300 (2006)

Epic graphic novel translation, with cinematic beauty.

Director Zach Snyder must have spent months slowing footage down to make this film, most of the action shots are gory, slow-paced comic-book visuals of spears piercing skin and swords decapitating heads. The story of the 300 Spartans who faced the Persian army is deeply rooted in ancient Greek mythology, and the original graphic novel by Frank Miller uses the story to create a vibrant, violent tale that appeals to a modern audience. The film does not disappoint.

With a gutsy production of imaginative fight sequences, amazing characters, and inspiring storyline, the film should be revered as one of the most impressive films of the 21st Century. High praise, I know, but few films affect me the way this one has. It is a film that takes heroism, pride, bravery, loyalty, and faith and pits it them against tyranny, brutality, slavery, and greed. The epic battle is given a cinematic beauty that seems years ahead of its time, and the punchlines, which on paper would seem silly, work well to enthuse these ideas of patriotism and heroism.