Iranians Outraged by `300' Movie

[zalinda]

By NASSER KARIMI

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - The hit American movie "300" has angered Iranians who say the Greeks-vs-Persians action flick insults their ancient culture and provokes animosity against Iran.

"Hollywood declares war on Iranians," blared a headline in Tuesday's edition of the independent Ayende-No newspaper.

The movie, which raked in $70 million in its opening weekend, is based on a comic-book fantasy version of the battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C., in which a force of 300 Spartans held off a massive Persian army at a mountain pass in Greece for three days.

Even some American reviewers noted the political overtones of the West-against-Iran story line - and the way Persians are depicted as decadent, sexually flamboyant and evil in contrast to the noble Greeks.

more here http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20070313/D8NRGJPO2.html


What I find interesting is this story was really buried, and I only stumbled on it by accident. With all the tension in the middle east how can these people stupidly produce a film which distorts history?

zalinda

[UnyieldingHierophant]

1. Please spare me with this 300 outrage

It's a friggin' graphic novel (OK, comic book) adaptation. And I've "stumbled" on quite a few of these stories, not from Iran.

[Astrad]

6. Yeah like those indians who used to bitch

about the way they were portrayed as savages in Westerns. Take a pill redman! They were just movies...

(oh yeah I should add - SARCASM).

[Nederland]

7. Big fucking difference

For several reasons:

1) The Persians invaded Greece.
2) The Persians won, slaughtering the Greeks.
3) And most importantly: It happened nearly 3500 years ago. Time to let go perhaps?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

13. You might want to check your history.

:shrug:

[Nederland]

20. My history is fine

The movie is about the battle of Thermopylae, which the Persians won. Yes, they lost the war, but they won the battle depicted in the movie, which is what this thread is about.

[ellisonz]

24. Umm...not it's not.

The Battle of Thermopylae happened approx 2487 years ago not 3500 years ago, 480 B.C.

The Persian's "won" the battle and then lost the war.

[Nederland]

27. I stand corrected

Nearly 2500 years ago, not 3500 years ago.

But seriously, how much time needs to go by before you can let go? It's one thing for American Indians and African Americans to talk about injustices that occurred in the last 200 years, but 2500 years? Isn't there enough separation at that point? If you want to claim the right to be offended by something someone did to your ancestors 2500 years ago, prepare to get it shoved right back in you face by somebody else because pretty much every ethnic group screwed over some other ethnic group at some point in time if you go back far enough...

[ellisonz]

28. I dunno ask the Christians...

Greek culture was appropriated selectively by the Romans, and then by the Christian church in the Rennaissance...so it's not really ancient history. Just look at the architechure in Washington D.C., columns and domes. So this isn't about ancient history, this is about the course of Western history and its relationship with Africa, Asia, and the "Americas."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classicism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoclassicism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_%28style%29

The problem is that the Classicists and their successors got the history largely wrong as we now know.

Imperial America loves its movies.

[Name removed]

44. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Sequoia]

48. Take that you Troy destoyers you!

[Nederland]

56. Clueless

The Trojan War was Greek vs. Greek.

[Sequoia]

57. No, it wasn't.

Troy was located in Turkey. The Romans are said to be the decendants of Trojans. Persia area anyway; that war. Read "The Illiad", it's a wonderful book. Gory, but funny in places.

[Nederland]

71. Still Clueless

If you think the Trojans weren't Greeks, you've obviously never actually read the Illiad.

[Sequoia]

80. No you haven't read it, I sure have because the Trojans aren't Greek because that's who they

were fighting. Romans are descended from the Trojans.

------

The war was fought between the Greeks and Trojans with their allies, upon a Phrygian city of Troy (Ilium), on Asia Minor (modern Turkey). The war lasted for ten years and it has been traditionally dated from 1194 to 1184 BC.


http://www.timelessmyths.com/classical/trojanwar.html

Just one of the many sites on the subject.

[Nederland]

83. Response

Who cares if the Romans descended from the Trojans? Who cares if Troy is in Asia Minor? And what do you mean by "the Trojans aren't Greek because that's who they were fighting"? Sparta and Athens fought each other in Peloponnesian War. I suppose you are going to tell me that "proves" that one of those cities isn't Greek? Get a fucking clue.

The relevant question is whether Trojans are more accurately described as being Greek or being Persian. The fact is that Troy began as a Greek colony. According to the Iliad the Trojans and Greeks worshiped the same gods, had the same architecture, wore the same types of armor, used the same weapons, practiced the same burial rights and spoke the same language. To me, all those things put together makes them Greek. I suppose you could argue that at some point they became a distinct ethnicity from the Greeks, but you could certainly never claim that the Trojans were Persian. There absolutely no evidence that their culture was Persian, but significant evidence that their culture was Greek.

And if they are definitely not Persian, it sort of makes your post #48 completely irrelevant.

[ieoeja]

85. Trojans, Athenians, Spartans, Thespians, Corinthians, etc.

They're all Greek to me.

Seriously though, the Trojans were supposed to have been Greek. Were the Athenians not Greek the two times they established an empire because they were fighting Greeks to establish those empires? Were the Spartans not Greek when they destroyed both Athenian Empires? Well, it's the same thing with the Trojan War. Greek on Greek violence.

[Sequoia]

89. Okay, a civil war of sorts.

You two are the experts, not me.

[ieoeja]

87. Persian area ... over one thousand years AFTER the Trojan War. n/t

[itcfish]

82. Excuse Me

I may be wrong, but Alexander the Great did invade Persia.

[Nederland]

84. Correct

Alexander the Great invaded Persia. What's your point?

[ieoeja]

86. Centuries after the 300 Alexander conquered Greece then Persia and onwards. n/t

[SteppingRazor]

2. Oh gawd, here we go again...

maybe they should've just given out cartoons of Muhammad to all moviegoers on the way in, eh?

Look, a certain amount of cultural sensitivity is certainly a good thing, but I think the Iranians that are offended here are blowing this out of proportion. Also, the film doesn't really distort the basic fact of history — that 300 Spartans (along with, it should be noted, several hundred soldiers from other city-states) held off hundreds of thousands for three days. Obviously, that's the sort of thing that makes for a good movie. It's got natural drama. And, similarly, it's the Spartans that will come out on the positive side here, simply by virtue of being the underdog. Who wants to root for a gigantic horde that crushed a few dozen troops?

All that said, I think it is kind of sad that the Spartans are portrayed as some sort of freedom fighters struggling for democracy. That in and of itself is a gross disdortion of history.

[Connie_Corleone]

3. The movie is based on a graphic novel that is loosely based on the battle.

If they have a problem with the movie, they should take it up with Frank Miller, the author.

The movie is not a political movie. It's just an action war movie with cool graphics.

[ellisonz]

25. I hate that word "based," it's not based on the battle, it's debasing the battle.

"It's just an action war movie with cool graphics."

The Iranians are correct it's a total misrepresentation and its really quite irresponsible movie making.

It's no better than Mel's movies...

[Connie_Corleone]

30. Hence the term "loosely based".

If I had a nickel for every movie that misrepresented some historical event in history, I would be a very rich woman.

[ellisonz]

38. Yeah, if the year was 1955...but in 2007 money I don't think so...

They should just call it a "dramatization," instead of planting that seed of doubt in the lesser minds of the audience.

[ButterflyBlood]

54. The movie never claims to be historically accurate

or a documentary. It's just a fucking action movie, and no one's going to watch it for a history lesson.

[ellisonz]

62. Except for males age 13-18 who really don't know any better (the majority of the audience).

Either get the history right or don't fuck around with history because history rules you! You can't escape the historical horizon even if you wanted too, deal with it.

The Iranians have every right to be outraged...and I loathe Ahmadinejad.

;-)

[Mike Daniels]

73. Well, if the sole souce of history for these viewers is a movie

then perhaps one should look at what's being done in the schools to ensure their knowledge is a little more accurate.

[benld74]

4. Get real - The Battle of Thermopylae did happen!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

11. I don't think they're questioning whether or not Thermopylae...

happened.

"the way Persians are depicted as decadent, sexually flamboyant and evil in contrast to the noble Greeks."

Kinda got a good point there.

[atreides1]

5. Let them be outraged, it's just a movie

"....how can these people stupidly produce a film which distorts history?"


Making movies that distort history has been something that's been going on for decades! You do realize that William Wallace didn't wear a kilt and never had an affair with the Queen of England.
who happened to be 12 years old at the time and was still living in France.



The movie is based on a graphic novel that was released in 1999, and like others I think that people will see what they want to see, no matter what movie is playing.

[Benhurst]

9. I got outraged over Braveheart -- what a piece of crap.

As for this latest offering from Hollywood, I think I'll pass.

[Sequoia]

49. Did you catch Mel Gibson on South Park last night?

I laughed so hard my face hurt.

[TN al]

8. Provokes animosity against Iran?

I guess none of the animosity is because it is a rogue state with a history of aiding terrorism, may be developing nuclear weapons, and may or may not be led by a hostage taking holocaust denier. Frank Miller sure is powerful.

[Benhurst]

10. " ... (A) rogue state with a history of aiding terrorism" is also a perfect

definition of the United States at present.

[TN al]

15. Point taken

And I am trying to answer the other replier too. Not all of the * escapades have been frivolous. Afghanistan was probably necessary, Iraq clearly was not. I have attended anti-Iraq war rallies. I don't know of any anti-Afghanistan war rallies nor would I have likely attended them if there were any. That being said, Iran and North Korea are two places where a credible threat of military intervention could be on the table. Unfortunately, because of the colossal screw-up in Iraq a credible threat may not be possible. Like Publius Quinctilius Varus versus Arminius George Bush has wasted the strength of the American army in Iraq. And the American people are left just as the emperor Augustus was with his lament, "Quinctilius Varus, give me back my legions!"

[SemiCharmedQuark]

58. Oh yeah, we did SUCH a great job in Afghanistan

Such wonderful democracy we brought there that Afghan women are killing themselves rather than live another day.


http://topics.developmentgateway.org/afghanistan

Whatever we might have been able to accomplish in Afghanistan was severely cut short with the Iraq war. Afghanistan has been shoved to the side.

[TN al]

69. Again, the policy is dependant upon the competency of the man implementing it

[ShortnFiery]

12. Are you talking about Iran or the USA because other than throwing in The Kitchen Sink

"Holocaust denier" meme, our troops have been tear assing around the Middle East Neighborhoods killing a ton of ARABS ... some of them - innocent civilians.

This is bullshit! We (the USA) have no right to start a dust up with Iran, just because AIPAC and Israel wants us to. :thumbsdown:

Damn! I didn't think our government in the USA was stupid and suicidal, but I may have to re-think. :grr:

[poverlay]

14. Read "Gates of Fire". An excellent historical fiction on the subject. There is also a book called

simply "Spartans", put out through PBS that is excellent. There is also a wonderful documentary on (I think) the History channel I saw the other night.

I welcome anything that winds up interest in this subject. (Or any interest in history in general.) Thermopylae is a wonderful story full of heroics and stupidity and should be at least mentioned in school. I never heard of it until I was over 30. Then there is the Athenian senate, the battles of Marathon, Salamis and so many others which were arguably key in preserving the seeds of democracy and western civilization.

Oh, by the way Persia, ... history is written(distorted) by the victors and their descendants. Not necessarily a good thing, but reality nonetheless.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

16. Loved "Gates of Fire" myself!

And the History Channel special (I think it's called "Last Stand of the 300") is pretty good.

[poverlay]

33. What is the name of the Athenian senator who led the Greek armada and spent

so many years trying to warn people of the danger and get more ships built? That guy was as much or more a hero as Leonidas(who has roses and chocolates named after him), and I can't even remember his name. I need to know more about him. What a stud. Kind of like Russ Feingold in a toga...

[Ex Lion Tamer]

41. I'll not spell it correctly

but it's something like "Themysticles."

[poverlay]

46. After several exhausting minutes googling it, I discovered that "Themistocles" was quite a character

Alternately worshipped and despised. I think they should make the next movie about him.

[TankLV]

76. is that something like "testicles"?

or am I just plain nuts here...

[pink-o]

53. russ feingold in a toga...??

Now yr just gettin' me hot.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

55. If they made it into a move, he'd be in a thong!

From a review of 300:

"History is altered all the time. What matters is how and why. Thus I see no reason to quibble over the absence in 300 of breastplates or modest thigh-length tunics. I can see the graphic necessity of sculpted stomachs and three hundred Spartan-sized packages bulging in spandex thongs."

http://www.thestar.com/article/190493

[mrgorth]

68. History Channel

I've searched their schedule and can't seem to find this show coming on again. If anyone knows how to do this better than me can you tell me when it will play again?

Thanks.

[Milo_Bloom]

17. Unless the movie is claiming to be non-fiction...

People need to chill.

I am so sick to death of PC crap. I have to roll my eyes everytime I hear that someone is offended by a word, a phrase, a joke, a reference.

There are people ACTUALLY DYING from hunger, from idiotic wars, and people are going to get in a twist over who used the F word, the C word the N word, whether 24 causes fear or promoted torture or whether a work of fiction based on a comic book might not be an accurate portrayal of historic events?

Everytime Keith Olbermann went off on 24, I wanted to reach into the screen and smack him. The only people people who need to be gone off on, are the people who try to compare a fictional TV show to reality.

I swear, everytime people get caught up in nonsense like words, fiction and video games, the "liberal agenda" gets set back another 5 years because people roll their eyes and say, "its just those liberals trying to protect us from ourselves again."

Can we stop and just actually focus on real things for a while?

[AZBlue]

18. I'm outraged that such a bloody, violent film created to look like a video game is so popular.

I think that says something very sad about our society.

[NoPasaran]

35. Well, rein in your outrage and go see "Amazing Grace" instead

It's kind of like watching an Eighteenth Century version of C-SPAN for two hours.

[Mike Daniels]

72. Violent, bloody movies have been popular for the last 30 years at least

Halloween and its imitators, any action movie starting Bruce Willis, Arnold, Mel, or Harrison Ford, practically any movie made by Rodriguez and/or Tarantino --

Let go back further and look at Westerns of the mid and late 60's - including the Eastwood and Peckinpah oeuvre.

Last I looked the Dems were in power during a portion of those years so I'm not really sure what your point is.

[invictus]

19. 300 is a right-wing movie intended to prepare Americans ideologically for war with Iran

Review:
http://www.chud.com/index.php?type=reviews&id=9207


Snyder has been coy about his own politics in the wake of the release of the film, but looking at the extra scenes gives you an idea of either where he stands or how well he has channeled Frank Miller. Gorgo’s speech to the council in the third act could be given by Republicans on the House floor to argue in favor of the next troop ‘surge’ in Iraq, and it’s hard to believe that the words were written after 9/11 and after the invasion of Iraq without the echoes of modern debate ringing in the writers’ ears.

Of course the whole thing echoes. The forces of Western logic and reason must make a stand against the hordes from the Middle East. The Persians – now known as the Iranians, by the way – have a seething mass of subhumanity to throw at the Spartans, and all of the Persian forces are fighting for a false god, in this case the tyrant Xerxes (it’s worth noting that Leonidas and his men think their own religious establishment is full of shit as well). Lots of lip service is given to freedom (which is sort of silly, since the Spartans held slaves, but it’s all depending on your point of view I guess – they wouldn’t want to be the subjects of Xerxes) and Gorgo actually says at one point that freedom isn’t free – it’s like she just came from a showing of Team America.

It gets better when you have Leonidas talking about how he must break the laws of his own country to save it by getting it into war – this is the kind of rationalization George W Bush might have made about the pre-war fabrication of intelligence if he had the self-awareness. This is another new scene, by the way, so while Miller’s book came out in the last years of the 20th century, this dialogue is pure post-Iraq.

Some of you reading this might think I’m criticizing these elements. I’m not at all. 300 is very much a movie John Milius could love the shit out of, and I appreciate that. Films don’t need to reflect my personal political viewpoint for me to enjoy them, and 300 is not so blatant as to be propaganda or so unsubtle as to take you out of the movie. And to be honest, you can’t tell a really good story about a bunch of guys fighting to the death without regrets from a liberal standpoint. I wouldn’t want to live in Sparta, but I can appreciate their point of view. And I’m not enough of a liberal to think that we can wish away all of our problems – I know that it takes unpleasant men, like these Spartans, visiting violence upon enemies to clean up situations every now and again. Plus there’s no way to argue that the Spartans are wrong; while Leonidas gets the blame for starting the war (he kills the Persian messenger who comes to demand fealty to Xerxes), the Persians were coming anyway. This doesn’t gibe with the Iraq situation at all, of course, unless you’re making the false connection between 9/11 and Saddam.

There are other, more troubling, critiques to make. Xerxes is presented as a huge, effeminate figure. In a moment directly from the graphic novel, Xerxes is at his most threatening not when facing Leonidas but when he comes up behind him and places his massive hands on his shoulders. The frame drips in homophobia here, and later, when Ephialtes visits Xerxes in his camp, we’re shown the kind of sexual deviancy the Persian godking gets up to. Among the horrors are lesbians and people of indeterminate gender; I don’t think this is a scene that reflects a conscious homophobia and puritanical streak – first of all, it’s mostly straight out of the book, but mostly it just feels like an extension of fascism’s disgust with sexuality. It’s a juvenile attitude, and one that Miller’s work is filled with – his male characters have to stay heroically celibate (Snyder does add a sex scene between Leonidas and Gorgo, and makes sure to show them going at it in most of the positions, which is sort of admirable (especially in Imax)). The truth is that I would rather hang out with the Persians than the Spartans – the parties are much better, and you probably get to sleep in.

But what’s funny about the whole film is how it is unable to control its own metaphors because of the ambiguity of the Iraq situation. Is Leonidas a stand in for Bush? Or could Xerxes be Bush? After all, he’s the invader, coming in with a multi-national coalition with more forces and better technology than the Spartans have. The Persian comes from a corrupted culture of depravity and sexuality, while the Spartans are all about moral rectitude. And being a smaller force, the Spartans are very willing to engage in savage tactics that the Persians see as outside the rules of war. It’s not hard to imagine an insurgent in Iraq strongly identifying with Leonidas and his men. And it’s actually harder for us in the audience to really identify with these guys – I mean, who among us is the least bit interested in dying for our beliefs?

[NoPasaran]

36. Total horseshit

It's a movie based on a comic book loosely based on an actual event thousands of years ago.

It's not an allegory about Iraq, or Bush, or 9/11, or My Little Pony.

It's just a movie.

[poverlay]

47. Seconded and confirmed. n/t

[ButterflyBlood]

51. Damn straight

You nailed it.

[Hippo_Tron]

21. Are Iranians really outraged or is Ahmadinejad's regime trying to claim that they speak for everyone

Given Ahmadinejad's popularity, his trying to speak for the nation of Iran is the equivalent of Bush trying to speak for America.

[ellisonz]

26. I would imagine that the vast majority of Iranians who see this film will be outraged.

It is an insult to history, an insult to Greek culture and most of all an insult to Persian culture, and yes many Iranians do still identify with the Persian Empire and for good reason, they are the direct descendents of that empire.

[Hippo_Tron]

31. It's a movie based on a comic book

And anyone who expects it to be historically accurate is a moron. It has wonderful special effects and sound. This isn't a movie you go to see for a history lesson.

Also considering that the article said that the movie was censored by the Iranian government and the only source quoted was someone from the Ahmadinejad regime, I am going to assume that a totalitarian regime that doesn't have the support of the people doesn't speak for the people.

[Connie_Corleone]

32. I just want to see the half naked men.

If I want historical accuracy I'll watch the documentary, Last Stand of 300, on the History Channel.

[ellisonz]

39. The majority of the audience is teenage males.

...who desperately need history lessons, and not Biblical lesson.

Who you calling a moron?

When you assume you make an ASS out of U and ME. Thank you very kindly.

What if the Persian's were in black face? Would you have a problem with that? Because these Spartan's appear to have been white-faced.

:) :P

[rinsd]

81. "When you assume you make an ASS out of U and ME."

Very true which is exactly what you are doing with the audience.

You assume they will accept a glitzy Hollywood film as historical fact and even more so tie it to Iranians today.

It was just like the panic of 1980 when it appeared the Empire was winning, Luke lost his hand and Han was in carbonite. Millions of teenage boys immediately petitioned our government to use nuclear weapons on the depised Empire not realizing that the events depicted had occurred a long long time ago in a galaxy far far away.

[ButterflyBlood]

52. So i should identify with the Vikings

and thus be offended by Vikings being portrayed as warmongering savages. But guess what? I'm not.

[ellisonz]

63. Straw-man.

The fact is that large numbers of brown folks (especially Middle-Easterners) getting killed by white guys (not historically white) is quite offensive and is irresponsible artistry. Sorry that's the truth.

Jesus...why don't you just come out and proclaim your love for D.W. Griffith? After all wasn't "Birth of a Nation" just another movie?

[ButterflyBlood]

78. Greeks are white

And what's offensive about something that actually happened thousands of years ago? No one thinks the modern day Iranian state is the Persian Empire, or is even aware Iran is a modern day Persia. I know many people who have seen this movie, and not a single one has said "now after seeing this movie, I've decided we must attack Iran!".

Based on your first paragraph, you are basically saying no movie should ever have any non-white villains ever. Sorry, but that's a ridiculous level of political correctness I'm never going to subscribe to.

The Birth of a Nation analogy is absolutely ridiculous. You are comparing an action movie that has no intentional political message whatsoever (direct quote from the director) to a propaganda film.

[rinsd]

74. An insult to history? Like perhaps a Government sponsored conference on Holocaust Denial?

Fuck them.

And when I say that I do not mean bomb them or make war or any of that BS.

I say fuck them for seeking sensitivity when they have shown little.

[ButterflyBlood]

79. Yep, I have to agree here too

n/t

[itcfish]

22. Very Racists Too

Making the Persians (the bad guys) all very dark or black and the Persian women all Oriental. Strange.

[spooky3]

23. I'm still waiting for Gerard Butler to make better career decisions

He was wonderful in "Dear Frankie" and seems like an intelligent guy. Surely his agent could find him more options than good roles in small indy movies vs. questionable roles in "big Hollywood" movies.

[Lisa]

29. How ironic to think that the Romans (and later, Western Europe) scorned Greece ...

... for being "too Eastern" -- somehow managing to have it both ways, holding up certain aspects of its ancient culture up as a gift to the world, but portraying the rest as being alien and sinister. Just like we tend to view the Middle East today.

Personally I think it would be great to have a TV show examining all the cultural baggage attached to the Thermopylae story ... and also considering all the ways in which Persia did end up influencing Europe. Could be funny, very revealing, and showcase some terrific recipes!

[Odin2005]

34. Gee, the Iranians must not like to be reminded that the Greek City-States kicked thier asses TWICE.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Persian_Wars

[MrSlayer]

37. I just saw it again.

My conclusion is: Fuck the Iranians. It's just a movie.

[agincourt]

40. Might as well be mad about a movie,

showing a "Greek" dinosaur killing a "Persian" one. As little as it has to do with the modern world. Actually the Iranians are closer to the "300" now, with their half ass "not done yet" nukes compared to Bush/Cheney/Rove with their thousands of nukes.

[SpiralHawk]

42. "Toss another barrel of oil on the bonfire." - rabid republicon cronies

"Jebus is going to come back and lay waste to all those EVIL Persians anyway, so what the fuck." - rabid republicon cronies

[CJCRANE]

43. If they don't like it

they should make their own movie.

Maybe make one about the Persians fighting the hordes of Genghis Khan...except that might upset the Mongolians...

[bamacrat]

45. Its a cool movie, the Spartans were shown as brutal a people as the Persians.

They throw their small/deformed babies over a cliff in order to ensure that the Spartans would not have weak men.

[ButterflyBlood]

50. Hey, deal with it

It's what your ancestors did 2500 years ago.

There was a trailer for a movie called Pathfinder when I saw 300. This movie appears to be about a conflict of Vikings with Native Americans, with the Vikings not the good guys. I'm of Scandinavian heritage. Should I be offended?

[BreweryYardRat]

60. You might want to be offended at the way Pathfinder's depicting Viking arms/armor.

From what I've heard, Millar and co. did a dinky bit of research on historical gear for 300 (most of which they ignored, but...) The production team for Pathfinder didn't do jack shit. Looks even more like fantasy than 300.

[ButterflyBlood]

61. yeah, but neither is a documentary

The trailer also claims it happened 600 years before Christopher Columbus. That'd be in the 9th century. Even Vikings hadn't traveled to North America at that time.

[ellisonz]

64. Why is America so stupid?

Answer: Rampant capitalism.

[TankLV]

77. Hey - I hear the spandex crotch shots are great!

Maybe I'll go just to see hundreds of half nekkid men!

[ToeBot]

59. Sexually flamboyant, in contrast to the Greeks?

Now that would be worth watching, maybe even paying for.

[lynne]

65. A movie is now the Iranian "Outrage Du Jour" ?

So what else is new? If its not a movie they'll find something else to be pissed over. The movie is Historical Fiction much like Gone With The Wind or Titanic - based on an event but not historically factual. If we begin to capitulate to the Iranian's as to what we can and cannot read, watch and/or enjoy based on their version of fact vs fiction, we'll next be dismantling the Holocaust Museum. They need to get over themselves.

[baldguy]

66. The Persians won the Battle of Thermopylae.

Am I missing something here?

[AX10]

67. They have outrage over a movie yet there is deafening...

silence when their leader denies that the Holocaust occured.

[rinsd]

70. Now its a Jewish conspiracy!

http://www.judeoscope.ca/article.php3?id_article=0555

[TankLV]

75. curiously, but no mention of the FACT that these "Spartans" were GAY and MANLY MEN

who were VALUED by their society?

And who were vicious fighters because they fought along side their LOVERS/PARNERS?

or am I thinking of another historical group of fighters?

[ieoeja]

88. You are thinking of the Theban Sacred Band.

The only people to ever defeat Sparta in Sparta's prime. After Sparta destroyed two Athenian Empires they decided to keep the conquered territories to preempt the Athenians (or anyone else) from messing with them.

Thebes led the revolt against Spartan control. The Sacred Band, (mostly) composed of pairs of homosexual lovers, formed the core of the Theban military that succeeded in destroying the short-lived Spartan Empire. Thebes and the rest decided they did not have enough power to invade/conquer Sparta itself, and Sparta was content to return to their old borders.

I probably give Thebes more credit than I should when I say Sparta was still in their prime. As short-lived as the Spartan Empire was, it was still enough to destroy the Spartan way of life. Sparta was never the same after empire. How do you keep them back on the farm...?