World History
I am very excited about a new film opening next week. It is 300 which is an account of the famous Greek last stand at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. At that battle, a small handful of Greeks slowed the Persians down and inflicted anywhere from 20 thousand to 8o thousand causalities on them. Google has several video clips offering details on the making of the film and theatre trailers.
I do have a slight problem with the title. More than 300 Greeks fought at the battle. There were 300 Spartans but there were also at least 700 Thebians who also fought and died. I know the title is based on the Frank Miller comic book but the Spartans were not the only heroes at the battle. Also, I question the film description that the Spartans were "drawing a line in the sand for democracy." The Spartans fought for many reasons but I do not think democracy was one of them.
From the Google Description of the film:
Based on the epic graphic novel by Frank Miller, 300 is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy, drawing a line in the sand for democracy. The film brings Miller?s (Sin City) acclaimed graphic novel to life by combining live action with virtual backgrounds that capture his distinct vision of this ancient historic tale.
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Thanks to my fellow department member Tara Cook for this video on the lives of the Spartans and Athenians. If you are using Google Docs, then you can link the video to your assignment (even if you have already done it) or if you are doing a PowerPoint...
World History
The 300
I am very excited about a new film opening next week. It is 300 which is an account of the famous Greek last stand at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. At that battle, a small handful of Greeks slowed the Persians down and inflicted anywhere from 20 thousand to 8o thousand causalities on them. Google has several video clips offering details on the making of the film and theatre trailers.
I do have a slight problem with the title. More than 300 Greeks fought at the battle. There were 300 Spartans but there were also at least 700 Thebians who also fought and died. I know the title is based on the Frank Miller comic book but the Spartans were not the only heroes at the battle. Also, I question the film description that the Spartans were "drawing a line in the sand for democracy." The Spartans fought for many reasons but I do not think democracy was one of them.
From the Google Description of the film:
Based on the epic graphic novel by Frank Miller, 300 is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy, drawing a line in the sand for democracy. The film brings Miller?s (Sin City) acclaimed graphic novel to life by combining live action with virtual backgrounds that capture his distinct vision of this ancient historic tale.
- 10,000 Bc
I was fortunate enough to catch a showing of 10,000 BC at the theater the other day. I enjoyed it very much. I thought the plot was slow at points but it was good overall. The film site notes of the film, "A prehistoric young mammoth hunter embarks on...
- Top 3 Worst War Films
Back in September, The Osprey Publishing Blog had a post on the Top 3 Worst War Films. I discovered this post via the 7th Military History Carnival. The carnival author noted, "I asked what the Top Three Worst War films were and what war films our readers...
- Drunks Of War
Drunks of War. This is an article from the July/August 2003 issue of Modern Drunkard Magazine. In it, the author (Rich English) argues that "Societies possessing a robust and realistic attitude toward intoxication have produced mightier warriors than...
- Normandy In Color
Open Culture posted this amazing footage from the Normandy invasion (Operation Overlord). George Stephens, a film maker during the war, made the film with other cameramen hoping to use some of the footage for a documentary. They had a hand-held camera...
- Wife Swap - Spartans And Athenians
Thanks to my fellow department member Tara Cook for this video on the lives of the Spartans and Athenians. If you are using Google Docs, then you can link the video to your assignment (even if you have already done it) or if you are doing a PowerPoint...