Missing the Point Entirely
Published March 13th, 2007Just recently I railed against the History Channel’s mediocre representaton of the early middle ages, and I think with good reason. The show was meant to be educational and a true history of the time. It failed in those respects, and deserves to be called on it.
However there are times when there is also good reason to ignore historical errors and anachronisms in order to enjoy the story - the story may be set in a historical period, but it may not necessarily be about that period. The setting is no more than a plot device to add shared flavor and feeling. The most recent example of this is 300.
Now if anyone out there watches 300 and expects it, going in, to be an accurate representation of the Battle of Thermopylae, that person is nuts. First off, it’s based on a graphic novel. Second, it’s a story about people and themes, not a historical account. And it is clearly over the top with the fantastic (as in, fantasy) representation of the Persians. This should be obvious to anyone. This is a story set in an imaginary Ancient Greece, just as Indiana Jones is set in an imaginary 1940’s earth. It is as imaginary as Dick Tracy is, or any other film or comic that borrows a place and time to tell a fantasy story. And if 300 gets people interested in what really happened at that legendary battle, so be it - that’s great!
And yet some people just don’t get it. I have no problem nitpicking historical movies for errors and anachronisms, but they only really detract from the story if it’s not really all that good in the first place, or the film is trying to be as historically accurate as possible. I mean does anyone really believe Braveheart is an accurate historical movie? Or Kingdom of Heaven? Or any incarnation of Robin Hood? Might as well write your history papers using Monty Python and the Holy Grail as your source. So to have a professor so up in arms over 300, enough to warrant a column in a newspaper - that’s just silly. I mean does the guy know it’s a comic book? Was he as offended by Troy? Or maybe Clash of the Titans? You might as well write a column on any movie at that point, about how movies just aren’t realistic.
No kidding.
Dude, that’s just funny. That guy’s actually pissed!