MovieChat Forums > 300 (2007) Discussion > Is it Fascistic?

Is it Fascistic?

posted 9 years ago by TheHestinator
4 replies | jump to latest

Now, before I say anything more, I should point out that I'm not one of those people that sees fascism everywhere. I do no believe your average Republican is a fascist. I do not believe the Dirty Harry, Death Wish, Rambo, etc. films are fascist. However, 300 just rubbed me the wrong way.

In the relentlessly adolescent 300, bureaucracy, politics, diplomacy, and philosophy are held in contempt, while violence for the sake of violence is considered the only "honorable" pursuit of a man. This is not your average war film violence. I believe one critic, who I cannot recall, said that this movie sees violence and carnage as the ends of war, rather than its means. Enemy soldiers are not merely treated barbarically (like the execution of the wounded), but the film seems to relish it, rather than show it as some kind of necessary evil (it even admits that these poor souls being massacred are mostly mere slaves). The scenes of Leonidas growing up seem to show us that life is, and should be, a violent struggle, where weakness is equated with unworthiness.

The main characters practice murderous eugenics, which the movie does not appear to condemn, and the only physically "impure" Greek character is a turncoat. Figures that the film portrays as villains are made to look dementedly subhuman. The Persians are nothing but a race of homo/bisexual, animalistic, decadent freaks. Non-Spartan Greeks are weak "boy-lovers," who are wastes of carbon because they are not bred to be warriors.

The culture/"civilization" that the Spartans defend is anything but free. It's a proto-fascist totalitarian society. I won't go into details on Spartan culture, because the movie doesn't really spend a whole lot of time on it.

When it comes to fighting, there's a far-right, collectivist feeling in the air (yes, collectivism exists on both ends of the traditional political spectrum). It's all about concepts like "honor," "duty," and "glory."

I'm sure there's some other reasons I forgot about or something. Anyway, what are your thoughts on the connection between 300 and fascism?

[–] Atheist_Dude 9 years ago

Yes 300 is fascist. But very unintentionally so and very unwittingly so.

300 is the brainchild of Zack Snyder. The movie you see is basically what he thinks is cool. He is essentially thoughtless about the political implications of his film. Much of the imagery is not even his conception. It is that of Frank Miller, the writer of the graphic novel. Again, the graphic novel (and by extension the film) are absolutely and completely removed from reality. There is maybe 1% historical veracity in either, it is eventually a highly mythologized version of the tale. It is basically a cartoon or a video game, now tell me do you read much political subtext into those media.

And there's also the ultimate catch, the movie's cleverest stroke. The movie as it is does not represent anything as its writer or director's viewpoint, the film has not viewpoint. The entire film is a narration by a soldier to pump up an army, it all an absurd exaggeration and fabrication, a very tall tale so to say. So there is that level of play too.

So basically the entire film is just this fabalized version of a tale and has no political import at all save to enrage the soldiers before war so that they fight bravely and an attempt by the film-makers to put thrilling action and comic book visuals on screen.

I hope that addresses your question.

[–] mariakouloglou 9 years ago

It's based on an actual historical event. That's how the Spartans generally were.

[–] jimmyberluti1 8 years ago

Listen to the last 60 seconds. Defending western civilization from the dark hordes from the east.

GO TRUMP

[–] desertgaara1995 8 years ago

What were they supposed to do? Let the Persians take over them?