Iranian dudes
... it's a movie (not a film)
... based on a graphic novel (not a comic book)
... were you guys dropped on your heads as
children

chill out dudes ... you're harshing my mellow

Iranian dudes
... it's a movie (not a film)
... based on a graphic novel (not a comic book)
... were you guys dropped on your heads as
children

chill out dudes ... you're harshing my mellow

a sort of banal (but not unimportant!) situation issue where the government of Iran is seeking to assert its interests in the neighborhood where governments of Iran have traditionally sought to assert themselves.

Are we defining that "neighborhood" as the fullest extent of the Persian empire?

On the one hand, there certainly is something to be said for that, just as the piece Whitaker Chambers published noting that Stalin was achieving Russian foreign policy goals held since Peter the Great and before.

On the other hand, the particular nature of the "theocrats," as Matt calls them, makes for some additional worries (such as their threatening of nuclear war.)

I can understand the reactions of average Iranians. Like most of humanity prior to very recent times, they expect that history-based films intend to portray the producer's views of what really happened, and the producer's general opinion of the people involved. So they see a movie where the Persians are portrayed as demons - should we be surprised at their response?

But we in the West, especially those who read graphic novels, know what's really going on here. It's not uncommon for filmmakers to make movies inspired by novels but having little to do with the original plot. Frank Miller just took the next step - using history in the same way. This isn't an Oliver Stone attempt at historical fraud, or some parallel to Protocols of the Elders of Zion. 300 is a fantasy that has nothing to do with the real Spartans or the real Persians. The latter are so far over the top that nobody in the West will confuse them with the real thing, or with any culture that could ever exist on Earth. If anything, people are trying to read nonexistent parallels to the current War on Terror into the plot.

If you like the film, agree to disagree with the average Iranians. Save your venom for the mullahs.

I believe the Iranian government has a legitimate right to be concerned about this blatant act of cultural aggression.

I believe, in the interests of peace and mutual understanding, we should unilaterally agree to immediately cancel all showings of the film _300_ and to apologize for its production, in return for the Iranian government's minor concession of eliminating their domestic nuclear enrichment program; or replacing their program with one conducted under U.N. auspices.

Actualy, Alan K, There is a fair bit of history mixed up in the movie if one knows what one is looking for...and that goes for some minor things about the Persians as well, the Immortals in particular.

I saw the movie, and don't think it's all that historically inaccurate, in fact. Of course, it's highly stylized, and certainly exaggerates many aspects (the monster angle, mostly). But the basic story is correct, and even some of the dialog is cribbed directly from Herodotus:

Thus nobly did the whole body of Lacedaemonians and Thespians behave; but nevertheless one man is said to have distinguished himself above all the rest, to wit, Dieneces the Spartan. A speech which he made before the Greeks engaged the Medes, remains on record. One of the Trachinians told him, "Such was the number of the barbarians, that when they shot forth their arrows the sun would be darkened by their multitude." Dieneces, not at all frightened at these words, but making light of the Median numbers, answered, "Our Trachinian friend brings us excellent tidings. If the Medes darken the sun, we shall have our fight in the shade."

If you've seen the movie, you might recognize that line.

Anyway, for modern Iranians to be upset about it shows their lack of understanding of us (which I suppose is mutual, but that's another story). We of course see the ancient Greeks as our cultural and intellectual, if not biological, ancestors, and we continue to admire them. And the Persians were, to the Greeks, the Evil Empire of the day. So naturally they come off badly in stories told by the Greeks. But for the movie, they're just "the bad guys". I doubt the average modern American even makes the connection between Xerxes and Ahmadinejad.

Old but fitting joke dept.:

Word is that the UN will soon force Iran and Iraq to merge into one country--named Irate. (rimshot)

Oh, and I almost forgot-- the Iranian government is actually disputing that the war even took place at all? That's rather incredible, frankly.

Archealogists have dug up the Persian arrowheads from the shower.

The problem is that Persia's traditional regional interests involve imperial domination of the entire region. Perhaps their pan-Islamist declarations are merely a cover for imperial dreams that would require exercising dominion over Sunni Arabs, or maybe they are authentic. Either way, it's pretty much the same.

Elham noted that the Iranian nation and those involved in cultural activities will respond to such a cultural aggression....

What are they planning? A counter-300 film featuring El Alamo? A 300 strong heroic force of muscular Sunni Mexican fighters in spandex swimsuits against the body-pierced hordes of US Cavalry? The Parsi-speaking Mexicans fighting to the last man, of course.

No, it will be about a group of Revolutionary Guards fighting a million-strong Army of savage tattoed Hollywood film producers.