Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14606 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-10-01
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 114 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The futile yet inspiring stand of 300 Greek soldiers against the hugest army ever assembled in the ancient world inspired this typical example of Hollywood epic movie-making. King Leonidas of Sparta (Richard Egan, Demetrius and the Gladiators), prevented by political squabbling from sending his entire army to defend the narrow pass of Thermopylae, sets out with his personal bodyguard to fight off the ambitious Persian king, Xerxes. Along the way are a pair of young lovers, scantily clad dancing girls, and treachery though a secret mountain path. The 300 Spartans, made in 1961, has an overstated cold war subtext--there's much talk of freedom vs. slavery--and there are a few too many shots of armoured men marching through the Greek countryside, but the historical conflict has a fundamentally stirring quality. Also featuring Sir Ralph Richardson (Dr. Zhivago, Dragonslayer) as a wily Athenian politician. --Bret Fetzer

Synopsis
Released just a few years before a similar British film, ZULU, this 1962 ladiator film depicts a tiny army of Spartan forces and their efforts to stave off an attack by Persian forces which greatly outnumbered the Spartans. Led by King Leonidis (Richard Egan), the Spartan army consisted primarily of a security force who guarded the palace. This rousing gladiator epic boasts an incredible cast including Diane Baker, Ralph Richardson, and Kieron Moore.

Customer Reviews

So so acting but great entertainment
The battle at Thermopolae involving a small greek army led by king Leonedis and his personal bodyguard of 300 Spartans against the hordes of Persians led by king Xerxes is if you want historical accuracy and authenticity better viewed on the satellite tv history channel programmes, however film makers have never been too concerned on that score, homing in more on the entertainment value, as it should be.

I have both this and the new '300' film and while the acting here is a tad lightweight and wooden, in comparison, it shines.

Richard Egan, while a good support actor falls some way short in the early part of the film, where his role as Leonedis requires good verbal projection while trying to gather an army, but in fairness he redeems himself during the battle scenes. Ralph Richardson as his Athenian counterpart puts in a good shift, which helps the film along.

David Farrar who plays Xerxes comes back with some of the corniest lines and acting that I've ever witnessed.

With all this fault picking I imagine you're asking WHY 5 STARS.
Well for all its faults this film IS entertaining, warts'n'all. If we had a film showing battle scenes as they would have been at the time, phalynx's etc, none of the hand to hand fighting could be employed, and I for one watch this type of film for its entertainment values.
One or two little sub plots help the film along, and how nice to see real people as extra's instead of these tacky computor images, it must of cost a small fortune to kit them out.
The ending of the film is quite poignant, having been informed of their betrayal, the Spartans more or less commit suicide to enable the rest of the Greeks to escape, so in the finish it really was the 300.

Forget the flaws, if you've got this in your collection, at least you can sit back and watch a film that was made to entertain.