The 300 Spartans
| The 300 Spartans | |
|---|---|
| File:300 spartans.jpeg | |
| Directed by | Rudolph Maté |
| Written by | George St. George |
| Produced by | Rudolph Maté George St. George |
| Starring | Richard Egan Ralph Richardson Diane Baker Barry Coe David Farrar |
| Music by | Manos Hadjidakis |
Release date |  August 1962 |
Running time | 109 mins. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
The 300 Spartans is a 1962 film depicting the Battle of Thermopylae. Made with the cooperation of the Greek government, it was shot in the village of Perachora in the Peloponnese. It starred Richard Egan as the Spartan king Leonidas, Ralph Richardson as Themistocles of Athens and David Farrar as Persian king Xerxes, with Diane Baker as Ellas and Barry Coe as Phylon providing the requisite romantic element in the film. In the film, a force of 300 Greek Spartans fights against a Persian army of almost limitless size. Despite the odds, they will not flee or surrender, even if it means their deaths.
The picture was noted for its Cold War overtones,[1] repeatedly referring to the independent Greek states as "the only stronghold of freedom remaining in the then known world", holding out against the Persians 'slave empire'. Historically, ancient Greece also had slavery, although the makeup of the army included freed slaves.
Frank Miller saw this movie as a boy and said it "changed the course of my creative life".[2] His graphic novel 300 is about the Battle of Thermopylae, and was the basis for the 2007 film 300.
References
- ^ Beam, Alex (8 March 2007). "Meanwhile: Hot times at the 'Hot Gates'". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ UnderGroundOnline interview
External links
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