Frank Miller & Warner Bros.' '300' - The controversy, memorabilia and rarities
On March 9, 2007, the U.S.A. release of Warner Bros.' heroic tale of the Battle of Thermopylae based on Frank Miller's '300' debuted after much anticipation, as did the worldwide premiers in other countries which followed shortly thereafter. Directed by Zack Snyder and filmed mostly in front of a blue screen, Snyder was able to replicate the Persian and Greek armies which fought against each other during the three day battle in August 480 B.C. In addition, the actual battlefield of Thermopylae, Greece which had changed so much in 2,500 years, had been recreated according to Frank Miller's illustrations which are an integral part of this story.
The movie had received more than its share of criticism due to the portrayal of the Greek and Persian warriors and the events as they happened. Even though it had been stated ad nauseam, that the movie was not an accurate depiction, its embellishments were not advocated by the academic community. However, '300' did bring much attention to this iconic last stand and it is with this hope, that those who are unfamiliar with its history will wish to learn more about the Battle of Thermopylae.
The links below have been compiled so that scenes
from the movie are compared to the events as written by Herodotus,
other ancient sources and contemporary historians. In addition,
items that may be of interest to the enthusiast of the '300' comic
book and Warner Bros. movie have also been included.
Furthermore, a '300' rarities
page has been included which features items discontinued and sold out since
their debut in 1998. The scarcity of these items can be confirmed via
the different search engines. Finally, for your convenience, an Amazon link is included which compiles all the current '300' items available for a comparably lower price than those found on eBay. The sale of any of the items on the rarities page will be used to fund the 2010 Leonidas Expedition, therefore, if you have any questions, please contact me.
Frank Miller '300' rarities
Warner Brothers' '300' items for sale
Warner Bros. '300' movie images
The images below will direct you to several additional scenes from the movie which are representative of those featured. For example, the image whose caption reads 'Frank Miller's '300' Spartans phalanx', will have many more scenes depicting this feared military formation.
