300

If you are squeamish and don’t like violence, then don’t see the movie “300”. Three fourths of the movie is dedicated to all-out warfare, brutality and gore. And the added sexual content doesn’t make it any easier to watch. Decapitation, severing of arms, legs, hands and other body parts flood the screen in stylized battle scenes shot in stop-action, slow motion and choreographed with dance-like moves. And then there is blood spurting all over with plenty of dead bodies hung up, stuck on posts, made into walls and just lying around.

But beside the gore, there are some good features to 300. First, courage and bravery reign supreme. This movie is about Sparta and the elite fighting force that culture produced. Leonidas, the king of Sparta, illegally takes 300 of his elite personal guard to defend Sparta from the million man Persian army, composed of armies from 100 nations. Brutally bred and trained as professional soldiers, Spartans feared nothing and were willing to sacrifice their lives for their city. Facing overwhelming odds, Leonidas and his 300 warriors don’t flinch but actually look forward to the battle. One Spartan hopes out loud to perhaps find one warrior out the million who would prove to be worthy of his death. Queen Gorgo tells Leonidas, “Come back with your shield or on it.” Wimping out is not an option.

Second, Spartans work as a unit, so that one’s strength is found in one’s companion. Leonidas says, “A Spartan's strength is the warrior next to him.” Spartan military strategy depends on coordinated defense and offense, so victory depends entirely on the whole army working together as a single unit. Leonidas is selfless and willingly puts himself in the thick of the battle to aid his comrades. In contrast, Xerxes, the Persian emperor, watches from a distance and doesn’t take part in the battle but merely sends army after army into battle without regard for their lives.

Third, Spartans believe in freedom and are willing to die for it. “Freedom is never free,” says Queen Gorgo. King Leonidas is ready and willing to lay down his life so that his city might remain free from the tyranny of Xerxes and the Persians. There are many times that Leonidas and his captains remind the rest that they are fighting for freedom. Leonidas refuses to bow to Xerxes, even after Xerxes offers to make him the warlord of all Greece if he would merely bow before him. In the end, Leonidas pretends to bow but only so that he can get a final chance to throw a spear at Xerxes.

While Sparta’s bravery and fighting prowess are impressive, there were some major drawbacks to Spartan culture. First, it was cruel, brutal and uncaring. In order to create brave soldiers many children had to be thrown away at birth because they were unfit (survival of the fittest to the max).

Second, the Spartans were incapable of sharing their feelings. Whenever you work to block out the negative emotions of fear and other weakness, you also make it impossible to feel the positive emotions of love and joy. Leonidas couldn’t even tell his wife, Queen Gorgo, that he loved her when he left for battle, nor could he relay a message of love when he sent his friend back to tell their story. When asked what he wanted to say to his wife, Leonidas replied, “Nothing. She already knows how I feel.” In fact, when Leonidas’ captain sees his son killed in the fighting he handles his grief by filling his heart with hate. Sparta might be cool and macho, but most intelligent men wouldn’t want to live there.

Third, Sparta didn’t develop much of a culture. In contrast, Athens developed one of the richest cultures of the ancient world. Athens’ philosophy, art and writings still influence us today, but very little of Sparta’s culture affects us today. A culture built around war cannot produce much of lasting value.

There are some similarities between king Leonidas and Jesus. Leonidas willingly laid down his life for his brothers. One soldier says, as he lies dying, “It is an honor to die at your side.” Leonidas replies, “It was an honor to live at yours.” Leonidas would rather die with his men than betray them and his city for his own personal gain. Xerxes tempts Leonidas by offering to make him the warlord of all Greece if he would simply bow down to him. The scene echoes Satan’s temptation of Christ in the wilderness, where Satan offered all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would simply bow down and worship him. The temptation of power and glory at the expense of truth, virtue and obedience to God confronts many men even today. It takes strong character and values to withstand this temptation, especially if the alternative is personal loss, pain or even death. To Leonidas’ credit, he refuses to accept personal gain at the expense of his values.