It seems that in Iran300 has been viewed as an affront to Persian culture at least according to the staff of Pres. Ahmadinejad:

Javad Shamqadri, a cultural advisor to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said it was “plundering Iran’s historic past and insulting this civilization”.

He branded the film “psychological warfare” against Tehran and its people.

But Iranian culture was strong enough to withstand the assault, Mr Shamqadri said.

“American cultural officials thought they could get mental satisfaction by plundering Iran’s historic past and insulting this civilization,” he said.

Meanwhile, a bunch of US Marines thought the film a cracking good time:

There was periodic cheering Monday night at the Regal multiplex in downtown Oceanside, a few blocks from the main gate of Camp Pendleton, where young Marines attended showings of “300” on three screens. Some Marines nodded in recognition at lines in the movie that were familiar from their training — such as when King Leonidas instructs his son that the more troops sweat in training, the less they will bleed in combat.

“When the Spartan officer says that Spartans are all about protecting the guy to the left and right rather than being worried about themselves, that struck a chord,” said Pfc. James Lyons, 20. “That’s what they tell us all the time.”


Let’s hope everyone can just agree to disagree and hold off on the rioting.

1 COMMENT

  1. You know, maybe it’s just me but Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would have a lot more credibility with his criticism if he wasn’t 8 feet tall and had piercings all over his body. And I mean all over his body.

  2. Those Iranians whine about everything. Maybe if they would stop becoming terrorists and bombing civilians then they would have credibility.

  3. Am I crazy, or isn’t 300 based on the story written by Herodetus (spelling certainly messed up – it was a long night), like a bajillion years ago? Shouldn’t they be grouse about the world’s first written historian (I think he’s credited that way, anyway) and not a movie based on his work a bajillion years later. You don’t see the Iranian’s protesting outside the Classics’ Departments.

  4. God, the more I think about this the more it rubs me the wrong way. You know, it’s Western History too. Pardon the writers for vilifying conquerors all that, but it’s bound to happen. The US has been vilified plenty (and rightfully so) for our current awfulness over there. The conquered culture has every right to write it’s perspective and Sparta is certainly a piece of the US’s cultural legacy, even if it seems far removed.
    Iran is more than welcome to make a movie that glorifies its conquests. It’s true. It is Persian history. But it’s not JUST Persian history. Grumble, grumble.

  5. >”Those Iranians whine about everything”
    I thank you for that one…as an Iranian! & again as an Iranian who has never killed or injured anybody, nor has voted to Ahmadinejad, I’ll ask you to calm dawn. it’s not just Ahmadinejad; even the opposition anti-regime groups felt bad about the movie. just take a look of this list; this is the list of Persian bloggers who have link to their protest site.

    http://300themovie.info/300-links.html

    If you wanna really know why we’ve felt offended, give us a chance. just read this. we may be wrong, & we may be right; you don’t need to get angry!

    http://dearenemy.blogspot.com/2007/03/bay-of-sinking-ships.html

  6. Honestly, I doubt that even 2% of Americans that saw the movie knew or even cared that “Persia” had anything to do with “Iran.” Being in my 30’s, the only real history of Iran that I know of is when they took our people hostage in the 70s and the current issues with them insisiting they need to build nuclear weapons.

  7. Hey you Iranian guys
    Relax will you – it’s just Hollywood doing what it can to help the boys.
    The fact that the 300 Spartans are played as gay macho marines should already tell you how much you need to worry about this film!
    But what’s really interesting is that the Americans should imagine, as Bradydale above remarks (ironically, no doubt!) that “Sparta is certainly a piece of the US’s cultural legacy.” Yeah right! 400 BC and….. when was it they got a Constitution that their own President can’t properly understand? They just get it backwards because of standard cinematic (propaganda) techniques! For 300 Spartans defending their native homeland against invading Persian hordes read what – a small band of Amurrican heroes??? Perhaps I might suggest errr – Palestinian suicide bombers (The 300 Spartans certainly knew they were going to their deaths defending their homeland) what about Hezbollah fighters hannering Israeli invaders in the South? No! – if Americans appear in the film, correctly read. it’s as the invading Persians: huge resources, Rhino and Elephant Humvees, ugly, cruel buggers wearing masks and without a shred of humanity for the peoples they’re invading, But then that’s just how you see the film if you can think a little. Hollywood’s not asking for the audience to analyse these things – it just likes to play on the emotions instead. Go (American) Sparta Go! Ya! Ya! Ya!