Iran Blasts "300" & West's View of Ancient Battle of Thermopylae

Iran has denounced 300, Hollywood's latest blockbuster film, depicting the 480 B.C. battle of Thermopylae between the Persian army and a band of Greeks, as 'hostile behavior which is the result of cultural and psychological warfare.'

The movie, which raked in $70 million in its opening weekend, is based on the graphic-novel by Frank Miller, in which a force of 300 Spartans held off a massive Persian army at a mountain pass known as the Gates of Fire in Greece for three days.

Some Western reviewers noted the political overtones of the West-against-Iran story line — and the way Persians are depicted as decadent, sexually flamboyant and evil in contrast to the noble Greeks. Aside from politics, the film was seen as an attack on Persian history, a source of pride for Iranians across the political spectrum, including critics of the current Islamic regime. Tehran state-run television has run several commentaries the past two days calling the film insulting and has brought on Iranian film directors to point out its historical inaccuracies.

Iran's biggest circulation newspaper, Hamshahri, said "300" is "serving the policy of the U.S. leadership" and predicted it will "prompt a wave of protest in the world. ... Iranians living in the U.S. and Europe will not be indifferent about this obvious insult."

I've  linked below to recent original posts on 300 and our image centric culture. Casey Kazan.

Age of the Image -"300" from Graphic-Novel to Film

History's Arrow

      

Comments

[Asigurari de Sanatate]

The reality behind the movie is even more difficult to understand. I think the most important point is to try to view the reality behind the movie.