Subtitles:

English, English (SDH), French, Spanish, none

Extras:

Commentaries:
• Bluescreen Picture-in-Picture Version — Join Director Zack Snyder on a personal and fascinating commentary as he compares the Bluescreen composite to the feature.
• Audio Commentary by Director Zack Snyder, Writer Kurt Johnstad and Director of Photography Larry Fong.
• The Complete 300: Comprehensive Immersion – picture-in-picture via option for 3 perspectives to view while watching the film:
• Creating a Legend: Frank Miller and Zack Snyder Interpret a Classic Tale - Holding true to Frank Miller’s love of history and the importance of bringing a pure adaptation to screen in this tale-based account.
• Bringing the Legend to Life: Building a World From a Comic - Blending the most talented and creative minds together to bring Frank Miller’s art to life in cinematic form.
• The History Behind the Myth: The Real Story of The Hot Gates - A rich and historical perspective on the Spartans and this legendary landmark.
Behind the Story:
• The 300 — Fact or Fiction?: (24:12 in HD!) — Miller and historians discuss fact/fiction
• We Were the Spartans?: The Warriors of 300 (6:00 in HD) — The customs and ways of life of the Spartan used by the actors and filmmakers to build their characters.
• Preparing for Battle: The Original Test Footage (6:10 in HD!)- See how Frank Miller’s images were used in an video montage that evolved into the fight scene test and ultimately convinced the studio to make the movie.
• Frank Miller Tapes - We'll show how the outspoken Miller continued to push his limits to realize his epic graphic novel, 300, in the world of theatrical film.
• Making of 300 (5:40 in SD) — A look at how the movie was made.
• Making 300 in Images (3:00 SD) — Rapid fire stills from the first day of production to the last.
Webisodes:
• Production Design
• Wardrobe
• Stunt Work
• Lena Headey
• Adapting the Graphic Novel
• Gerard Butler
• Rodrigo Santoro
• Training the Actors
• Culture of the Sparta City-State
• A Glimpse from the Set: Making 300 the Movie
• Scene Studies from 300
• Fantastic Characters of 300
• Three Deleted Scenes with Introduction by Zack Snyder (5:31 in HD!)
• BD-Live
• Second disc in paper sleeve; digital copy

• 40-Page collectible book packaging includes a comprehensive walk-through of the new cutting-edge Blu-ray features, behind the scenes and production photos AND never-before-seen sketches from creator Frank Miller

300 ~ Comment

The important thing to keep in mind is that this movie is not based on Herodotus, but on Frank Miller graphic novel about the legendary Battle of Thermopylae between the meager, but determined forces of Sparta against overwhelming hordes of invading Persians. 300 is not a history lesson. That said, it would have been nice if the Extra Features included an authoritative discussion on the subject – perhaps we shall see it on the rumored 2 disc BD SE later this year or next.

300 is nothing if not breathtakingly gorgeous to look at, providing you don’t look too closely.  It's a master class in the melding of a certain school of graphic art and cinema, as much indebted to Frank Frazetta as Frank Miller.  The trailers that I saw prior to the movie's release gave the impression that it was pretty much all battles, with lots of Matrix-like slow- and stop-motion.  I thought two hours of that would be slightly less painful than an IRS audit so, naturally, I submitted.  I was surprised to find that a considerable part of the movie was involved with local politics.  The dialogue that supported the film was - except for the all the proclamations about Freedom, which I personally found hard to swallow, given the manifest lack of it – not at all embarrassing to listen to.  In short, I felt my money and time was not wasted.  Re-watching the film on this Blu-ray edition, I found myself liking the movie more, once my original resistances had run their course.   - Leonard Norwitz

It is 480 B.C. (though most people were unaware of that at the time.)  The various kingdoms of Greece were being consumed by the powerful Persian king,  Xerxes, and his numberless armies, composed, we are led to believe, largely of slave labor.  Sparta was a unique military city-state  whose citizens had democratic say in their political present and future, but who still employed many slaves for various tasks – a communist social economy of sorts.  Its men were bred to be soldiers – that was their profession and their purpose in life – that, and to make little Spartans – boys, preferably.  There was no informed consent.  They were weeded out from birth and given the drill from then until their necessarily heroic deaths.  Consequently, Spartans were not the sort of folk who would willingly submit to any form of domination – even a token submission – just to avoid a little raping, burning and pillaging.  Add to this the matter of the bad luck that Xerxes was expected to invade about the time of an important festival, during which, by law, Sparta was prohibited to go to war.

As fate would have it, King Leonidas (no relation) felt he needed to send a contingent to face the enemy, even if it meant "breaking the law he swore to uphold" – a dilemma modern politicians and familial patricians face frequently.  So it was his 300 against who knows how many scores of thousands.  Lots.  Meanwhile, there were those at home waiting, planning, hoping to take advantage of the likely outcome.  Leonidas' plan was to create a topographic necessity for Xerxes' troops to funnel themselves through a narrow pass that his 300 would defend.  A good strategy, providing no one betrayed the location of a secret mountain pass that would outflank them.  The rest is all archetypes in motion.

Gary Tooze

July 18th, 2009