Textual analysis and the Oral Exam

Part 1

I. Genre and Audience

The genre for 300 is action, drama, and war. This was the point from the directors of this movie and they hoped to get attention for the film. If these 3 genres weren't part of this movie it wouldn't have been as big a success as it is today. 

The scenes in the movie relate to war as well as action. The determination of the Spartans to not give up their land to the Persian Empire and killing the messengers from Persia causes the Spartans to go into battle and fight for their land also to show that Sparta bows down to no man.

This film can be related to the Gladiator. Both films demonstrate the will power of one man and fighting for what they believe to be true. In the movie 300, King Leonidas goes into war with the biggest army in the world at the time to show he will fight for Sparta's freedom no matter the price. In the Gladiator Maximus (Russel Crowe) fights in arena's for the entertainment of Rome but what the people don't know is he is fighting for the freedom of him people and to restore the honor of his name.

This epic film was directed by Zack Snyder. In the movie 300 Snyder worked along side his wife (Deborah Snyder).

Its really interesting to see these guys are into action packet blood and gore movies. Snyder wanted to make the Battle of Thermopylae as close to the historical event as possible. Zack Snyder cared for the film and didn't want to give the movie an unrealistic ending unlike some movie directors.

Zack Snyder is all over the place in genres when it comes to movies. For example he directed 300 but one of his most recent films in called Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole which was mostly for a younger audience which was one of the only movies not relating to death, zombies, and superheros like Dawn of the Dead or Watchmen.

The 300 movie was based off of Sword and Sandals which usually refers to earlier times in history where savagery was the way to survive modern day life. Like in 300 how the Spartans fight for the safety of their people and will fight to the death to defend it.