Is 300 Racist? The Sentinel investigates
Monica Durban
Issue date: 4/18/07 Section: Commentary
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Never mind that the movie more or less accurately represents the participants of the battle, some critics have still found a way to play the race-card. What Zack Snyder and Frank Miller intended to be an entertaining piece of film has now been construed into a bigoted satire of middle-eastern countries.
300, has been banned in Iran for depicting Persians as "evil." The Iranians are under the impression that the film portrays past Persians as vicious people who only attack the Spartans out of pleasure for bloodshed.
Iran is claiming that Grecians being portrayed as fair-skinned is historically untrue and 300 intended this inaccuracy in order to portray the fair-skinned as heroes. Because of this, the country is currently petitioning to remove the movie because of the alleged inaccuracy.
But here are the facts.
The battle referred to in 300 is historically known as Battle of Thermopylae. The battle took place over a period of four days in 480B.C. Xerxes I lead an army of Persians, Egyptians, Arabians, and Asians, totaling an estimated 100,000-500,000 against 300 Spartans, who were later joined by 700 Thespians, and 6,000 Grecian allies. Xerxes I sent his army in rushes of 10,000 men to attack the Spartans. The Spartans defeated the first few rushes losing only 2-3 men per battle. In the end, Leonidas I, the ruler of Greece, sent almost half his army back to Greece in order to rally more defenses, and the rest of this battle is, as they say, history.
The claim that the movie represents this event in a racist fashion, by portraying the Persians as evil, war-mongers intent on slaughtering the valiant Spartans is ridiculous. With a little bit of time and research, you will find that the battle was fought with honor by both sides.
The Persian King Xerxes I, attempted peaceful negotiations with King Leonidas I on two separate occasions. 300 depicts one of these meetings. Through this scene, and others throughout the film, the movie presents the Persian king as a man willing to make diplomatic negotiations, and not as tyrannical war-monger.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 46
Candide
posted 4/19/07 @ 2:29 AM NA
Ok here is the story:
There was only 1 Spartan and he was the storyteller of the group. As the movie opens all of the other 300 Spartans are already dead! Dillios was the only one left alive and his king had told him to tell a ?GRAND TALE? so that they would not be forgotten, and that is just what he did. (Continued…)
sean
posted 4/20/07 @ 11:41 PM NA
I draw issue with the assertion that Iranians are dark skinned. I am a light skinned Iranian and proud of my appearance and lineage. Furthermore, I have met quite a number of Iranians in college and city circles, and I can accurately say that about 80% have light skin (not light being closer to Indian skin color). (Continued…)
saeed
posted 4/22/07 @ 8:39 PM NA
I really wonder that the matter of being dark skin or light skin is such important in america, and you still did not get ride of your racistic culture. (Continued…)
Sean
posted 4/23/07 @ 11:40 AM NA
Silly girl, I guess you need to wake up and smell the coffee. I know you want 300 to be true as you want every mythology but your insecurity will still remain and you will still be what you are Monica. (Continued…)
Roberto Ibale Sean's Bitch
posted 4/28/07 @ 6:01 PM NA
Sean you whiteboy, go listen to your Emeneim and dress up in your wigger pants and shut your pasty piehole. Hey I have an idea, go to some nascar races, get drunk and smash beer cans on your head. (Continued…)
Chris
posted 4/28/07 @ 8:53 PM NA
Where exactly are you getting your facts from when you claim Greeks were fair skinned before they mixed with the Turks??
Read the Iliad, which was composed around the 8th century BC, describing the battle of Troy (i. (Continued…)
Monica
posted 5/01/07 @ 4:40 AM NA
I think most people are missing the entire point of the article in general. It's not about skin color at all, or hair color (I actually never mentioned the Greeks having fair hair). (Continued…)
JK
posted 5/03/07 @ 4:00 AM NA
Um. You did watch the movie right? The Spartans were depicted as gloriously handsome, beautiful white people whereas the "Persian" army were populated by the most grotesque looking creatures, who were supposed to represent said Persians, Asians and Africans. (Continued…)
Rouzbeh
posted 5/10/07 @ 10:06 PM NA
ok ok...Monica
you just said that this movie is not racist. I am persian and I am insulted by this movie. i don't care about the skin color, but when was the last time a persian king walked around half naked??? or when was a persian king bald? where in the history of persian empire says that?? persian kings were always clothed and they mostly had full beard and somewhat long hair. (Continued…)
Rouzbeh
posted 5/10/07 @ 10:41 PM NA
oooh, one very very important thing I forgot to mention.
one of the biggest mistakes they made in the movie was that they said persian empire wants to turn spartans into slaves. (Continued…)
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