300... Our secret weapon against Iran.

[Lyion]

Frank Miller, our Ace in the Hole for the Middle East, evidently.

http://english.people.com.cn/200703/12/ ... 56565.html

Iranian official lashes out at Hollywood movie "300" for insulting Persian civilization

An Iranian official on Sunday lashed out at the Hollywood movie "300" for insulting the Persian civilization, local Fars News Agency reported.

Javad Shamqadri, an art advisor to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, accused the new movie of being "part of a comprehensive U.S. psychological war aimed at Iranian culture", said the report.

Shamqadri was quoted as saying "following the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Hollywood and cultural authorities in the U.S. initiated studies to figure out how to attack Iranian culture," adding "certainly, the recent movie is a product of such studies."

The movie's effort wound be fruitless, because "values in Iranian culture and the Islamic Revolution are too strongly seated to be damaged by such plans", said the Iranin official.

Shamqadri, who is also a filmmaker, said that production of more domestic and artistic films which portray Iranian achievements is a proper response to movies like "300".

"300," an ancient epic about the famous Battle of Thermopylae in Greek history, set a new record at the box office in North America this weekend.

The Warner Bros. adaptation of the 480 B.C. battle took an estimated 70 million U.S. dollars in its debut weekend, according to figures released on Sunday by Los Angeles-based box office track firm Media by Numbers.

The R-rated film, based on comic book writer Frank Miller's graphic novel, tells the story that an army of 300 Spartan warriors led by their king Leonidas fought to the death to delay a massive Persian army's invasion, so that the Greeks could reorganize a counterattack.

[Zanchief]

You can't deny that the movie was a little bit racist.

[kaharthemad]

like we should care? tell you what, I can give them about 10 movies that paint their civilization in a bad light. Why should these fucktards be any different? Everyone gets made fun of or painted in a bad light when Hollywood makes a movie of them.

[Zanchief]

So you wouldn't raise an eyebrow if an Arab country made a movie about WWII Americans being all inbred hicks, nailing their cousins and spitting tobacco at each other?

I don't think the message of the movie is supposed to be racist, nor do I think it's meant to advocate a political ideology, but some of the caricatures were racist IMO.

[Reynaldo]

It's like going to see South Park the movie. In the theater there were 4 black people in front of me laughing their asses off while they were making fun of christians, jews, whites, canadians, etc.

As soon as they taped the black people to the planes as armor, they walked out of the theater pissed off.

Same thing with chef leaving the show, it's all fun and games till the point the gun at you (scientology).

People need to chill out and realize that movies aren't real, even if (omg) based off factual events!!!

[Ginzburgh]

And it's based on a comic that was written years ago. This story reminds me of that women who was bashing New Line and Peter Jackson for naming the second installment of the LotR trilogy "The Two Towers" so soon after 9/11.

[Zanchief]

That's different, for one it's a comedy, and it doesn't present it's subject as factual, even if it's done in a cartoonish way.

Billy Zane was in a movie a few years back ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493264/ ) that presented Americans as the enemy and everyone was absolutely outraged about. No one can even talk about the movie without comparing it to Nazi propaganda, and that was a piece of complete fiction. That's ONE movie in the last … history of cinema where Americans weren't the heroes or saviors. I guarantee that any movie with an even remotely similar plot will be skewered by "Patriots".

Saying people need to chill is all well and good when you're on this side of the fence, but I guarantee if your culture received the amount wrath theirs did you'd be singing a different tune. Look at Christians for one, they don't get nearly as much hate in the movie's as Muslims do and every last one of those whiners can't help but right up blogs and shit about how oppressed they are by Jewish Hollywood conspiracy.

[kaharthemad]

yeah. that was wrtten what? 40 years prior? People that stupid need to quit breeding.

[Lyion]

Are you really going to compare a movie about Spartans 2500 years ago that is liberal in its us of prose, but not overtly racist, with a film that is an overt propaganda piece with over the top portions, that include jews harvesting organs from captured Arabs?

Since there was no outrage from us in regards to this obvious propaganda piece, which I've seen, I think your argument is completely nullified.

Al Jazeera puts on much worse portrayals of modern day western cultures quite often, and with less respect. We are not offended.

[Zanchief]

Since there was no outrage from us in regards to this obvious propaganda piece, which I've seen, I think your argument is completely nullified.

100% false. Proof of course that you watched the movie. Curious, Lyion, how many other arabic movie's have you seen recently? It couldn't possibly have been the controversial nature of the movie that attracted it to you?

Yes, I compared two fictional movies to each other, but only one of them claims to be based somewhat on facts.

[Spazz]

Chief what was racist about 300?

[Zanchief]

They portray the Persians as savage warmongers who want to enslave the world. They are not presented with any positive characteristics. If Americans were given the same treatment in a movie like this, they would be going apeshit.

I didn't think it was notably racist, since it's mostly fictional and heavily stylized (at one point there's a giant ogre with cleavers for hands), but I’m not surprised that someone is offended, and any rational person who's seen the movie could understand the complaint.

[Ginzburgh]

They portray the Persians as savage warmongers who want to enslave the world. They are not presented with any positive characteristics. If Americans were given the same treatment in a movie like this, they would be going apeshit.

Maybe that's how the persions were in the fifth century?

I'm not stating that as a fact, it's a question, I don't know how persians were in the fifth century.

[kaharthemad]

as for Lyions knowledge of middle east culture and language, there are very few on this board I would trust about it. since he studied the language, andhas studied their culture, He could prolly point out the flaws. In their logic.

[Zanchief]

They weren't although that was the opinion of them by the Greeks.

Oliver Stone pretty much nailed it with Alexander. When the Greeks invaded, they did so because they thought they were all lawless barbarians, but once they arrived they realized they weren't at all.

That's fine with me though, because 300 is presented as a heroic tale passed along and exaggerated. But I'm not the least bit surprised by the reaction.

[Spazz]

They portray the Persians as savage warmongers who want to enslave the world. They are not presented with any positive characteristics. If Americans were given the same treatment in a movie like this, they would be going apeshit.

I didn't think it was notably racist, since it's mostly fictional and heavily stylized (at one point there's a giant ogre with cleavers for hands), but I’m not surprised that someone is offended, and any rational person who's seen the movie could understand the complaint.

That total bullshit. You can draw a line to anything if you try hard enough but you and others I think are reading way to much into the story. Its a true story covered in bullshit and to get offended as if it portrays reality is a joke.

[Zanchief]

Are you disputing that Persians are represented as bloodthirsty, warmongers, or are you disputing that that wasn't in fact how things were back then.

Like I said, the movie is exaggerated for effect so I didn't mind it, but to say it wasn't racist is another thing.

[Spazz]

Im disputing both. Its a fuckin movie. In order to portray the greeks or persians in a realistic way the movie would have to be alot more boring and a lot longer. What im saying and youll see this if you actually read my post. Is that everyone reads way to much into movies and than cries like a bitch. You can find every ism known to man wherever you look if thats what your looking for.

[Zanchief]

You have a way with words.

[Harrison]

Give it up Zan. You will never be the victim so stop sympathizing with an imaginary problem.

[Zanchief]

I didn't realize empathy was a character flaw.

[Spazz]

Ya know harri makes a good point. You show up in diff threads all the time and talk about how everyone in america is a racist and make everyone out to be a victim. How bout you shut the fuck up .

[Jay]

Zanchief lurves niggurs hur hur

[Spazz]

I know. Ive seen him tell us how racist we all are only a bazillion times over the years. I think the dude doesnt live in reality.

[Zanchief]

I never said everyone in America was racist.

Lyion posted this article, I assume to discuss it, and I stated my opinion on the subject.

Has anyone aside from Lyion even attempted to address how the article is wrong?