300 (2006)
Action, Drama |
300 is a American epic period action film based on the 1998 comic series of the same name by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley. Both are fictionalized retellings of the Battle of Thermopylae within the Persian Wars. The film was directed by Zack Snyder, while Miller served as executive producer and consultant. It was filmed mostly with a superimposition chroma key technique, to help replicate the imagery of the original comic book.
The plot revolves around King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), who leads 300 Spartans into battle against the Persian “God-King” Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his invading army of more than 300,000 soldiers. As the battle rages, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) attempts to rally support in Sparta for her husband. The story is framed by a voice-over narrative by the Spartan soldier Dilios (David Wenham). Through this narrative technique, various fantastical creatures are introduced, placing 300 within the genre of historical fantasy.
In 480 B.C., one year after the Battle of Thermopylae, Dilios, a hoplite in the Spartan army, begins his story by depicting the life of Leonidas I from childhood to kingship via Spartan doctrine. Dilios’s story continues and a Persian herald arrives at the gates of Sparta demanding “earth and water” as a token of submission to King Xerxes—the Spartans reply by throwing the envoy and his escort into a deep well. Leonidas then visits the Ephors, proposing a strategy to drive back the numerically superior Persians through the Hot Gates. His plan involves building a wall in order to funnel the Persians into a narrow pass between the rocks and the sea: negating the Persian advantage in numbers, and giving the Greeks’ heavy infantry the advantage over the vast waves of Persian light infantry. The Ephors consult the Oracle, who decrees that Sparta will not go to war during the Carneia. As Leonidas angrily departs, an agent from Xerxes appears, rewarding the Ephors for their covert support.
Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: Zack Snyder (screenplay), Kurt Johnstad (screenplay), Michael B. Gordon (screenplay), Frank Miller (graphic novel), Lynn Varley (graphic novel)
Stars: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Dominic West, David Wenham, Vincent Regan, Michael Fassbender, Tom Wisdom
Cast:
| Gerard Butler | … | King Leonidas |
| Lena Headey | … | Queen Gorgo |
| Dominic West | … | Theron |
| David Wenham | … | Dilios |
| Vincent Regan | … | Captain |
| Michael Fassbender | … | Stelios |
| Tom Wisdom | … | Astinos |
| Andrew Pleavin | … | Daxos |
| Andrew Tiernan | … | Ephialtes |
| Rodrigo Santoro | … | Xerxes |
| Giovani Cimmino | … | Pleistarchos (as Giovani Antonio Cimmino) |
| Stephen McHattie | … | Loyalist |
| Greg Kramer | … | Ephor #1 |
| Alex Ivanovici | … | Ephor #2 |
| Kelly Craig | … | Oracle Girl |
| Eli Snyder | … | Leonidas at 7 / 8 yrs |
| Tyler Neitzel | … | Leonidas at 15 yrs |
| Tim Connolly | … | Leonidas’ Father |
| Marie-Julie Rivest | … | Leonidas’ Mother |
| Sebastian St. Germain | … | Fighting Boy (12 years old) (as Sébastian St Germain) |
| Peter Mensah | … | Messenger |
| Arthur Holden | … | Partisan |
| Michael Sinelnikoff | … | Elder councilman |
| John Dunn-Hill | … | Councilman |
| Dennis St John | … | Spartan Baby Inspector (as Dennis St. John) |
| Neil Napier | … | Spartan with Stick |
| Dylan Smith | … | Sentry #1 (as Dylan Scott Smith) |
| Maurizio Terrazzano | … | Sentry #2 |
| Robert Paradis | … | Spartan General |
| Kwasi Songui | … | Persian |
| Alexandra Beaton | … | Burned Village Child |
| Frédéric Smith | … | Statesman |
| Loucas Minchillo | … | Spartan Baby A |
| Nicholas Minchillo | … | Spartan Baby B |
| Tom Rack | … | Ephor #3 |
| David Francis | … | Ephor #4 |
| James Bradford | … | Ephor #5 |
| Andrew Shaver | … | Free Greek-Potter |
| Robin Wilcock | … | Free Greek-Sculptor |
| Kent McQuaid | … | Free Greek-Blacksmith |
| Marcel Jeannin | … | Free Greek-Baker |
| Jere Gillis | … | Spartan General #2 |
| J. Thibodeau | … | Spartan Boy (as Jeremy Thibodeau) |
| Tyrone Benskin | … | Persian Emissary |
| Robert Maillet | … | Uber Immortal (Giant) |
| Patrick Sabongui | … | Persian General |
| Leon Laderach | … | Executioner |
| Dave Lapommeray | … | Persian General Slaughtered (as David Lapommeray) |
| Vervi Mauricio | … | Armless Concubine |
| Charles Papasoff | … | Blacksmith |
| Isabelle Champeau | … | Mother at Market |
| Veronique-Natale Szalankiewicz | … | Daughter at Market (3 / 5 years old) |
| Maéva Nadon | … | Girl at Market (as Maeva Nadon) |
| David Thibodeau | … | Boy #1 at Market |
| David Schaap | … | Potter |
| Jean Michel Paré | … | Other Council Guard (as Jean-Michel Paré) |
| Stewart Myiow | … | Persian General |
| Andreanne Ross | … | Concubine #1 (as Andréanne Ross) |
| Sara Giacalone | … | Concubine #2 |
| Ariadne Bourbonnière | … | Kissing Concubine #1 (as Ariadne Bourbonniere) |
| Isabelle Fournel | … | Kissing Concubine #2 |
| Sandrine Merette-Attiow | … | Contortionist (as Sandrine Mérette-Attiow) |
| Elisabeth Etienne | … | Dancer (as Élisabeth Etienne) |
| Danielle Hubbard | … | Dancer |
| Ruan Vibegaard | … | Dancer |
| Genevieve Guilbault | … | Slave Girl (as Geneviéve Guilbault) |
| Bonnie Mak | … | Slave Girl |
| Amélie Sorel | … | Slave Girl |
| Caroline Aspirot | … | Slave Girl |
| Gina Gagnon | … | Slave Girl |
| Tania Trudell | … | Slave Girl |
| Stéphanie Aubry | … | Slave Girl (as Stephanie Aubry) |
| Mercedes Leggett | … | Slave Girl |
| Stephania Gambaroff | … | Slave Girl (as Stéphania Gambarova) |
| Chanelle Lamothe | … | Slave Girl |
| Sabrina-Jasmine Guilbault | … | Slave Girl |
| Manny Cortez Tuazon | … | Transsexual (Asian) #1 |
| Cindy | … | Transsexual (Asian) #2 |
| Atif Siddiqi | … | Transsexual (Arabian) #3 |
| Camille Rizkallah | … | Giant with Arrow |
| Trudi Hanley | … | Long Neck Woman |
| Neon Cobran | … | Litter Bearer / Slave |
| Gary A. Hecker | … | Ubermortal Vocals (voice) |
| Devin Delorme | … | Market boy #2 (uncredited) |
| Deke Richards | … | Spartan Soldier (uncredited) |
| Darren Shahlavi | … | Persian (uncredited) |
| Marc Trottier | … | Spartan Warrior (uncredited) |
| Duy Vo Van | … | Persian (uncredited) |
| Agnieshka Wnorowska | … | Market woman (uncredited) |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia