The 300

[Wayne]

The thermopiles battle really happened. There was really 300 spartans lead by King Leonidas. They really were outnumbered and really killed more persians than they were (though the fight ended into the Persian camp where the spartans stormed and almost reach the tent of Xerces). SO why we are expecting some realism? Because it is an historical fact well documented IMO. If it was based solely on a fantasy I would understand but it is not.

No but it really is. I mean that's cool that you know all this history (I've found this thread interesting since it's revival) but all you have to do is watch the movie and understand that historical accuracy is not what you're going for. I'm sure plenty of myths throughout history were actually rooted in something that actually happened then glorified to capture people's imagination. Seriously, it's a comic book film interpretation. Like Killface said, hold it against Frank Miller not the film.

300 is a historically-inspired comic book (later collected as a graphic novel) written and illustrated by Frank Miller with painted colors by Lynn Varley. The comics itself is true inspired history, they just put some funny color and a specific art around it, which I have no problem about; They can depict an historic event with colors and with the style they want (more or less), my problem is definitely how they fucked up things in the process, if it would only slightly modify some stuff to make the history fit better together, I am all ok with it; they did the same for LOTR and though some details irked m e seriously, the overall was quite ok but in 300....
Thus said, I agree that many things in history have been pulled by the hairs to inspire men etc. However, 300 isn't exactly the case as there is many different records from various sources that seem to corroborate that battle. The spartans were amazing fighters and superbly organized but to hold on against 250 000 men with solely the help of 7000 soldiers with them,they need another ally; The ground battle was more than perfect for that kind of battle otherwise no matter how good they were, 250 000 would have simply steamrolled them.

Hahaha, you used a work of fiction to prove your point, thus proving mine. Sure, the battle at Thermopylae really happened, but the movie 300 is not based on that, it's based on a fictionalized account told in a comic book. That's why Zack Snyder, the director, matched frame for frame what was in the comic and he did a wonderful job. Frank Miller acknowledged his story was inaccurate. He wasn't going for accuracy, he wanted something that wasn't in the version he saw when he was younger. How about the fact the Spartans weren't half naked fighting in battle. He wanted to show off their muscle.

There's a lot 'wrong' with this movie if you're looking for accuracy, but the same is true of every single story based off true events. There's always something that was only speculation or something changed to make it more interesting or some back story that may or may not have happened. I defy you to find a single movie that's completely accurate. It's never happened and never will. There was no Jack and Rose on the Titanic, but the boat really sank. At least with 300 they didn't try to pan it off as being absolute truth by putting in the opening credits, "Based on a true story."

Case in point- Ephialtes. Real guy, but he was not a hideous freak. He was a sheepherder, more than likely, and was bribed to reveal the hidden pass. Frank Miller's interpretation was to make him a monster as told through Dilios. Remember that Dilios is telling the meat of the story and he is obviously exaggerating his retelling to the Spartan soldiers to pump them up for the fight. And he's absolutely lying about the end because he wasn't there. Remember that you didn't see any 'monsters' until he started telling the story.