FIRST TIME WATCHING: 300!!

I see a lot of people have mentioned how historically inaccurate this movie is. The reason the 300 Spartans lasted so long was actually because of a combination of things: they were more heavily armored than the Persians (exactly the opposite of what we see in the movie), they were much more skilled and tactically prepared (as we saw in the movie), and the hubris of the Persians, especially Xerxes (which we also see in the movie). I believe I saw someone else mention the Immortals being Xerxes best fighting force/personal guard and that they were given this nickname due to them immediately replacing dead "Immortals", which gives off the impression that this fighting force does not diminish.

Ilsuk Yang

I think thats fishing. Who knows whether the actual Leonidas had an actual chance at actual Xerxes, but I suspect he was trying to kill him. You make a valid point about his vanity, but I think Xerxes main source of brain problems is his daddy issues. Darius II was the proper creator/god-king of the Persian empire, his son Xerxes was a rich spoiled idiot with such a massive army that it didnt matter. The truth is that Greece really isnt great land, strategically or otherwise. There wouldnt have been a strong reason to take it...except that Darius II had failed to, so it became an opportunity to be better than daddy at something.

Crash Raynor

>"I hope you live long enough to become so old and weak that you can't even eat without help." Or in Fifty Shades style, "I hope you become elderly enough to need creepy men to sponge bathe you"

Peter Yocum

Richard, i generally agree with your interpretation with very few minor differences. I would expand on wha you said thusly: The spartans DID glorify fighting a worhty foe, and indeed saw Xerxes's army as a possible source for such. While the bleeding of Xerxes was indeed an insult, I thought for a while about it and re-read some material about the Spartans and their general morality and ethics. Leo was capable of killing Xerxes so I wondered why he wouldn't have aimed a bit lower and to the chest. If we consider that Leonidas left him alive on purpose we have to consider WHY he did such a thing, especially if he did indeed know or at least suspect his own death and how it would occur. By leaving him alive, bleeding him, he is perhaps saying "Live long and suffer as an old invalid" but I think he is also saying something along the lines of, "Let all who see the huge ugly scar on this monster's vanity covered face (Xerxes loved his own looks, draped in gold and even painted in the precious metal) let all who see this scar on the otherwise beautiful face of "God"king Xerxes, and KNOW he is just a MAN and one that ONLY LIVES at the MERCY of Leonidas who, as the scar plainly shows, could have EASILY killed Xerxes. Instead, let him suffer at the looks of revulsion from all who see him and know the he was bested (pwned!) by the Spartans and their King Leonidas."

The Councilmen were all calling "TRAITOR" because of the gold coins that spilled from that guy's belt or whatever … All that money he had was Not GREEK coins, but PERSIAN. You can see Xerxes' face full of piercings on the heads side of the coins. Also, at 1:00:30, Leonidas promises Xerxes that the "God-King" of the Persians will Bleed, and then makes it happen with that last thrown spear. Wishing the Humpback that he live forever is a slap in the face too. Remember, 'real' Spartans glorify fighting a foe worth the effort. Leo's basically saying, "I hope you live long enough to become so old and weak that you can't even eat without help." At least, this is my interpretation.

Richard Ryan

That one really isn't that great in my opinion. I'm perfectly alright with just this one being seen.

Logan Kerlee

Last of the Mohicans is one of my all-time favorite movies - the cast, the music, the cinematography, all o fit, just magnificent.

Ellis Hugh

what about 300 rise of an empire

Gilgamesh king of Uruk

Great reaction Nat now you just need to watch Meet the Spartans

Sometimes, a movie is just a movie, enjoy it for that, it's a story from a person's perspective

Finding out the director is probably the only real thing you should research before each movie, some will stand out and some won't, but you will learn who you like and will understand their individual styles a bit better.

Nicholas Hentges

Tyler to the rescue! Thanks Tyler!

Nicholas Hentges

I liked it, not as much as this one, but it was good

Nicholas Hentges

My favorite analysis of the movie is history buff’s: https://youtu.be/HXZt-IlClhs

Glenn Wiggam

If you remember earlier in the film, Xerxes said that he would erase Sparta from history. Leonidas replied with "The world will know that free men stood against a tyrant, that few stood against many and before the battle was over, that even a god king can bleed." Leonidas's only goal in the end was to make Xerxes bleed. You can even see that very last shot of Xerxes turning to hide his face.

Baltazar Martinez Jr

I'm sure someone else joked about it but I think the lasting legacy of this film was "The 300 workout" routine - that was such a craze! I, however, did not subscribe to it, as is manifested by my food baby and love of pizza!

This_Jedi_crafts

I realy hope you watch Braveheart tho. Its probs a bias opinion because my family is Scottish, Im 2nd gen Australian but my family line has deep roots in the highlands. Anyway its a beautiful tale of love, lots of violence but mostly love, loss and fighting for freedom.

Cripkie

LOL. Loved the jump scare during the closing commentary.

Andrew T

I thought exactly the same :D

Ulrich Unterbrunner

It stands out of the standard piece of motion picture art. And it stands true to its theme being a propaganda piece. We don't have much of character developement there, but that was never the intent. It is on my (ever growing) annual (but this may become too short of an interval soon) movie watching list for that reason. It is a piece of art, not of perfect cinematography or even an actual account of history. And for thosw who wanted the Last of the Mohicans: There is still time and I think she won't stop doing this when the pandemic is finally over.

Ulrich Unterbrunner

they were calling the dead politician traitor because they gold he dropped had persion gold (picture of xerxies on it)

Coojw

You know, I was a bit disappointed when I saw that 300 won in the poll, but I'll be honest, I'm paused halfway through the movie right now to type this: I don't know if it's Natalie's reactions, but I'm actually enjoying the movie this time 'round. Maybe I'm just paying more attention to it now.

Andrew T

Should have watched Last of The Mohicans. Shame..

Zach Greenleaf

Regarding the blood and slowmo etc - at lot of this was pioneer filmmaking. It's worth looking at how they did they scene where Leonidas throws his spear away and drew his sword - the time changes, the zoom changes, and yet it's shown in one take. Like the Matrix, this time-ramping was copied a lot after 300 did it. The CGI blood I think was just put in to see if they could make it work, and of course it fits with the style Snyder was going for. He doesn't always get it right, but he's always interesting.

crawlie

The line about Spartan women, like most of the cool lines in this movie, is another one that is actually taken from history... although the Queen was saying it to someone else.

crawlie

I thought it was very interesting. Rather than your usual reaction videos where you really get into the story and characters, today is was more of a filmmaker's review. I actually learned a lot from listening to your critical analysis of the techniques and choices made. I'm a bit of history buff, so I already knew a bit about the battle. The movie takes a lot of liberties, but it's still pretty entertaining. Jewish historians usually consider Xerxes to be King Ahasuerus from the Megillah, and his wife would be Queen Esther. The Immortals were not really immortal. They were Persian elite infantry. They were called that because whenever a member was lost in battle, he would be replaced immediately. They did not wear creepy masks, and as far as we know they did not actually fight in slow motion. Their use of explosives (magic) is a bit weird because while the Spartans were now known for it, the Greeks did have something called Greek Fire, which was like a molotov cocktail, and was said to have been used in sea battles.

Alan Kobb

A lot of people comment before watching the reaction - Guess they all wanna be THE person that informs her of something important :D

Danishprince

What? She did.

Opti_Frog

its funny that you didnt notice that Leonidas' wife is the same actress that plays Cersei in Game of thrones

oscar latorre

It's hilarious how many people are pointing out its based on a graphic novel before watching the whole video, in which she was informed of that fact.

panacamanana

I did not expect Nat's reaction to 300 to have a jump scare.

Sam Kimpton

The poll spoke but I bet Natalie would have enjoyed any of the other 3 a lot more.

My_Cousin_Mose

There is a second movie after this called 300: Rise of an empire, It shows what happened before and after this event. It has Eva Green in it who is a fave actor of mine.

Lilla Kriger

I forgot Cersei was in this lol

Michael Patrick

Yes, this is based on the Frank Miller graphic novel, but there is another reason this movie is highly exaggerated with things like giant elephants & monstrous enemies. This whole movie is Dilios trying to hype up the 10,000 Spartans with a story of how incredible Leonidas & the 300 fought. So in his telling of the story, the Persians are made out to be literal monsters, while the Spartans are pretty much demi gods.

Flick Freaks

Like him or not Zack Snyder's vision for comics is on film because of his vision to bring them to life. Like Sam Ramii he knows what to bring to his characters and he knows the mythology of these characters. Which is exactly another reason why WB let him do his vision of Justice League.

Anakin Starkiller

Obviously a large part of thematic style is thanks to the graphic novel. But as a historian, I think it can be viewed from another angle. The "fantasy" elements, the oversized elephants, the mutants, the immortals... are exactly how a story teller of the time would dramatize events. Most of the surviving "fables" from the time are partly based on truth. This is exactly how the story would have been told around campfires at the time. How much of it being historically accurate, is not important at all. That is why I think this is an intelligent movie, hiding behind the veil of an action flick. - The blood was too much though.

xNostalgicPhoenix

There was a sequel that sort of covered what sort of was supposed to have happened...I enjoyed the sequel but most people didn't like it. I do enjoy this movie, the narration, art style and music. Yes, it does glorify war a bit but I take it as fiction as much as very very loosely based on real world events

Chris Lane- Venturi 3D

Oh, the imagery was based on a graphic novel. Hence the "dream like" or "fantasy like" coloring, as well as the fantastic beasts, Xerxes being 8 feet tall ... the over done mutated creatures... all that... and its also where the blood splatters came from, it was how the graphic novel showed things. Doesn't mean you have to like it ...

eric clark

"May you live forever" to Spartans is the biggest insult imaginable. Especially a Spartan Warrior. Regarding the politician with the gold coins, they were Xeres' coins, not from the oracle, but in payment for his treachery, pretty sure in this version, he was paid to pay off the oracle so that they would enforce the rule of no war. Not sure if there was treachery in the true history, or if it was just stupidity.

eric clark

They modulated Xerxes's voice because he was a goa'uld. ;)

Michael G. Munz

Nat: "How many Spartans are we gonna loose?" Me: Uh... I was going to join the rest of my fellow commenters and say graphic novel but then Tyler beat me to it. Dam that was funny. On the question of not doing any research... I have the comic and knew the story from school and still enjoyed the movie. Watched Apollo 13 after learning about it in school, still enjoyed it. I think given how attached you get to characters it would be ok to do at least some research. Loved this and looking forward to the next one. Have you seen Ever After: A Cinderella Story? (1998)

Garrick Smalley

yep you are not the only one.

Garrick Smalley

Any idea what's going on with the audio/video sync lately? Several of the latest reactions seem to be just a bit out of step. Nothing huge, but once you notice it...

Matt

I like that you got a big point of the film, that you're watching a film made from the retelling of the story of the events of the Battle of Thermopylae. It was romanticized and dreamlike because that's how stories are remembered. The movie is based on a graphic novel that was based on a story told of the event after the fact. There is a statue of Leonidas where the battle was fought. http://ncccommuter.org/spartans-undaunted-by-pain-or-danger/ The jokes were also somewhat historically accurate. Spartans were well educated and had a reputation for humor and taunting their enemies. A comment like "fighting in the shade" is very much in character for the attitude of how they approached battle and their mindset. I did love Lena Headey in this movie. Such a powerful role. "Only Spartan women give birth to real men." What a great line in such a male dominated society. Leonidas looking to her for final approval before killing the emissary... The men may have ruled the world, but I like how it showed that "a man" who was king may indeed rule, but he would still march into hell for his woman.

John

See, this is a perfect example of being able to enjoy a film while acknowledging its flaws. You wouldn't believe the fury i encountered in a YT comment section when i pointed out the White Savior Trope in The Last Samurai, a film i very much enjoy.

Opti_Frog

An interesting note about Spartan civilization. By law, only women were permitted to inherrit land. Over time this meant that almost all the land of Sparta was owned by a select few noblewomen, who used their wealth & influence to control the government. Sparta's military was also somewhat protected from corruption and tyranny, as the generals chosen to command it were reviewed each year and forced to justify all their actions & orders over the year. Gods help them if they could not reasonably explain them. An interesting contrast to most historic civilizations.

Vonlinchen

I like this movie, but it is one of the least historically correct movies ever made about the time period. On top of that it is a piece of pretty sickening propaganda made at a time where the western wars against the middle east were at their height. The Spartans were not defenders of democracy and freedom. They mocked the athenian way of rule (democratia) as weak and stupid, and the reason they were a warrior culture is because they needed to be to hold on the the number of slaves they held.

Rune

If you want to see an entirely different Lena Headey, she played Mowgli's love interest in the 1994 version of Jungle Book (also has Cary Elwes and John Cleese).

Ben Wheeler

GoT - S2E01 now pls! :>

gexzor

You were asking, "He missed? He didn't kill him? He only wanted to make him bleed?" I think the end battle we watch, is the inspiring story of valour told by the one-eyed narrator. He told it that Leonidas' last words were "my Queen", he told the story that the God could bleed, he told that story to inspire the rest of Sparta to fight and to believe they could win. I always thought the reality would've been nowhere near as fantastical.

Quarty

How fitting that this was released right when Zach Synder's Justice League is coming out.

WackySwacky

He was really good in Van Helsing! You should watch that movie too it's really good as well! Hugh Jackman movie as well

Jayson Phillips

Nat: So let me look up the history, now. Oh.

PickettsChargingPort

The guy you said just wanted a line was Michael Fassbender, haha. I wasn't sure if you recognized him later.

Tucci

another wonderful movie reaction , the music throughout the film was fantastic as were the rousing speeches , i was waiting the entire movie for you too spot the narrator as Faramir from LOTR it was driving me nuts 😀 jk and also michael fassbender AKA magneto . tyler scare jumping you scare jumped me in return lol that was pure gold 🙂. just want to say thankyou for a great week of content nat you sure are amazing 💛

Ian

Y'all should watch the "Pitch Meeting" for this movie on youtube. It really is such an absurd movie

My Toasty Toast

If you are a fan of historical drama, might I suggest the TV series Vikings? In my top 3 shows of all time!

VProductions

The coins that fell. Those were minted with Xerxes' face. Evidence of the payoff and conspiracy.

Luis Torrefranca

This is Greek for "come and take them", for anyone wondering. Romanized as "molon labe".

Friendly Trumpet

The Persian navy was pretty soundly beaten at Salamis around the same time Thermopylae was happening as well. Following Thermopylae and a couple other land battles the Persians held around a third of what is today still known as Greece. Thermopylae was never really intended to be a victory, just a stall tactic similar to the Alamo in US history, while the Greek navy fought the Persian navy. The naval victory for Greece meant the Persians couldn't successfully take the Peloponnese and conquer "Greece" fully. Because of this Xerxes ultimately left Greece back to Persia. Then as you say, the general(s) Xerxes left behind stuck around for roughly another year and ultimately lost a couple key battles of which Plataea was one and were pushed back out of Greece entirely. Of course not too much later the Peloponnesian Wars happened and shortly after those resolved the THIRD attempted invasion of Greece by Persian forces was largely successful.

Friendly Trumpet

when this came out Synder was the first to use this grand green backdrop style that almost everyone now uses. The movie was taken from Frank Miller's graphic novel...and some of the scenes are taken from the pages of the novel. And yes the actors had to do physical and Spartan fighting techniques, and the true Spartans wore full armor not in speedos

Rudolph Koch

I like the painterly look, but otherwise this movie doesn't do much for me

Ken

Probably Zach Snyder's best movie.

Drew

this movie is based on a comic book so that's why it was shot in that style and why it's not really historically accurate

BNJ

ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

Luis Torrefranca

With it looking like The Princess Bride will win the poll for next week it looks like you will have 2 "feel good" movies in a row. I can't be the only one who thinks 300 is a "feel good" movie right?

Ken

Tyler MVP of the reaction

Tay Schumaker

Nice reaction Nat! I loved your "This is Sparta!" version and your jump-scare was excellent too 😆 And I liked how you're more concerned by animals in the movie, it's a proof you're a nice person haha but unfortunatly you're not enough hard to be a spartan 😆 Stay Golden as you are and be safe! 💛😁

Calo Grsf

Yay Tyler! Your reaction was what I was expecting. Not exactly your cup of tea. These polls are annoying. Now do the far superior historical fiction, Last of the Mohicans, please!

warcrimes

I take it as not a historical account, but rather a movie version of the comic book that depicts the story Dilios is telling to rally the soldiers.

Luis Torrefranca

Good reaction Nat. After this battle, the Persians persisted in Greek territory, but were eventually defeated about a year later by a Greek coalition at the Battle of Plataea if I remember right. Been a while since I read up on Greek history, it’s one of my favorite historical periods to read about.

JediLounger

Real story of the battle of thermopylae - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwitONWEgsk

I did the full 9.5 hours yesterday, MoS, BvS and JL. It was exhausting lol.

JediLounger

Mmm pizza. You've made me hungry 🤭

Darryl Low

A part of me feels like 300 getting voted as a movie reaction was just a TRAP for Natalie with Lena Headey as a respectable queen here as opposed to her GOT character ahahahahahahah

TrackHoodie

Oh shiz I completely forgot you were going to do this film! Super excited to get off wurk now...now I have an excuse to pick up a pizza on the way home

Ronny Boss

Looks like this weekend is going to be full of Zack Snyder.

Tony Johnson

Now you should follow it up with a YouTube video; "Epic Rap Battles of History: Leonidas vs. Master Chief."

Paul C

There are good days. And there are Legendary good days. Love your reactions Nat!

Aaron Taft

The look of the film comes from the graphic novel.

Matthew Shaver

Also, you were close. Not a video game, but a comic!

JediLounger

I really like that it's framed as a story someone is telling as wartime propiganda. Like "and they had 100 foot tall elephants and war rhinos and that guy who betrayed us to the persons was totally just the ugliest person you ever met."

Josh The Bard

Thank you Nat for this reaction! For the record, the movie is the adaptation of a comic book freely inspired by real and historical facts concerning the attempted invasion of Greece by the Persian Empire in 480 BC (at the battle there would have been about 7000 Greeks in total from different cities, and notably 300 Spartans who fought until the end helped by a few hundred Thessapians, while the others seeing that they were screwed up withdrew from the battlefield). Here's the mega summary of the story Stay Golden and Be Safe!

Calo Grsf

Please don't give up on the other movies that were in this poll, especially Last of the Mohicans. the best movie on the list IMO. Side note: the actress who plays the Queen in this movie is Lena Headey also known as Cersei Lannister in GOT

James Young

Yeah this is more based on the comic book instead of what actually happened

Tiger Chu

Downloading this movie reaction to watch later this evening. 😊 This is another movie that I haven't seen yet. So, it'll be a first time watch for me as well. I did look at the cast when I saw that this was most likely going to win the poll, and there were only two names that I recognized. Looking forward to watching this reaction tonight. 😊 Have a great day! Until the next video, Stay Golden! 💛

Randee Carreno

Judging by the intro, she is going to be surprised by how not historically accurate this movie is :D

Heretic

Super excited for this what a way to end the working week 😉 I just know nats reaction will be epic 💛

Ian

Ah, the meme king of the mid 00s.

Kelvin

Been several years since I have watched this. Should be interesting to see if it holds up.

JediLounger

Thanks Nat. Another movie that I haven't seen so been looking forward to watching this with you. There were a lot of faces to keep check in this movie, and the graphic novel style cinematography always kept things interesting. No retreat, no surrender. Another emotional ride and a powerful ending. Thanks for a stirring commentary Nat, and thanks for another amazing week of videos. You'll need to but a bell around Tyler's neck so you'll hear him coming 😂 Have a great weekend Nat 💛

Darryl Low