User reviews

This is a great movie but it steps into one of my pet peeves, the 700 Thespians. They never get the same press as the Spartans. They died with the Spartans, citizen soldiers and professional warriors fighting side by side for the freedom of others. If you want drama, pathos and tragedy, the story of some sculptor, farmer or smithie with a comfortable life, a wife, kids and a career sacrificing himself for freedom would impress me a lot more than a professional warrior taught to treat life with contempt from the earliest age.

Not that I'd call Sparta a "free" state. Democracy does not equal freedom. Yes they did elect their governing council but free states don't take your male children from you at age 7 to turn them into killing machines, don't murder slaves as a rite of passage and don't kill imperfect babies as a matter of law. The slaves in Sparta (the Helots) outnumbered the citizens by a wide margin and could never become citizens themselves. Even those who became emancipated (but still could never be citizens) were held in contempt and fear and were often massacred. Sparta lived in perpetual fear of a Helot revolt.

The Thespians were a free people who worshiped Eros and the Muses and lacked a warrior class. Their version of "slavery" was closer to indentured servitude where you had legal rights and could earn your freedom. Thespia was burned despite the sacrifice of its people at Thermopylae. The survivors still managed to muster another 1800 for the final battle at Plataea.

Incidentally, there were about 5-7000 Greek troops total. It was realistic that such a force could have held the pass indefinitely. Most were dismissed when the Persians threatened to surround them. The Spartans and Thespians remained behind to cover their retreat. (Apparently some Thebans also stayed behind but surrendered before the final battle.)

Long before Braveheart and Gladiator, at a time when computers and their potential for animation were but a dream, movies relied on actors who performed rather than relied on f/x. Richard Egan and director Rudolf Mate retell the story of western civilizations survival during the battle of Thermopolaye Pass. The battle scenes are very well done, with little use of complex special f/x and the acting is well paced. Overall a great movie and one that is rare to find on video, and goes for a premium price when found.

"The 300 Spartans" is a very good mostly accurate recreation of the battle of Thermopylae. The movie details the events leading up to the second Persian invasion of Greece, then shows the battle of Thermopylae. The Persian king, Xerxes, assembles and leads an army of some one million men, an unprecedented force, across the Bosphorus and into Greece. The Greek meet to discuss their options, and led by Themistocles, played by Sir Ralph Richardson, agree to unite and meet the Persians at the pass of Thermopylae. King Leonidas, Richard Egan, leads 300 Spartans of his bodyguard to the pass to defend Greece while the rest of the Greeks mobilize. There's a side story of a young Spartan in love with Leonidas's niece (Diane Baker)whose father is in disgrace. The young man and his love follow the army to the pass. The Spartans are joined by the Thespians and the Athenian navy protects their flank on the sea. Mountains flank the narrow pass which is the only land route into Greece. The Persians launch an attack with some of their subject troops, but the Greeks easily turn them back. The Persians then use chariots, but are again repulsed. Later, the Spartans raid the Persian camp at night, but can't get at Xerxes. The young outcast heroically saves an officer and is accepted. The king is persuaded to use his best soldiers, the Immortals who are his personal bodyguard, but they are also driven back. Xerxes is about to give up the attack when a Greek traitor, Ephialtes, who's been rebuffed by Diane Baker, offers to lead the Persians over a secret mountain trail to get in back of the Greeks, Leonidas learns of the treachery and sends the other Greeks back to warn their countrymen, The Thespians stay as a rear guard and they and the Spartans prepare to meet the final assault. The Persians attack the Spartans in the pass and the Thespians at the end of the trail. Leonidas orders the Spartans into a wedge to cut through to Xerxes, but he is cut down. The Spartans pull back and Xerxes offers to let them go if they'll give Leonidas's body up. They refuse and are all killed in a hail of arrows. The epilogue tells how the Persians are finally removed from Greece by sea and land battles. A rather modest cast, but very good actors, no real big names led by the under rated Richard Egan, the fine British actor, Sir Ralph Richardson, David Farrar chews the scenery as Xerxes, Barry Coe as a stoic Spartan officer and the lovely Diane Baker headline the film. The events leading to the battle, the battle itself and its aftermath are pretty accurately presented. A very good film of an important battle.

This stirring account of how 300 Spartans defended the pass of Thermopylae to the death against the huge army of Xerxes the Persian tyrant is both exciting as human adventure and occasionally profound. Richard Egan is stalwart but lacks a classical accent as Leonidas, the Spartan leader; but the acting by Ralph Richardson, Laurence Naismith, David Farrar, John Crawford and others is serviceable or better. The flawed performance by Barry Coe as the 301st Spartan, Phelon, has obscured for some minds the film's honesty and its impressively memorable location scenes. The device of providing the young couple, Phelon and Elas, gives the viewer with a point-of-view from which to learn about or witness such scenes as the perfidy of Ephialtes who betrays his country, the intelligence of the Spartans' attack on the Persian camp, the attempts by Queen Artemisia to persuade Xerxes to give over his scheme of domination, the sheer ability of a dour, sinewy little Persian king, Demaratus, who demonstrates the superiority of his nation's ways in battle against a Persian killer--all this is exhibited in an authentic setting with wonderful music and Rudolph Mate's usual sensitive direction. These elements make this one of the best-remembered historical films ever made. Anna Synodinou's love for Leonidas, the issues these honest folk face--including the near-betrayal of Greece by supposedly religiously-motivated conservatives, and Ralph Richardon's yearning for a Greece united and not for once divided I suggest cannot be forgotten. I first saw this important film the same day I had seen the naturalistic "Middle of the Night"; that day I learned the difference between self-responsible heroes in film and films that explore psychological weakness--the difference between men who think for themselves and those who seek the approbation of socially-conformist others; for there are scarcely any other films with the power of this one, and not one of the "let's show people with postmodernist "categorical character flaws" persuasion. This epic is a near triumph by any standard I know.

A historical drama, pellum. The first (and best) film adaptation of the legendary battle of Thermopylae Passage in 480 BC. I watched this picture as a child with great pleasure, and more than once. I remember almost all the dialogues from it by heart, and this review was an excellent reason to review this high-quality work of the sixties of the last century. And I can say without concealment - the picture is still good, and still epic, and even against the background of the picture "300" from our Zack Snyder, it's generally a masterpiece. After all, a giant and a snot are not equal to each other. And here's my brief opinion for you - The legendary battle of the legendary Spartans. The painting has both expressive advantages and obvious disadvantages (it is impossible without them). And this should end such an important introduction and move on to the interesting one.

So, the advantages: 1. Scenario - the picture, as the name implies, is dedicated to the feat of three hundred Spartans who covered themselves with unfading glory on the last day of the Battle of Thermopylae, when they refused to retreat, being warned of betrayal. And before that, there was the rest of the battle, in which the Persian troops under the command of King Xerxes the First himself tried for several days to dislodge the Greeks from the Thermopylae Passage, but to no avail. In addition, we will be shown the beginning of the war, the political games of the Athenian Themistocles, and even love found a place here. There's not a lot of it, and it's in the subject here, and they don't overdo it. And in general, in almost two hours we were able to tell and show this legendary battle. And the finale turned out to be epic. There are not enough stars from the sky, but he was able to tell and show the epic, which still looks extremely good.

2. There are a lot of battle scenes - extras here (even five thousand soldiers of the Greek army were invited for this, because they shot the picture in Greece). Therefore, the picture can be safely called epic. Yes, now the local fights don't look as naturalistic and spectacular as they did in the year of release, but nevertheless no one has done better yet (don't remember Snyder's film - it's a fantasy). Both the Persians and the Greeks resemble historical prototypes. They did a better job with the Greeks, but the Persians turned out to be different. It is clear that there was a historical consultant, and he was obeyed. The final battle of the Spartans turned out to be especially spectacular.

3. Atmosphere - thanks to the magnificent music of Manos Hadzidakis and excellent costumes and natural scenery, the audience is literally transported to that time and immediately takes the side of Greece. Yes, even now it works.

It's not worth talking about good acting. This is not modernity for you, well, you understand me. I will not swear in bad words here.

So, the disadvantages: 1. Discrepancies with history - here the "American view" was mixed with history. The Greeks here are exposed as "defenders of freedom" (although both the Spartans and the Athenians had slaves and there was tyranny), the Persian Empire is a state of slaves (which is not almost completely true). The number of Persians has been exaggerated almost tenfold. There were about seven thousand Greeks in the battle, not just three hundred Spartans and seven hundred Thespians. Xerxes was made a fool of, to whom only his subject, the Queen of Halicarnassus Artemisia, gives the right advice. The Spartans wore beards and long hair, which they combed before the battle, and in the picture they are all beardless and short-cropped. Leonid was about fifty years old at the time of the battle, and in the picture Leonid is thirty-five to forty years old. The Spartan formation looks extremely strange. And this is only what is immediately noticeable.

2. Americanism - it is directly visible, and rushing out of all the cracks. It sometimes makes you feel sick, because all the Greeks here talk about "freedom", about slavery, behave boldly at the sight of the Persians. The painting is clearly made for the American audience. Although in the USA the picture failed, and only in the USSR it became a real hit (it was watched by twenty-seven million viewers).

A little bit about the main characters: 1. King Leonid, played by Richard Egan, is one of the two rulers of Sparta. A brave and courageous warrior, an excellent commander and a reliable friend. It is presented too idealistic here. Despite this, Richard played the legendary king perfectly. Bravo!

2. Themistocles, played by Ralph Richardson, is a cunning Athenian politician who, through his efforts, achieved the unification of Greece during the war (later, however, after the victory he was expelled from Athens, and he found refuge with the Persians, but it doesn't matter). He was a friend of Leonid. It is a pity that the picture did not show the intrigues that he was undertaking at that time. But even so, Ralph looked quite convincing in the role of the legendary Themistocles. Bravo!

3. King Xerxes, played by David Farrar, is the ruler of the Persian empire, intending to conquer Greece by military force and become the ruler of the whole world. The picture shows not the smartest king, who is always rescued only by Queen Artemisia. David certainly coped well with the role, but the image of the king was not the most successful.

Despite all the disadvantages, this picture is a very strong historical drama, which is still good. It is definitely worthy of your attention and your time, and as a didactic material it is quite suitable for itself.

My rating is 9 out of 10 and my recommendation for viewing!

The tyrants and dictators have always existed on this Earth, they are not afraid to take risks, bribe and steal, conquer and kill in the name of their own inglorious motifs and despicable persona - but the only thing they are afraid of is people with a voice. Those who cannot be bought, abused or intimidated because they know the true meaning of the word "freedom" and are eager to defend it by any means necessary in the name of democracy. But maybe someday there will come the day when all those oppressed and voiceless people understand their own strengths and get up from their knees to fight against their oppressors... that will be the day democracy wins.

For my 300th review I really could not have chosen a better candidate as this 1962 fantastic peplum "The 300 Spartans" which symbolizes not only my personal milestone here but also something most people forgot existed - freedom. I've known the story of the Battle of Thermopylae since my early childhood and I was fascinated by how just a few men could not only survive against the army of thousands but come back in battle time and time again until they were finally crushed but not because they were outnumbered, no. The numbers really have no power in this world at all - the thoughts do.

The thought is the most powerful thing; when installed in the right mind by the right hands it can do greater good than any good deed could ever hope to. The whole other thing if this thought is being handled by the wrong mind and hands because even democracy can easily be transformed into something evil (with the addition of letter 'n' for instance) by the powers of a person who doesn't know its meaning.

The movie itself has beautiful setting and landscapes, almost exclusively shot on site in the immortal country of Greece. In contrast to most other Hollywood productions it has its own, authentic Mediterranean vibe in great deal thanks to the musical score by Manos Hadjidakis and his orchestra but sadly neither its powerful script nor some fine performances could have made this film as legendary as the story it was based on and it's a real shame that's so.

I only ever had the opportunity to see 3/4 of this film about 22 years ago when I was about 12. Unfortunately, I had to go out with my parents during the film, and never got to see the end. I have since read a few books (eg. The Gates of Fire) to find out what actually happened.

From what I saw, I was captivated by the bravery of the Spartans and their ultimate sacrifice in holding up the Persians for three days. The battle scenes were in the old epic style which fully displayed the Spartans use of battle tactics and fighting prowess. It was fantastic!

I would dearly love to see this again, so if anyone knows how I can pick up a VHS copy, please email me. THANKS MATE!!

With Hollywood's recent threat to release a video game, oops, movie called "The 300" which (per the trailer) will be every bit as silly as the worst of Peter Jackson, it was time to hunt down a copy of the older (1962) version of this story.

First of all, the history of how the 300 Spartans clashed at Thermopole with an invading army of thousands thundering into their country from Persia is one of the greatest stories in all history. It does not require enhancement from the special effects department turning either the Spartans or the Persian "Immortals" into piranha-fish-men or other nonsense.

Secondly, film-making has not advanced an inch since 1962. Back then they had the finest wide screen high fidelity color photography, as well as stereophonic sound. But it doesn't end there. They also had good dramatic sense and good storytelling judgment --- things lost on today's generation of trash filmmakers. Excessive use of special effects, or zoom lens, or attention-deficit-disorder film editing --- these things do not make a good picture or tell a good story.

Please seek out this fine film (now on DVD) and ignore the air-headed mess called "The 300."