet and her vigorous involvement in battle?

10. The background of Thermopolae, the film, 300, the allusions in the opening credits? The links via Dilios? Xerxes and his attack at Thermopolae, Leonidas and the Spartan background, his wife, the warriors, the betrayal, fighting to the death? Themistocles and his visiting Sparta, Leonidas’ wife and her not being in sympathy? The training in Sparta, the warriors, the possibilities of truces with the Persians, not accepting them? The death of Leonidas, of the 300? Themistocles visiting again, sharing the grief, the issue of the navy, the Spartans finally arriving for the battle of Salamis?

11. The reprise of 300, the role of Dilios?

12. The visualising of the battle of Marathon, Themistocles, as leader, strength, the battles, the arrow and the killing of Darius rather than Xerxes?

13. Artemisia and her influence, controlling Xerxes, his going through the ritual, immersing himself, emerging as a God, with the strange gold and adornments? Artemisia and the Greeks, the flashbacks to her life, the Hoplites and their persecuting her parents, killing them, capturing her, the rapes? As a slave? Her being abandoned, rescued by the Persian, her motivation of vengeance?

14. Themistocles as a character, as leader, his beliefs, his strategies? Devotion to Athens and democracy? The battles at sea? The encounter with Artemisia, wiliness, the sexual encounter, defying her, her defying him? His range of friends and associates, the young warrior, loyalties?

15. His friends, Scyllias fighting, his son, death? The young warriors? Aeskylos and his constant support?

16. The final confrontation with Artemisia, Themistocles on his horse, the fight, the sword points, at each others’s throats, the arrival of the Spartans, her death?

17. Xerxes, his presumption, his retreat?

18. The Persians, the numbers, the leaders, Artemisia and her brooking no defeat, throwing the leaders into the sea? The ships, large, surrounded, the
giant warriors, the fire, the warriors swimming, shielded - but with fire? Explosions?

19. Athens, the ideal from the sixth century, democracy, the visuals of Athens razed to the ground? Themistocles and United Greece?

20. History alive – as a graphic novel, graphically?