Iranians angered by the movie 300

[Keltoi]

Seems some Iranians believe the movie is a U.S. plot to insult Iranian culture and history.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/...n_N.htm?csp=34

Has anyone seen the movie yet?

As a student of history, the Battle of Thermopylae has always been interesting to me. Those interested in the battle can get a good overview here...


http://www.livius.org/a/battlefields...ermopylae.html

[don532]

Yeah 300 is a US plot just like the DaVinci code is true.
And the tomb of Jesus documentary is true and is rocking the very foundations of the Christian world. I can feel the rocking now.

[SATalha]

Yeah i hav heard about da film. It has very similar background 2 the first muslim battle

[Muezzin]

So according to certain Iranians, Frank Miller has a grudge against Iran?

I do hope nobody who is easily offended reads or watches Sin City...

I see that the timing of the film's release is unfortunate, but the comic upon which it was based was published yonks ago.

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[Ubaidah]

Wow. Do people (of all religions/nationalities/ect.) just sit around a look for things to get offended by? Or claim insult by?

I highly doubt, like Muezzin said, that Frank Miller has some grudge against Iran. And to show his unpleasant feelings towards them was going to write a graphic novel, and years later make it a movie to throw it in their face. C'mon.

[ManchesterFolk]

Hahahahahaha! Iran offended from a movie? Should Israel be offended by a claim of wiping them off the map? What a joke! The country that offends all who disagree with it.

[AvarAllahNoor]

I can't wait for this film!! - Blood, gore and mutliation mhahahaha bring it on!!!!

[afriend]

That is one cool looking movie :eek:

:w:

[jello]

^

I guess part of the matter is that Iranians are a proud nation, and part of their past that was not the best is being shown to large audiences. Specially now with certain war clouds looming over Iran...

[NoName55]

Plot summary for
300 (2006)


Based on Frank Miller's graphic novel, "300" concerns the 480 B.C. Battle of Thermopylae, where the King of Sparta led his army against the advancing Persians; the battle is said to have inspired all of Greece to band together against the Persians, and helped usher in the world's first democracy. This last sentence is of course rubbish as the Spartans were famously governed by an oligarchy and were very much the antithesis of Athenian democracy. Written by Simon Stevens

In the Battle of Thermopylae of 480 BC an alliance of Greek city-states fought the invading Persian army in the mountain pass of Thermopylae. Vastly outnumbered, the Greeks held back the enemy in one of the most famous last stands of history. Persian King Xerxes lead a Army of well over 100,000 (Persian king Xerxes before war has about 170,000 army) men to Greece and was confronted by 300 Spartans, 700 Thespians and other Slave soldiers. Xerxes waited for 10 days for King Leonidas to surrender or withdraw left with no options he moved. The battle lasted for about 3 days and after which all 300 Spartans were killed. The Spartan defeat was not the one expected as a local shepherd named Ephialtes defected to the Persians and informed Xerxes of a separate path through Thermopylae, which the Persians could use to outflank the Greeks. Written by cyberian2005

In 480 BC, the Persian king Xerxes sends his massive army to conquer Greece. The Greek city of Sparta houses its finest warriors, and 300 of these soldiers are chosen to meet the Persians at Thermopylae, engaging the soldiers in a narrow canyon where they cannot take full advantage of their numbers. The battle is a suicide mission, meant to buy time for the rest of the Greek forces to prepare for the invasion. However, that doesn't stop the Spartans from throwing their hearts into the fray, determined to take as many Persians as possible with them. Written by rmlohner

[DAWUD_adnan]

Yeah i hav heard about da film. It has very similar background 2 the first muslim battle

yeah your right man.. it does...:D

[Pygoscelis]

The funny thing here is that i not for the Iranian outrage most of the movie's audience would never have made the Persian/Iranian connection.

[Erundur]

Looks like some people will not like Millers other work...

Batman v. Al-Qaeda...thats right, Batman is taking on Al-Qaeda.

[SATalha]

what is he realy making a film about that or is it one of his books?

[Bittersteel]

it has very similar background 2 the first muslim battle

now that you mention it both the Battle of Thermopylae and Battle of Badr fall under the same category IIRC,that is the ones called last stands.
saw it in wikipedia.
eh a question.was Xerxes the First dark-skinned?

[MTAFFI]

I saw the movie and I have to say it was pretty good. It would have been better had they made it a little more realistic though. I saw nothing to make the Iranians mad though

[Erundur]

what is he realy making a film about that or is it one of his books?

:salamext:
He's currently writing it in his new Graphic Novel.

:sl:

[SATalha]

I wud like 2 read that.... Shud b intresting

[Muezzin]

I wonder if elderly people are offended by his graphic novel 'The Dark Knight Returns'... :p

[Tiger_Stripes]

Iranian Scholar: Tom and Jerry is a Jewish conspiracy

[AHMED_GUREY]

The Achaemenian Empire(Iran) was a noble Empire that introduced the first human rights declaration aswell as freed the Judaic slaves from the Babylonian Emperors (Iraqies), writing off this wrong depiction of their ancestors as simply another innocent ''comic'' to ''movie'' case and therefore the Iranians should look the other way is quite disrespectfull since this movie goes global and therefore is indeed important since all people value their history fanaticly and wouldn't like their ancestors to be shown in a wrong light, but then again i heard Cyrus the Great is in production with the same budget as ''300'' so it might balance everything out.

[mahdisoldier19]

I saw the movie and I have to say it was pretty good. It would have been better had they made it a little more realistic though. I saw nothing to make the Iranians mad though

Psychological effect on the people that the Persians are barbaric, if you did not pick that up from the movie, then you have a wrong sense of comprehension in identifying the Psychological aspects of movie and its effect on the viewers. The movie had consider the aspects of the Persian King, and his warriors as heartless evil men. Complete lies, the Persian king was not bald headed with rings all over him. He had no overweight beasts with choppy arms, nor did he have beasts or unexplained lifeforms working for him. The Spartans basically got their rear handed to them and made it sound as if the Spartans are the freedom fighters and undefeated, yet they got defeated horribly. However the 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians did deliver strong blows.

[wilberhum]

Psychological effect on the people that the Persians are barbaric

Barbaric? Naw. Forever at war, I think yes.
http://www.farhangsara.com/history_parthian.htm
In 250 BC a new Iranian people, the Parthians, proclaimed their independence from the Seleucids, and went on to re-establish an Oriental Empire which extended to the Euphrates.
Under Mithridates I (171-138 B.C.), the Parthians continued their conquests and annexed Media, Fars, Babylonia and Assyria, creating an empire that extended from the Euphrates to Herat in Afghanistan. This in effect was a restoration of the ancient Achaemenian Empire of Cyrus the Great.
In addition to the nomads that were a constant menace on its eastern frontier the Parthians also had to face another powerful adversary, Rome. For almost three centuries, Rome and Parthia were to battle over Syria, Mesopotamia and Armenia, without ever achieving any lasting results.

[Tiger_Stripes]

Barbaric? Naw. Forever at war, I think yes.
http://www.farhangsara.com/history_parthian.htm
In 250 BC a new Iranian people, the Parthians, proclaimed their independence from the Seleucids, and went on to re-establish an Oriental Empire which extended to the Euphrates.
Under Mithridates I (171-138 B.C.), the Parthians continued their conquests and annexed Media, Fars, Babylonia and Assyria, creating an empire that extended from the Euphrates to Herat in Afghanistan. This in effect was a restoration of the ancient Achaemenian Empire of Cyrus the Great.
In addition to the nomads that were a constant menace on its eastern frontier the Parthians also had to face another powerful adversary, Rome. For almost three centuries, Rome and Parthia were to battle over Syria, Mesopotamia and Armenia, without ever achieving any lasting results.

You should look more towards your beloved Western Empires, from Rome to colonial Britain. Then you'll know what barbaric really means.

[Muezzin]

Stay on topic, stay on topic

[Erundur]

The film itself is not hisotrically accurate and its not suppose to be, its about 300 dudes with six pack abs kicking some butt, thats it.

Was there an argument on this board when Iran complained about the movie "Alexander"?

some spoilerish stuff below.

Do not, however, read 300 expecting a strictly accurate history. The Phocians did not "scatter," as Miller describes. His Spartans are mildly homophobic, which is goofy in such a gay society. Miller doesn't say how many Greeks remained for the climactic battle--you'd think 300 Spartans and maybe a dozen others, when there were between 700 and 1,100 Greeks. Herodotus's Histories does not identify the traitor Ephialtes as ugly and hunchbacked, or even as Spartan. 300 establishes a believable connection between Ephialtes's affliction and behavior, but his monstrous appearance, King Xerxes's effeminacy, and the Persians' inexplicable pierced-GenX-African looks make for an eyebrow-raising choice of villain imagery. Nonetheless, 300 is a brilliant dramatization.

[MTAFFI]

Psychological effect on the people that the Persians are barbaric, if you did not pick that up from the movie, then you have a wrong sense of comprehension in identifying the Psychological aspects of movie and its effect on the viewers. The movie had consider the aspects of the Persian King, and his warriors as heartless evil men. Complete lies, the Persian king was not bald headed with rings all over him. He had no overweight beasts with choppy arms, nor did he have beasts or unexplained lifeforms working for him. The Spartans basically got their rear handed to them and made it sound as if the Spartans are the freedom fighters and undefeated, yet they got defeated horribly. However the 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians did deliver strong blows.

I suppose if you want to look so deeply into a movie based on a graphic novel by Frank Miller, then yes it could have some psychological effect on you. Then again if you wanted to look deeply into the da vinci code you could be psychologically effected too. The movie is rated "R" because only adults who can watch a movie and take it for what it is, a movie, can or should go see it. To your point about them not wearing rings, and not being heartless evil men, right and neither was hitler, they beheaded King Leonidas's dead body and cruicified it after they finally killed him, no they werent savage they were just peaceful conquerers. Also to your point about the spartans getting their rear handed to them, yes 300 of them did after 3 days of fighting over a million (I have to give them a standing ovation for that) and they were freedom fighters. Oh and by the way in case you didnt know your history the Greeks eventually did deliver an embarrassing defeat to Persia's army, and Xerxes ended up running like a coward back to his own land.

[Keltoi]

The reason 300 Spartans and their allies were able to hold off that massive Persian army for so long is due to armor and length of spear. The Spartans wore bronze armor and held bronze shields and spears. The Persians armor was much weaker and their spears were much shorter. It would be safe to assume that each Spartan probably took quite a few with him before he died.

As for the way in which the Persian king was portrayed, that is indeed purely dramatic licence intended give him the role of the traditional comic book villain.

they beheaded King Leonidas's dead body and cruicified it after they finally killed him, no they werent savage they were just peaceful conquerers.

***Correction, you are correct, after the Spartans had fallen the Persians did behead his body and crucified the corpse. Should have had my coffee first.

[MTAFFI]

***Correction, you are correct, after the Spartans had fallen the Persians did behead his body and crucified the corpse. Should have had my coffee first.

If they were really out to inspire hatred towards Iranians they would have probably shown this and then shown the Persians defeat, but I dont believe that was the intention of the film. The intention of the film was to make money by showing some great historic war scenes overly dramatized, and they did a good job of it, I was happy when I left the theater. Not only that but the movie was almost a cross between reality and science fiction, which is why Xerxes looked the way he did and why there were overweight beasts, etc.

[Keltoi]

If they were really out to inspire hatred towards Iranians they would have probably shown this and then shown the Persians defeat, but I dont believe that was the intention of the film. The intention of the film was to make money by showing some great historic war scenes overly dramatized, and they did a good job of it, I was happy when I left the theater. Not only that but the movie was almost a cross between reality and science fiction, which is why Xerxes looked the way he did and why there were overweight beasts, etc.

Exactly. The movie was meant to be a cross between a work of art, from a male perspective obviously, and a dramatization of a comic book account of a fairly heroic historical reality. Back in the 1960's there was a movie called The 300 Spartans, which told the same story. There is just something about the underdog getting in his licks before being defeated.

[wilberhum]

You should look more towards your beloved Western Empires, from Rome to colonial Britain. Then you'll know what barbaric really means.

True! Barbaric is what the enemy is. In fact there has been a lot of barbarism from every group.

[imaad_udeen]

eh a question.was Xerxes the First dark-skinned?

I don't think anyone knows for sure, he was probably olive skinned.

[Darkseid]

Yeah 300 is a US plot just like the DaVinci code is true.
And the tomb of Jesus documentary is true and is rocking the very foundations of the Christian world. I can feel the rocking now.

They are fictional movies.

You would have to be a complete imbecile to take a fictional movie seriously.

You are aware of what the world fictional means now don't you? It means not real. It is not real okay. It is like watching Alien. The girl that got impregnated with that monster didn't die, because she wasn't real. She was being played by an actor on a fictional movie.

What I'd say is that the Iranians should watch the movie and see it as a joke.

[Darkseid]

They are fictional movies.

You would have to be a complete imbecile to take a fictional movie seriously.

You are aware of what the world fictional means now don't you? It means not real. It is not real okay. It is like watching Alien. The girl that got impregnated with that monster didn't die, because she wasn't real. She was being played by an actor on a fictional movie.

What I'd say is that the Iranians should watch the movie and see it as a joke.

My appologies on double-posting. I meant to say word, not world in the post above.

[noodles]

^ lol. I think he was being sarcastic.

[don532]

They are fictional movies.

You would have to be a complete imbecile to take a fictional movie seriously.

You are aware of what the world fictional means now don't you? It means not real. It is not real okay. It is like watching Alien. The girl that got impregnated with that monster didn't die, because she wasn't real. She was being played by an actor on a fictional movie.

What I'd say is that the Iranians should watch the movie and see it as a joke.

Greetings. I have heard of fiction and I know what it means. I was being sarcastic. I think you most likely know what that means. Peace.

[Tiger_Stripes]

True! Barbaric is what the enemy is. In fact there has been a lot of barbarism from every group.

Especially by fascist atheistic regimes like Nero, Mussolini, and Stalin :)

[Akil]

300 is based on a **** comic. Instead of wearing linin or bronze armor these dudes have a cape. Most people arnt even aware Persia is Iran :P

Did they at least pull of a sweet phalanx in the movie? (long lines of guys with lots of armor and big spears).

[Keltoi]

300 is based on a **** comic. Instead of wearing linin or bronze armor these dudes have a cape. Most people arnt even aware Persia is Iran :P

Did they at least pull of a sweet phalanx in the movie? (long lines of guys with lots of armor and big spears).

Quite a large phalanx actually...:)

[Idris]

I would love to see something on persia's conquest by Islamic Arab armies.

Like the Battle of al-Qādisiyyah

Date circa 636 CE
Location al-Qādisiyyah, Iraq
Result Decisive Muslim Arab victory

Combatants
Muslim Arabs <> Sassanid Empire of Iran
Commanders
Sa`d ibn Abī <> Waqqās Rostam Farrokhzād
Strength
30,000 About<> 120,000+
Casualties
5,000 <> 25,000+

[MTAFFI]

I saw something on the news the other day about this again, something about some Iranian officials claiming it is all just so the world will dislike the Persian. Isnt it funny how hard it is for some people who come from a country with state run television, or really all media, to understand free speech? Frank Miller made a comic book about this and I am sure Iran wasnt in the forefront of his mind when he was writing about this great battle. I wonder why no one has said anything to Iran about inciting hatred towards other nations? Wipe Israel off the map or Death to America, but we cant even make movies about actual events from almost 2500 years ago without being accused of inciting hatred

[Darkseid]

I saw something on the news the other day about this again, something about some Iranian officials claiming it is all just so the world will dislike the Persian. Isnt it funny how hard it is for some people who come from a country with state run television, or really all media, to understand free speech? Frank Miller made a comic book about this and I am sure Iran wasnt in the forefront of his mind when he was writing about this great battle. I wonder why no one has said anything to Iran about inciting hatred towards other nations? Wipe Israel off the map or Death to America, but we cant even make movies about actual events from almost 2500 years ago without being accused of inciting hatred

The actual event of that battle was a bit different. For one thing, there were a thousand soldiers from another citystate fighting side-by-side with the Spartans.

The Iranians could have pointed that out as historical intolerance in the movie.

[MTAFFI]

The actual event of that battle was a bit different. For one thing, there were a thousand soldiers from another citystate fighting side-by-side with the Spartans.

The Iranians could have pointed that out as historical intolerance in the movie.

Actually the 300 Spartans were joined only by about 700 others, not thousands, which was shown in the movie. The Iranians couldnt have pointed out anything because it is wasnt made to be an actual portrayal of events, it was made based on real events for entertainment purposes, and they did a decent job. I dont need a movie to tell me that the Persian/Iranians are the scum of the Earth

[Idris]

I do not understand why the Iranian's want anything to do with the persian empire. Are they proud of Zoroastrianism?

I dont need a movie to tell me that the Persian/Iranians are the scum of the Earth

And we don't need to know what you think too.

[Darkseid]

Actually the 300 Spartans were joined only by about 700 others, not thousands, which was shown in the movie.

Actually at first they were jointed by thousands of other Greeks. But when those Greeks decided to pull back then there was just the three hundred or less Spartans with about a thousand Thespians or whatever they called themselves. They might be the Lesbians as people from Lesbos, but I think there were called something like Thespians. The people that sided with the Spartans, not the people from Lesbos.

The Iranians couldnt have pointed out anything because it is wasnt made to be an actual portrayal of events, it was made based on real events for entertainment purposes, and they did a decent job.

You are wrong unless you say, "base on mainstream idolized events."

I dont need a movie to tell me that the Persian/Iranians are the scum of the Earth

And Jesus, Buddha, Moses, and Mohammad feel the same about you. You need to stop treating people as though they were less than dirt. Saddam was by far worse of a person than the Iranians. At least give them that credit. Plus it was the Persians that liberated the Jews from their Babylonians persecution. Without the Persians, it is hard to say if Christianity would have ever existed.

I do not understand why the Iranian's want anything to do with the persian empire. Are they proud of Zoroastrianism?

Zoroastrianism is was a large part in the structure of modern Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The basic foundation of Zoroastrianism is a bipolar structure of ultimate good vs. ultimate evil.

In christianity you have god vs. the devil.

In Judaism you have god vs. man. God was basically both good and evil, but it was man's actions that made him good or evil.

In Islam you have god vs. polytheism. Idol worship is considered to be one of the greatest evils.

Zoroastrianism pre-dates all faith except for Abrahamic Judaism, Jainism, Hinduism, and Pagan Faiths.

[Idris]

Without the Persians, it is hard to say if Christianity would have ever existed.

Man I hate the word "IF"

[MTAFFI]

Actually at first they were jointed by thousands of other Greeks. But when those Greeks decided to pull back then there was just the three hundred or less Spartans with about a thousand Thespians or whatever they called themselves. They might be the Lesbians as people from Lesbos, but I think there were called something like Thespians. The people that sided with the Spartans, not the people from Lesbos.

Show me a link that reflects this

You are wrong unless you say, "base on mainstream idolized events."

I dont have to say anything to make my statement correct, the movie is a movie created by an independent film maker who more than likely hates the US government and doesnt support the war in Iraq. The fact that the Iranians want to make a big deal about it just shows the world once again that they are ignorant, juvenile and interested only in conflict.

And Jesus, Buddha, Moses, and Mohammad feel the same about you. You need to stop treating people as though they were less than dirt. Saddam was by far worse of a person than the Iranians. At least give them that credit. Plus it was the Persians that liberated the Jews from their Babylonians persecution. Without the Persians, it is hard to say if Christianity would have ever existed.

Wow I am glad that you can speak for prophets, tell me more about me. I treat no one as if they are dirt unless they deserve to be treated so, and the Iranians do. I dont care who they liberated however many years ago, and I dont care if Christianity did ever exist, I have my own beliefs anyway. Iran is disgusting and they will get theirs at some point or another

[Darkseid]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/300_Spartans

700 Thespians, sorry.

But there were 6,000 other greeks.

[noodles]

Show me a link that reflects this


I dont have to say anything to make my statement correct, the movie is a movie created by an independent film maker who more than likely hates the US government and doesnt support the war in Iraq. The fact that the Iranians want to make a big deal about it just shows the world once again that they are ignorant, juvenile and interested only in conflict.



Wow I am glad that you can speak for prophets, tell me more about me. I treat no one as if they are dirt unless they deserve to be treated so, and the Iranians do. I dont care who they liberated however many years ago, and I dont care if Christianity did ever exist, I have my own beliefs anyway. Iran is disgusting and they will get theirs at some point or another

Call an individual disgusting, Call a government disgusting, but DO NOT call a whole nation disgusting. They have their way of life and you have yours. Because you do not agree with someone and their points of view, you have no right to call them 'disgusting'

Its called discrimination, last I heard.

That truly is unjustice.

[Idris]

Call an individual disgusting, Call a government disgusting, but DO NOT call a whole nation disgusting. They have their way of life and you have yours. Because you do not agree with someone and their points of view, you have no right to call them 'disgusting'

Its called discrimination, last I heard.

That truly is unjustice.

Very true

[j4763]

Call an individual disgusting, Call a government disgusting, but DO NOT call a whole nation disgusting. They have their way of life and you have yours. Because you do not agree with someone and their points of view, you have no right to call them 'disgusting'

Its called discrimination, last I heard.

That truly is unjustice.

Lets all bear that in mind the next time we say UK this or America that hay.

[MTAFFI]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/300_Spartans

700 Thespians, sorry.

But there were 6,000 other greeks.

if you read a little bit you will notice all but 1000 of them were dismissed

[MTAFFI]

Call an individual disgusting, Call a government disgusting, but DO NOT call a whole nation disgusting. They have their way of life and you have yours. Because you do not agree with someone and their points of view, you have no right to call them 'disgusting'

Its called discrimination, last I heard.

That truly is unjustice.

you better let everyone know that so they think twice before speaking of america again

Also just to make it very clear I feel most of Iran are disgusting and since I live in a country that advocates freedom I have all my rights to call them that, especially when I see thousands gathering chanting death to america, but no I suppose I should respond with Death to Iran, actually I will just not on this forum because that would be against the rules :skeleton:

[aamirsaab]

:sl:

I think this thread has been discussed fully, wouldn't you agree?