The 300 Spartans (DVD)

I HAVE WAITED A VERY LONG TIME FOR THIS DVD AND FINALLY IT HAS ARRIVED. THE STORY OF HOW 300 SPARTANS DEFEND A NORROW PASS AGAINST THE MIGHT OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE WHICH HAD THE LARGEST ARMY IN THE WORLD BACK THEN. LEONIDAS THE KING OF SPARTA IS PLAYED WELL BY RICHARD EGAN, A FINE ACTOR THAT HAS BEEN VERY UNDERRATED BY MANY - HE IS PERFECT AS KING LEONIDAS. RICHARD EGAN HAS A STRONG DEEP VOICE ALONG WITH A GREAT PHYSIQUE AND PRESENCE WHICH HELPS VERY MUCH FOR THIS KIND OF ROLE. THE PORTRAYEL OF THE SPARTANS WITH THIER SHIELDS WITH A GREEK L FOR LEONIDAS AND THIER COSTUMES ARE VERY GOOD. THE BATTLE SCENES ARE BREATHTAKING AND WELL SET, AS IS THE PHOTOGRAPHY. A GREAT FILM THAT WAS MADE ON A SMALL BUDGET BUT IT CAPTURES ANCIENT GREECE AT ITS BEST - UNLIKE SOME SWORD & SANDAL FILMS. THE SETTING FOR THERMOPYLAE IS VERY GOOD AS I HAVE VISITED THE ACTUAL PLACE NUMEROUS TIMES AND THE RUGGED LANDSCAPE AND TERRAIN ARE VERY SIMILAR. FULL MARKS TO RUDOLPH MATE AS DIRECTOR FOR DOING A GRAND JOB WITH THE SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY AVALIABLE TO HIM. MOST PEOPLE WERE INVOLVED WITH BIGGER PROJECTS LIKE THE GRAND EPIC CLEOPATRA WHICH WAS IN PRODUCTION AT THE TIME AND HAD MOST OF ITS MONEY SPENT ON SET PIECES & COSTUMES FOR MISS TAYLOR TO CAPTIVATE US ALL. GIVE ME THE 300 SPARTANS ANY TIME AND YOU FIND YOURSELF FIGHTING ALONG SIDE WITH KING LEONIDAS AND HIS MEN. THE MUSIC IS VERY CATCHING AND FITS IN WELL WITH THE FILM. THE ENDING OF THE FILM IS SAD BUT THESE SPARTANS ARE WHAT LEGENDS ARE MADE OF - THIS IS YOUR ALAMO 480 YEARS B.C. IT IS ALSO THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY A TRAITOR HAS APPEARED - 500 YEARS BEFORE JUDAS BETRAYED CHRIST. THEY FOUGHT AND DIED FOR THEIR COUNTRY AND FREEDOM FROM TYRANNY. LET AS ALL LEARN FROM THIS AND LET THE SPIRIT OF KING LEONIDAS LIVE IN US ALL. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED DVD FOR EVERYONE. THE DVD HAS GOOD SOUND AND PICTURE QUALITY WITH A GREAT COVER ALSO. MY RATING IS 10 OUT OF 10.

this is an excellant quality film.It was not the film i thought it was when i bought it ,i did enjoy it and was very good

I had viewed this film many times over the years and had originally watched it in a school hall in the late 60's or early 70's in Black and White against a less than perfect projection screen and mono sound system. It still made an impression then as a youngster though. An excellent contrast to the recent 300 version. A variant retelling of a ancient story that still works well. Even though the special effects are not a patch on 300 especially the rain of arrows falling on the survivors at the end, none the less the film is still enjoyable in it's own right and the strong charismatic acting is more than acceptable through out. Having seen both films the thing that stood out more than anything was the somewhat 'Gentle' way soldiers were dispatched to their deaths in this film, oh, and the sun was always out!! - a stark contrast to 300's dark and graphic representation. Even though this film was made in 1961 it is very much still worthy of auditioning today and in glorious colour! Costumes and sets felt close to how historians had described them keeping in mind the relatively low budgets of the day the end result is superb...One to keep

This "Original" production is the "Bees Knees". Far superior in all departments, to the crap remake that recently came out...
Great action scenes, very well acted ,and Accurate costumes of the period
10 out of 10
Ian

Based on actual events occurring in Greece in 480 B.C, this scintillating drama stars Richard Egan as the Greek soldier Leonidas, who leads three hundred Spartan soldiers against an overwhemling Persian army in the Battle of Thermopylae.

Unable to recruit the soldiers he needs to defend a critical Greek mountain pass against Persia's King Xerxes, Leonidas nonetheless prepares for battle.
When warned that the number of arrows his tiny army faces will "blot out the sun", Leonidas replies that his army will "fight in the shade".

With it's superb cinematography, realism and musical score, this story of courage and self-sacrifice is inspired filmaking at it's best.

I remembered this film from when i was a boy and loved it at the time. Obviously a bit dated but still highly enjoyable