Art & Life by Sue Davis

I recently saw a trailer for “300″, the movie based on Frank Miller’s (Sin City, Daredevil) graphic novel. It appeared to be an artistic rendition of war. I was suspicious. I thought
to myself “great, another guy movie lusting for blood and battle, heads popping off and limbs being severed.” As it turned out, my suspicions were unfounded. While there were plenty of decapitations and other atrocities,  the artistic approach to the film was more than a veneer used to glorify the ferocity of human kind.

Yes, it was a violent movie depicting a violent society. Viewed in context of the era in which it was set (480 BC), perhaps this way of life was necessary for survival. This idea is reflected in the philosophy of moral relativism, in which each culture maintains their own set of morally correct behavior. What is acceptable in one society might be frowned upon or even abhorred in a different part of the world.

The display of violence was no worse than most of the video games that kids play today. In other words, not entirely realistic. The very color palette of the film ensured that this was understood: sepia colored skies, golden ochre fields and blackish umber tinted blood. For me, the main attraction of the movie was not the fighting, it was the message. An important idea expressed was the need to bear witness. In the midst of battle, Leonidas, the main character and leader of the Spartan “army” commanded one of his best soldiers to return to their village and relate the events of their journey. Leonidas knew the demise of his army was eminent and chose to use his soldier as a messenger. The need to “tell the story” was overpowering. If no one knew the details of the Spartan battle, would it matter? Did relating the tale serve a deeper purpose? Without the messenger, the story would have been lost. He served as the unifying force behind the entire production. The film is narrated in parts by an anonymous person, who turns out to be this messenger. The end of the movie shows him relating the tale of the battle, spreading the word to thousands of people.

To me this notion of bearing witness was very powerful and brought to mind other instances of similar situations in which injustices were proliferated. Some prominent examples are the holocaust and slavery. What is gained by retelling tales of disaster? Extolling morally correct actions, acts of bravery, heroism, and perhaps the need to express indignation are among the motivations for keeping the stories alive.

I believe that a film is worthwhile if the ideas presented encourage you to connect those concepts to other experiences and reflect on their meaning. This may be thought of as “learning”.  At any rate, I did enjoy “300″. The colors, the creatures, costumes, creative photography and message all coalesced to produce an experience worth 117 minutes of my life.

Thanks for taking a few minutes of your time as well to read this. If you have you seen the movie, tell me what you thought. Or comment on any aspect of this post that appeals to you.

 Sue