I'm working on a research about the movie 300 and it's historical relevance/correctness and historiographical correctness. And I was wondering what the historians on reddit think about the movie.
The paper is based on the first movie from 2006 and the battle of Thermopylae
I'm interested to know what you think
What is the paper for? Regardless, if you have a choice, and I certainly hope you do - I'd recommend you choose a different topic as this one would likely lack rigour.
Having said that, I'm 100% sure there will already be a thread detailing the huge chasm between what is known about the Battle of Thermopylae and the film.
I liked the movie, if that is what you want to know? It is not very correct historically, but i guess you have already found that out. The numbers are wrong in term of army size, and the weapons used (rhinos, elephants, bombs ect) were not really used. Some of the quotes have been said by Leonidas accordingly. Do you want a source? Then i will write it to you when i get home.
The movie is what it is, a movie. Not only that, but even the sources from back then are very likely not exactly true. Many historians from this time had a tendency to exaggerate. Hope this helps a little.
Well to be fair, that movie was based on a graphic novel which was itself based on a movie, so you've got at least three degrees of separation before you get close to the story being based on history.
I thought the movie was very fun and lovable. At the same time you need to keep in mind that as far as historical accuracy goes...300 is sort of like throwing a bucket of paint at an aircraft carrier, certainly there will be parts of the aircraft carrier with paint on it, but it'd be a very far stretch to argue you'd "painted" it.
Were there Spartans? Yes. By all reports did a small number of them fight very valiantly? Yes. Were their enemies Persians? Mostly yes. But that's really about the spot (other than some of the names) that the accuracy stops - the phalanx is abandoned almost immediately, while the Athenians are present there is no mention of Sparta's other "allies," the movie at no point deals with Spartans owning and freely butchering slaves etc.
Again, I thought the movie was very fun and entertaining (and quite a cinematographic sight for its time), but as a piece of history it is junk food rather than food for thought.