Homage paid to a grand concept of Masculine Beauty.

I think most will agree that the movie 300 is a spectacular aggrandizement of archetypal Masculine Beauty. The cinematography is seductively beautiful and uses sweeping landscape vistas to offset a heroic story. They also used a neat trick with the chromatics, which seem to have a strong sepia undertone with rich jewel-like colors superimposed that does wonderful things for glowing bronzed warrior-skin, and gives this movie its surreal look.
A mythological tale all dressed up and ready for GQ magazine…

But this movie is targeted at young men, and will probably serve as inspiration when next working out at the gym. But I find it somewhat curious that Hollywood chooses this particular story for glamorization in this particular way, at this particular time, because the underlying politics are rather dodgey.

Aside from its dazzling packaging, the movie is essentially a portrayal of the noble warrior and his willingness to sacrifice everything for a worthy cause (War). It very seductively asks the viewer to reconsider this idea, and we observe those who once made this choice as men positively BRRRRRistling with testosterone, rippling with six-packs, their bodies having turned into living sculpture. It is good to go to war, no?

We also view the naked king Leonidas (an awesome sight), whose virility is temporarily thwarted until he finally makes that decision: to go to war…
Then having got that out the way, he can once again enjoy ecstatic sex before going off to make war with the Persians. His beautiful Queen provides some validation by recognizing that she breeds sons for that very reason: that they should also one day find honor in going to war (just a small romantic accessory, but its there).

And in order to go to war, Leonidas must dissimulate and ‘break the law'. But that's OK because we know he was on a mission to defeat a great big weapon of mass destruction: The turban-wearing Persian Army (who we know are all bad by virtue of their inferior physiognomy, bad skin and teeth). Just a fairy-tale, but its there.

And it's not often we see carnage performed with such choreographic style and beauty. Rudolf Nureyrev would have been impressed! I thought the costumes in Troy did a lot to enhance the male physique, but these costumes are fabulous!

A neat trick (borrowed from classical marble sculpture) was to use those leather straps (attaching the crimson capes) across the chests of the warriors which dig into their muscular shapes and make them look like Gods emerging from their very clothes! Check out some classical sculpture and you'll see the same thing. It makes the body look heroic.

Also fabulous to behold was the Persian God-King Xerxes, who sports the same awesome body that signifies his superiority over mere mortals, but unlike his macho Spartan rivals, he gets to wear gold eye shadow with painted eyebrows that would rival Marlena Dietrich. His wonderful (camp) performance got a whoop of laughter out of me when Leonidas refuses to bow to him. This pisses him off to such an extent, and the camera pulls in to show us, that all his nose and cheek rings with little adjoining bracelets, are set aquiver with nostrils flaring, lips pouting, and behaving not entirely unlike a magnificent drag-queen having a temper tantrum.

This rather camp portrayal of Xerxes is reinforced when Leonidas's spear glances his cheek of at the end of the movie. And as he reconsiders his mortality the camera once again pulls in so that we witness Xerxes (lips and facial jewelry aquiver) looking like he is about ready to blub! (Which got another whoop of laughter out of me).

But joking aside, one needs to remember that the Persian leader is portrayed as little more than a decadent poser (with homosexuality implied), and is unfavorably contrasted with our hero whose law-breaking-war is therefore completely justified. Just a pretty fairy-tale, but with some interesting parallels don't you think?

How very perceptive of you. I have yet to see the movie but I think your parallels to the war in Iraq are spot on. This tactic of glorifying war through the media has been used countless times in history and to be honest, I didn't catch it this time until you said anything Chiron.