Not sure if anyone has said this yet, but the storyteller/narrator character is played by David Wenham, who played Faramir in the Lord of the Rings movies. This was one of his first roles post-LotR. He was also in Van Helsing with Hugh Jackman and he is hilarious in it.
I was getting ready to post same comment. Can't believe after literally just rewatching LOTR how on earth she missed that person cause she loved that character so much and his voice is so distinct!
I had a course on ancient Greek history in university, the old professor was doing the lecture for the last time before retirement, and he once mentioned his favourite historical movies. He put "Cleopatra" with Liz Taylor on second place and "300“ in first. Not, as he said, because of historical accuracy, but because he said it was exactly the way the Spartans would have told the story...
@@velmurugan3139 I know what *that* KKK is, I just hoped for your sake there was something else with the same name... Because then your statement wouldn't have been totally f*ing ridiculous.
The Spartans were famous not just for their fighting abilities but for their laconic wit. When Philip of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, was conquering Greece, he sent a message to the Spartans saying: "If I invade Laconia, I will leave it a ruin." The Spartans sent back a message with only one word: "If." 😂
It was an empty threat and the Spartans knew it, so they knew they could respond in kind. Lacedaemonia was immensely poor and not worth a fight, Philip bypassed them in his conquest of Greece. Ironically the Spartans later sided with the Persians against Alexander II, Philip's son. Alexander dished out his own laconicly witty response after the battle of Granicus against the Persians. He gifted 300 sets of Persian armour back to Athens, along with the message: "Alexander, son of Philip, and all the Greeks except the Spartans, give these offerings taken from foreigners who lived in Asia". The Spartans refused to combat the Persians and so Alexander explicitly called them out.
Got to bare in mind The Argead Dynasty of Macedonia are descended from Argos... They are closely related to the Spartans.. Dorian Greeks, one of the four tribes.. all are descendants of Herakles according to their legends.
It's interesting she mentioned Last Samurai because in the last battle of that movie Tom Cruise's character tells the story of the 300 Spartans, and the General asks what happened to them, and Cruise responds "Dead to the last man". Then they smile at each other and charge into battle.
@@promnightdumpsterbaby9553 yes he was the clan leader. That title also made him the planner and director of his soldiers in the battle. We call those people generals.
@@Jack-Shat As humans we will always have hierarchies. We are not equal in all things. Some will always be subordinate to others. One person's oppressor is another's savior. Stop playing the victim card. It's not a good look.
@Khari Lane no shit.....I had no idea that anyone who is in total command of an army is called a general ,and anyone in command of a ship,regardless of rank is called "captain." Thank you. 😊 27 years of military history and strategy has taught me jack and shit,and jack left town I guess...
Cassie has gone from only watching rom coms, happy endings, and Disney Channel movies to "blood, gore, guts, let's do it" and "kill him, kill him, kill him." Love it!
@@christopherozouf To me, she's the best reactor, some are just loud and obnoxious and can't stop talking for 5 seconds throughout the whole reaction like Ashley Burton and Natalie Gold.
Several years after the movie, Gerard Butler was asked in an interview if he ever used the Leonidas voice in real life. He grinned. He said he used in in an airport after waiting for several hours for a delayed flight. When they finally got in line, he bellowed out, “Tonight my friends, we dine in hell!”
I was without oxygen for almost 2 minutes and nearly passed out from the biggest belly laugh I've had in years after you said "he wasn't kneeling, he was being a trampoline"...God bless you, you are priceless!
True. Namely their treatment of their slaves, the Helots, that they treat as material possessions and are free to murder freely. Young Spartans' right of passage requires them to kill a Helot without getting caught and while it is tradition for them to cull or massacre a Helot village as a celebratory event and a means of preventing the slaves from revolting.
This movie is (very loosely) based on the historic Battle of Thermoplyae in 480 BC. As you can imagine, the added a huge amount of fantastical elements to the historical narrative. While the Spartan training portrayed in the movie is broadly accurate in its brutality, they left some things out. The boys in training were deliberately underfed, so that they'd learn how to survive on their own. While stealing was not forbidden, getting caught while stealing was punished viciously. Also, one of the last things a Spartan had to do before they completed their training in "the Agoge" was to murder a Helot, which was one of the slaves the Spartan's kept. In fact, the Helots were one of the main reasons the Spartans were so militaristic, the Helots actually outnumbered the Spartans, and they were worried about a slave uprising. As for the Spartans, a major inaccuracy was what the Spartans are wearing. In real life they did not run around bear chested wearing nothing but leather speedos, though the red cloaks are accurate. They would have worn Bronze body armor known as a cuirass, bronze armor on their legs called greaves, a bronze helmet, and a large wood and bronze shield. Their primary weapon was an 8 foot spear and they carried a short sword as a secondary weapon. In fact most of the Greeks were to a certain extent, equipped in this manner, and it was one of the reasons the small force of Greeks did so well against the massive Persian army. The Persians were generally equipped with much lighter armor and generally fought in a much more skirmishing style. They were very unprepared for the much more face to face up close and personal combat the Greeks favored. The movie is right that there were only 300 Spartans present, but there were also 4000-7000 other Greeks from various City States also defending the pass with them, but acting under Spartan command. As far as the Persians go, their were no monsters in their army, just men. Even the Immortals, who did actually exist were ordinary men, The name Immortals came from the fact that there were always 10,000 of them. If they lost men in combat, their numbers were always restored to 10,000. As far as the numbers go, the Greek Historian Herodotus, who was the first to write about the battle, puts their numbers as over a million. Historians to this day debate this claim, that perhaps it was exaggeration. Some Historians place the Persian numbers as low as 100,000-200,000 men, which, to be fair would still massively outnumber the Greeks. The fact that the Spartan army was barred from marching at the beginning due to a religious festival did happen, but what went down with the Oracle went a little differently, according to Herodotus. He states that the Oracle predicted that either Sparta would fall, or Sparta would lose one of its Kings. Leonidas thought the king the Oracle refereed to was him, (Sparta was ruled by two kings,) and so led 300 Spartans to Thermoplyae. Initially, the battle went very well for the Greeks, with the Greek infantry holding the narrow mountain pass against the Persian army. They were aided in this endeavor by an Allied Greek Navy led by the Athenian fleet who, despite being outnumbered, held the Artemesium straight against the Persian Navy. This prevented Xerxes from landing Persian forces behind the Greeks by sea. Ultimately though, the Greek position was betrayed by a man named Ephialtes, however he was not a Spartan. Herodotus describes him as a local goat herder who showed the Persians the goat path that led behind the Greek position. The name Ephialtes later came to mean nightmare in Greek. The Greeks did get wind of it before it was too late though, so Leonidas ordered the bulk of the Greek army to retreat, while he would stay behind wit the 300 Spartans to act as a rear guard, buying time for the rest of the Army to retreat. 700 Greeks from the City State of Thespia, and 400 Thebans also chose to remain behind for the rear guard. They were all killed to the last man. After the battle, the Persian Navy would be decisively defeated by the Athenian/ Greek navy at Salamis, and later the Persian army would be decisively defeated at Platea by a Spartan/ Greek army as the movie portrayed. This ended Xerxes attempt to conquer Greece. A well known epitaph, atributed to the Poet Simonides was placed on a stone at the site of the battle. Roughly translated it states "Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, that here, obedient to their laws, we lie." Unfortunately, the original stone does not survive, but a new one was placed there in 1955. Sorry for the wall of text, I'm a historian by trade, and had a bit of a fascination about this time period in my youth. Anyways, I really enjoyed that reaction!
If I recall there was a Spartan who rushed out into battle unarmored and even though he fought valiantly and pushed the enemy back, he was punished for fighting without armor. Spartans were very rigid and no amount of heroics or even following orders mattered if you got dishonored or broke the rules.
The most intense insult ever: "May you live forever". The Spartans considered death in battle to be the most glorious pursuit of life. Living forever would have been an unimaginable curse to them. It's so small but probably my favorite part of the film.
While Leonidas may have been a very tough and hard solider.. those last words he spoke.. always make me tear up a little. The fact that in his last moments, he thinks of his one true love and wife.. just excellent acting from Gerard Butler and great writing
Um....yeah but the REAL King Leonidas most certainly was not frickin pining for his wife...ugh! That is pure Hollyweird fiction. So enjoy that if you want but I don't believe the real man would have even all sappy and sentimental especially about a God damn woman
@@4everhealthwellness344 1. Your name is accurate. 2. You are clearly without love, and for that I pity you. You have no idea strong it can make you. 3. While the historical Leonidas probably wasn’t thinking of his family when he died, the film took way worse liberties with history and that’s what you quibble about?!
@@4everhealthwellness344 well true. We aren't talking about real life Leonidas. This is a purely fictionalized version of historical events. Did the giant inhuman monsters not give it away?? It's kind of like The Last Samurai or Titanic but to an even greater extent here. The Last Samurai and Titanic were historical events with fictional elements to them. This is much the same, but to an even like....more fantastical telling.
@@4everhealthwellness344 Also it's hard to tell what real Leonidas was thinking in his final thoughts. A lot of people do think of their loved ones (or at least I would think most would, not to mention you know OH CRAP I'M ABOUT TO DIE), and for a solider most likely his comrades right before death. Are you a mind reader? Can you go into the past at the time of his death and ask him? No? Okay, then it's pretty unknown.
A bronze Statue of Leonidas was raised in Thermopylae with the inscription "ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ" ("Come and take them") In response to the Persians telling the Spartans to lay down their weapons. The history on this is so cool.
The "May you live forever" line is so much colder than you realize. Remember earlier in the movie, when Michael Fassbender and the other Greek were looking down on the Persian encampment, and he says that Spartans dream of a good death. A good death, to a Spartan was to die gloriously on the battlefield, surrounded by your enemies. So when Leonidas told the hunchback that he hopes he lives forever, he was literally calling him a coward who was unworthy of being a Spartan and doesn't deserve honor, glory or renown. Also, the story of Leonidas and the "Battle of Thermopylae" is a classic. Given that it really occurred makes it all the greater.
Its also an existential punishment, that he will want to die from eventual regret, that he has to live with it, or end himself, and Leonidas wants him to carry that indefinitely as judgmental suffering.
Zack Snyder did an absolutely amazing job at capturing Frank Miller’s epic graphic novel…..just as he did with the adaptation of Alan Moore’s Watchmen. Interesting to hear you mention The Last Samurai; Tom Cruise’s character recounts the story of The Battle of Thermopylae to Katsumoto.
Katsumoto: “What happened to the warriors at Thermopylae?” Algren: *smiles* “Dead to the last man.” Katsumoto: *smiles* Both men: *unsheath their katanas and lead the samurai charge*
With both 300 and Watchmen, Snyder had the advantage of having almost the whole movie effectively storyboarded for him in the graphic novels. That led to tighter storytelling than when Snyder is left to his own devices.
@@danieldickson8591 100% agree with you there. It’s a shame The Hughes Brothers didn’t take the same approach when they attempted to adapt From Hell….a graphic novel that would be amazing to see rebooted; however part of me fears that it’d just be some sort of shitty, dumbed down adaptation.
The 300 Spartan warriors at the gates of Thermopyle used to be something that most common people knew. The graphic novel this film was based on was a take on that legend, hence the visual style. The fantastical elements, I take it, reflect the fact that it's depicted as our narrator relates it to his fellow Spartans.
Well, the novel is highly inspired by the "historical" / folklorical telling of the battle by herodote. And, as a quick note, the equipment worn by spartns in the movie is actually pretty accurate to this more mythical version despite it not being historically accurate at all
I think of 300 as being the antithesis of the movie Troy, with Brad Pitt as Achilles. That film treated myth as though it were history, while this one presents history with the trappings of myth.
Sadly large numbers of younger people don't even know American History, so World History hasn't got a chance. I would be willing to bet that 80% or more of high school seniors couldn't find Greece on the map.
@@johnsinclair4448 "american history" makes me chuckle lol. I'm european, the history most of us know is easily 5 times as long as the history of "new" (non-indigenous) american history. Funny that you don't even know about that short span of time.
I love how you went from "Eew the squishing!" to "WE DON'T SURRENDER!!!!". I remember seeing this in the theater when it came out. Such a good movie. Highly stylized but insanely inspirational. I left the theater ready to fist fight a bear of I had to. 🤣
hahaha. that was awesome. this indeed was a great movie.. i liked the sequel a lot more but both are favorite fims of mine. eva green (She played Artemisia in the sequel)) is such a badass of a woman.
@@kristopherryanwatson Nah, the sequel was ok-ish, but doesn't come close. Same as that Sin city sequel. Great movies with very sub-par sequels. A Frank Miller curse maybe. 😅
The saying, "Come back with your shield, or on it" refers to the shield that Greek soldiers carried, called the hoplon. The soldiers themselves were called hoplites after the name of the shield. It was such an important piece of war gear that they were expected to either return alive from battle carrying their shield, or be carried back dead on them.
Hoplon actyally refers to the entire gear of the soldier, shield (aspis in ancient greek), weapons (hopla, plural of hoplon) and any armour. Even today the lower ranked soldiers in greek army (usually drafted soliers) are called hoplites because they carry their weapons.
The real Leonidas was 59 years old during this battle. Shows what the human body can do if it is taken care of. Spartans served in the army from age 18 to 60; the latter years as reserves I think. Amazing.
Don't they make a similar joke in the spoof film? I don't think she'll watch the spoof of this one, "Meet the Spartans", like she watched the Robin Hood one, "Men in Tights".
Wasn't sure Cassie would like this one, but she's always willing to give things a chance. If we're doing historical epics Kingdom of Heaven (specifically the director's cut, that bit is important) by Ridley Scott would be a strong pick. It's even got a love-story.
This is a true story! It got turned into a somewhat fictionalized/mythologized comic book, which then got adapted to the film you just watched, but the actual Battle of Thermopylae happened, led by 300 Spartans (probably around 7,000 Greeks in total), against a force of probably around 120,000-300,000 Persians. They used a natural chokepoint to make the invading Persian army face them in smaller numbers. Eventually, after a local named Ephialtes revealed a way to flank the Greek forces, the Persians did slaughter all of the Spartans and most of the remaining Greeks who stayed to fight (a few Thebans surrendered, but the Spartans were killed to a man). Delaying the Persian army at Thermopylae allowed the rest of the Greek states to prepare for a full scale war, and the Persians were eventually defeated and forced to withdraw from Europe. Ephialtes never received the promised reward for betraying the Greeks, but he earned a price on his head, and had to flee to Thessaly, and eventually was killed about 10 years later.
Thebes was ridiculed and hated all across the Greek world for their surrender to Xerxes. Their city fell to poverty and slums until Alexander the Great finally put an end to its meaningless, traitorous existence.
There were only two ways you could get a tombstone upon your death in Sparta. The first was to have been killed in battle, the second was if a mother died during childbirth. All others were buried with no markers, forgotten to time. There is a lion statue that was built on the site in ancient times to honor the battle, its still there.
@@darthsaren6519 it's kind of a shame that the site is no longer a narrow pass between the mountains and the sea. Would've loved to see the battlefield as it was in 480 BC
@@spartanK42 yep, I know the geography is not the same anymore..I mean it makes sense . To understand the place a bit more a few years ago I actually did a geography comparation with 2 maps : 1 modern one and a map of what the pass looked like in 480 BC. If you see the ancient map ? Oh man the tactician in me was screaming - pick the battle here , pick it here :)
@@spartanK42 During the WW2, the British and Greek troops fought defensive a battle against the attacking German Fallschirmjäger in almost the exact same spot.
@@Kayjee17 In Roger Ebert's review, he said he thought their muscles were CGI. 😂 There's some behind-the-scenes video of their athletic training, it was pretty intense.
@@mickeymouse7726 That choice is entirely up to her and your opinion doesn't matter. There are some worthwhile R rated movies and there are some that are a waste of the time it took to make them. Hopefully, those of us who are loyal, caring audience members will steer Cassie towards the good stuff and protect her from the bad.
I know you loved Lord of the Rings, so an interesting connection is that Dilios, the one-eyed narrator who Leonidas tasked with returning to tell the story in 300 is played by the same actor who played Faramir in Lord of the Rings.
My favorite thing about this movie is that the story is narrated by a spartan, Dilios. So everything we see and is how he wants us to imagine and remember the 300. Everything is more epic, violent, dark, or tragic because of Dilil’s talent with words. His narration is spartan-like : intense, sharp, laconic, uncompromising, and epic. So is every other aspect of the movie.
Dilios is not one to let the truth get in the way of a good story. He's been telling this story for over a year and it gets bigger and more fantastic with every telling. Now we're witness to the final telling on the eve of battle to inspire the troops. I like this method of storytelling.
There is a reason why this story has stuck around for more than 2000 years. When Xerxes talks about erasing Sparta from the pages of history... Those 300 spartans sacrificed themselves to make sure no one would ever forget their story. And they haven't been. This occurred about 500 years before the birth of Jesus. And we are still telling this story. I find it so powerful. Some of the lines in the movie were from the original records of this battle. The line about fighting in the shade is real. Or as real as it gets. It comes from Herodotus, he names the Spartan that said it. It could just be something he put in the mouth of a famous soldier, but regardless that line has existed for more than 2000 years. The fact that it ends up in a movie, in the 21st century is a testament to how much this story has stuck around. The only thing to top it in my opinion is the Trojan Horse, in terms of long lasting storytelling. I love history. So wild to think about how PEOPLE actually did this, then. And again, the power of story telling. The fact that people even know the name Leonidas is proof. His name lives on and will continue to. He is immortal, at least as a concept. We will never forget his name. Shit 200s from now no one will remember me, or most of you. Imagine doing something so worthy of an epic story that 2500 years from now humanity will still remember you. Mind boggling. Anyway, rambling. This movie is great. But the story is even better.
@@Jutrzen Greece was made out of city states so different political views clashed from time to time. Even during the Persian invasion some joined the enemy against other Greek states. It takes away nothing from the heroes who fell in the war against Persia.
@@kirschakos This is evolution in action. Humans will pretend they have reasons to fight, but the truth is our biology commands us to form groups and try to kill each other. In the long run, it makes us stronger and more likely to survive a hypothetical conflict with an enemy of another species who our genes have no control over. Look at it this way, if we were a purely peaceful species, we would have never built nuclear weapons. But if we get invaded by aliens, we might only have the chance to survive because we already built those and other weapons.
History lesson: Most of the epic one liners in this film are versions of historically accurate words said by the Spartans. They learnt to fight with words as much as with spear and sword. It became famous and given the title still used today for short pithy comebacks - Laconic wit. This is because Sparta was in the region of Laconia (hence the inverted V on their shields - Lamda, the Greek letter for L)
You are very knowledgeable of my culture, just a small correction. Not Delta (Δέλτα), Lamda (Λάμδα) which is the greek L. Capital Delta is a whole triangle, capital Lamda is like a capital Delta or a triangle without the bottom line. Many foreiners, mostly americans, get confused by Lamda, often putting it in the place of A when they want it more stylized. It is an honest mistake for people used to Latin letters in their own alphabet which doesn't have the greek letter Lamda.
The Spartans believed that to be perfect warriors they had to be well rounded individuals. They prized wit, dance, music and poetry. These skills were important to a Spartan warrior. No mindless thugs.
One such example of this wit was when an enemy confronted them and said something to effect of “if we defeat you in battle, we will enslave your wives and children, and put your city to the torchs.” The Spartans replied with one word. “If.”
This movie was based on a true story. Leonidas was 60 when he fought with the 300. 10,000 Greeks including the 300 Spartans fought at Thermopylae. When they were betrayed, Leonidas sent them home to fight another day. 1000 Greeks plus the 300 defended Thermopylae.
@@jacobdougall5736 He wasn't? He was born around 540 BC to King Anaxandridas II, right? He died 19 September 480 BC at the Hot Gates / Thermopylae, right? Maybe he wasn't REALLY born in 540 BC? Is that it? Maybe all those dates are wrong because historians make stuff up anyway? Maybe math is hard?
A lot of the most badass lines from this movie, like the "then we will fight in the shade" line, are direct translations from ancient Greek sources talking about the battle of Thermopylae.
@@QuayNemSorr Molon Labe, which translates to Come and Get them in Greek, is the Military Motto of the modern Greek Army and is also used by certain groups of the United States' NRA in regards to the 2nd Ammendment
Spartan warriors were renowned for their battle prowess. Contrary to the film portrayal, however, they wore heavy armor: cuirasses, greaves, bracers and helm, along with the iconic large Spartan shield, which also made for an effective weapon. Spartan hoplites were like walking tanks, and the phalanx formation is still an effective tactic used today, especially by riot police.
And to this day they have a reputation for being even less talkative than Clint Eastwood in his movies. In ancient times, Laconia was the name of the Spartan state whose free inhabitants were also called Laconians or Lacedaemonians. This is where the term 'laconic' comes from. For example, when Philip II of Macedonia approached with his army, legend has it that he sent the following threat to the Laconian capital of Sparta: "If I defeat you, your houses will burn, your cities will burn, and your wives will become widows ." To which the Spartans replied: "If".
They also had highly decorated shields with many different designs painted by the soldier carrying it, not just that one design. Many were big lions heads or other dangerous creatures. One soldier (I forgot his name) only had a life sized fly painted on his shield. When asked why he had this tiny fly on his shield he said something to the effect of "I will be so close to my enemy that this fly will be as big as a lion"
a bit more to that of course, for example that the phalanx was basically used by everyone at this point, and stayed in use thoughout the roman era until even the rennaisance maybe even longer
@@tacitus5665the Romans abandoned the phalanx pretty early on. A phalanx is ideal if there is not much space. But they are also slow and must be in perfect formation at all times. Which is a big reason why the Romans crushed the greeks when they came knocking on their door.
many of the amazing shots in this film are direct 'copies' of frames in the original graphic novel, its one of the reasons I love it, & have watched it sooo many times!
I remember when myself and a couple other managers screened this movie after we closed one night (I manage a movie theater downtown). After it was all over, we came out of the theater, all pumped up and ready for "battle". This movie is so visceral and motivating, one of Zach Snyder's best films for sure.
The Spartan response to "Lay down your weapons." was μολὼν λαβέ. "Molon Labe". Literal translation: "Come take". And yes that did actually happen. Probably the most epic and ancient mic drop in history.
The final scene in this movie still gives me chills because he went knowing that he would have to die in order for his armies to fight. Also the imagery you commented on at the start of the movie is because they wanted to movie to look like the graphic novel it is based on.
You mentioned "Last Samurai", if you remember in that movie Algren tells Katsumoto the story of the 300 men at Thermopylae who faced 1,000,000 . At the end, Katsumoto asked what happened to the men at Thermopylae and Algren responded, "Dead to the last man" .....
Cassie started this film with a lot of trepidation but she not only persevered but kept on providing insightful commentary throughout! And surprised herself by liking the film for its story and its original, stylized appearance. This was one of the first movies using virtual environments inserted behind and around the actors who played out their parts on very small soundstages. The effect is very painterly and surprisingly effective, perfect for this story!
Yeah, I think Sin City and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow were two of the other early ones. In these cases, they were all going for stylized visuals that did not have to represent modern reality. We've sort of lost that in recent years as this technique is now used to make flat, realistic settings.
The Battle of Thermopylae is probably my #1 historical "Last Stand" story. Several lines of dialogue are actually lifted from the historical record... the 'fight in the shade', the response when told to give up their weapons- "Molon Labe" (come and take them)- was real as well. The Greek forces numbered @ 7,000 , including the 300 Spartans and their helots. When Ephialtes led the Persians via the "secret" path, Leonidas ordered the bulk of the forces to beat feet before they got surrounded and cut off. The surviving Spartans and @ 700 Thespians remained behind to fight a rear-guard action to cover their retreat to fight another day. The statement mentioned near the end is on a stone at the site of the battle : " Go tell the Spartans, passersby, that here obedient to their laws we lie..". Just a bit of clarification as well ... the main reason for the color palette and some of the over-the-top imagery is that the movie was based mostly on the stylized graphic novel, and secondarily on the factual details of the évents.
I truly believe that a film like 'Quigley Down Under ' would better suit Cassie and Carly. A leading man that both have not reacted to. Tom Selleck in his prime, and probably his best role. Westerns, are not Cassie's favorite genre. But I believe that this film (which I do like) is even father outside the wheelhouse of these two ladies.
Thing is, while watching this you have to consider it's being told by Dilios (the survivor/one eyed guy). It's basically a propaganda story to rouse the rest of Greece to war, hence all the monsters, exaggerated numbers etc. It is of course also a beatiful and thrilling movie in it's own rights, but the above point kinda excuses most of the historical inaccuracies.
Well Cassie I was not expecting you to like this one but I've been pleased to see your channel's growth and your own personal growth as person. It's rare to see a person continuously grow to understand and appreciate new and different things. Keep up the good content.
I grew up on these stories of the ancient civilizations, my Grandfather read to me about the 300 who stood their ground at Thermopylae...learned Latin so I could read the history books in original text. a time where kings fought their battles
@@SGTMARSHALL1 By the time she does her last video, she'll be covered in tattoos and piercings, have a mohawk and an eyepatch, be smoking a cigar and wearing leather and chains.
What I can't believe is how much she does not know about human nature, history and how historical events have shaped our present world. Some would call it Innocence, some would call it Ignorance.
You should watch The Princess Bride if you've never seen it. It is an absolute classic with so many memorable lines and scenes. Probably a good one to watch with your sister.
Think she may have seen that one. She has a web site link posted somewhere that shows all of the films that she has already seen. If I find it again, I will add to this comment.
@@anyone9689 She's seen it before she started this channel. When she reacted to "Men in Tights" she mentioned seeing Cary Elwes in "The Princess Bride". Also when she watched "Twister".
Going of a Vizzini quote: You fell victim to one of the classic blunders - The most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia' Another one to watch is Red Cliff if I remember right or maybe Hero with Jet Li. Was that stylized? I cant remember
If I remember right, 300 was the first movie where everything except the actors was either green screen (background) or cgi (things like arrows). Nothing was real in the movie except the actors and their costumes. Can you imagine having to act in a parking lot behind a studio, with no context, no visual aids. It was pretty amazing at the time.
She just has to check the "Like" rating to lift her spirits in that regard. Currently 4.7k "likes" compared to only 120 "unlikes", that's a 98% "Like" rating.
"SPARTA-MAN...!" Cassie, some of the things you say are genuinely adorable! That is only one of the reasons why we love watching your reactions to great movies! ( :E
what a lot of people don't get about this movie is it is not meant to be historically accurate. it's told by a Greek in a very Greek way to inspire troops . they are wearing trunks instead of armor because in the Greek style of storytelling they would be depicted as nude. at the same time the storyteller would want the Persians to depicted as monsters or barbarians.
Okay, the Persian emissaries to Sparta and Athens the first time around were sent by Darius ( father of Xerxes ) they were the ones that were dumped in a well and a pit. When Xerxes invaded some 12 years later he didn't bother sending any emissaries to either Sparta or Athens.... The main part of the fighting done at Thermopylae was done with 7,000 Greeks ( mostly Spartan ) that held off a far superior force of Persians numbering around 300,000, it wasn't until Ephialtes betrayed rhe Greeks that it became necessary for the Greeks to retreat ( they held out for 2-3 day depending on sources ) while the what was left of the 7,000 retreated, Leonides and 300 of his personal bodyguard and 1,100 Boeotians stayed.. but were quickly overwhelmed. Xerxes did implore Leonides to lay down his weapons... to which the Spartan Kings response was recorded as " Come and take them" After losing his fleet to the Athenians Xerxes forces met the Greeks at Plataea for an all out battle that saw the Greeks field the largest army they ever have.... finally beating Xerxes and his Immortals. Quick note the Immortals were called the Immortals because they wore face masks in battle and when one fell they were instantly replaced so at the end of any battle it looked like they had no casualties.
Quick historical (in)acuracy rundown: *There was no conspiracy to bribe the monks, Leonidas like everyone else in the ancient world was superstitious and believed their religion and thought 300 guys was all he could bring. The story with his wife Gorgo and the traitor on the Council was not even in the comic, Gorgo was in the comic but only appeared for one page. The traitor was a completely new character for the movie, the subplot was added to give her more screen time, because it's an otherwise an entirely male cast. *Several lines are from history. "You'll find plenty down there" was what Leonidas said when he thew the emisaries into the well after they asked for earth and water. "Then we'll fight in the shade" and "Come back with your shield or on it" are also direct quotes from history. *All the Greek city-states sent contingents, not just The Spartans and Arcadians. (Just a few hundred each, they were all observing the same holiday) Leonidas had between 4000-7700 men total under his command *Various reputable sources at the time did place the Persian Empire's army's strength at one million. Modern scholars believe the number to be closer to 100,000-250,000. There were no elephants, rhinoseros, whatever that freaky human-cave-troll with the knife-hands was, etc. The guys tossing the gunpowder grenades are about 1400 years early. They had cavalry but couldn't get them up to the pass, only foot soldiers (part of why Leonidas chose that spot to dig in) *Xerxes was not a giant super-twink with fetish piecings, he was a guy with a big beard. Along with invading Greece, he put down uprisings in Egypt and Babylon and finished several ambitions construction projects started by his father. *The Spartans didn't fight in battle bikini bottoms, they had some of the most advanced armor in the ancient world. When Frank Miller visited Thermopylae for inspiration, he saw a statue of Leonidas, nude with his spear and helmet. Miller found the image evocative and decided they should be shirtless like fantasy heroes. *It was a two-front battle. The Athenian Navy was holding off The Persian Navy at a similar choke point several miles up the coast. Both positions had to hold, if the Athenian blockade failed, The Persians would get in behind Leonidas and slaugher the land troops, if Leonidas's position failed, the Athenian Navy would be cut off. These events are portrayed in the sequel "300: Rise of an Empire" *Once their position was compromised Leonidas ordered a phased retreat under cover of night. There is some controversy over whether he simply got caught before he could finish or in fact volunteered to stay behind to buy the retreating troops more time. The last stand wasn't just the 300 Spartans but also 700 Thespians and 400 Thebans. The final battle took all day. Leonidas was killed in the early afternoon. They fought over his body and managed to keep it from The Persians for several hours.
I'm currently at 2:45 and I am going ahead and liking this video simply because Cassie said she takes all of her fans into account when recommendations are made. That kind of kindness and character is why I watch you. Thank you Cassie. Now I am going to enjoy your video. :p
In the movie the Last Samuri. This is the battle they were talking about when they were crouched down behind the straw and Cruse said DEAD TO THE LAST MAN and the Samuri replied IT IS A GOOD DEATH
Mark my words: no movie-reaction-youtuber will ever dislike a movie. Its healthy for her likes, and subcribes. Beeing negative about a movie creates dislikes, and therefore bad for the algorithm. I dont remember when i saw ever a movie-reaction-youtuber where the person said ''sorry, but this movie was shit, and a waste of time'' ... and i saw a lot youtubers reacting to movies right now.
i’ve said i did not enjoy several movies, pulp fiction, goodfellas, shawn of the dead to name a few while still trying to find the good parts. To be fair, im very easily entertained but i did, very surprisingly genuinely like this one
@@PopcornInBed And you've also been pretty meh on a lot of Mel Brooks comedy. Comedy in general, you can be stingy with those laughs. So it's obvious to me you do genuine reactions.
I'm surprised you didn't recognize Faramir. Also, the battle this is based on is the one that Katsumoto and Nathan talked about in The Last Samurai, paralleling their own small group fighting to the last man.
I'm so proud of this community! Can you imagine Cassie watching this when she first started? The length we've gone to desensitize her and toughen her up, it's really paying dividends! And now in turn she's toughening her sister up! Good job, everybody!
It's extremely gratifying to see her see through the blood and gore to the story underneath the spectacle and appreciate it as well as the stylization many times. To see her enjoy herself and the film.
@@r.b.ratieta6111 Definitely. Saving Private Ryan is a brutal assault on the senses that just doesn't stop hammering you for 3 hours solid. That movie definitely changed her perception of blood/gore in film. She still may not really like it, but she seems to "get it" now.
If Cassie doesn’t only take suggestions from her Patreon subscribers, then I have a movie suggestion for her that barely any of the current generation of movie reactors have reacted to so far: Phone Booth (2002) starring Colin Farrell and Kiefer Sutherland. And yes 95% of the movie takes place in a phone booth, yet it is an all time psychological thriller classic!
Phone Booth; good movie. It's interesting that the whole movie plot was "We need to keep a guy in a Phone Booth for an hour and a half...." "How do we do that?"
I'm so glad you reacted to this. So few do. I really think you should also react to another seldom reacted to film that you even mentioned...LEGEND. It is an amazing film with a really unique look and one of the best villains of all time played by the fantastic Tim Curry...RIP.
This is definitely a very stylized film. For good reason. What you are seeing through most of the film is the story as being told by the guy with the bandaged eye (forgot his name). The visuals are what the soldiers listening to the story are imagining.
Yes!!! I've read so many comments about how there were no monsters and Xerxes standing ten feet tall. Frank Miller brilliantly narrated the story to let his imagination go wild.
For me, the art is beautiful, but what moves me about this movie is that 2,500 years ago, a group of 300 Spartans actually did stay behind as the Greek army retreated to protect their rear from the Persians. And they did fight to the last man. There were about 1,300 others from the various Greek states who stayed behind to help, and they died as well. What moves me is that this happened. King Leonidas stood his ground there, vastly outnumbered, and allowed none to pass while his small force stood.
There may be some familiar faces here. Lena Headey, as the queen, played Circei Lannister in GoT, and the gent who gave the final,speech played Faramir in LOTR.
The "May you live forever" is the most insulting thing you could say to a Spartan. It's why he looked so shamed when it was said to him. To die a beautiful death, to die with honor and courage was the greatest thing you could achieve in life. Living forever meant you would never get that chance.
Oh man! I already knew Cassie was going to be in for a shock when she saw this one. Got so excited to see this. Fun Fact: 300 is actually based on a comic rather than the actual historic event hence the stylized look for it too.
There was a really good documentary on the History Channel about the actual battle, and what Sparta was like. The movie does not show this but apparently at the same time as this land battle was going on a large-scale Naval engagement between the Greeks and Persians was happening as well, just over the horizon.
I’m happy to see you liked this, considering all the times you had to shield your eyes from the stabbing and such. It remains my favorite Zach Snyder movie, perfectly suited to his unique visual stylings and love of slow mo. It’s also funny that you mentioned The Last Samurai since the battle depicted in this movie is mentioned in that one. The Battle of Thermopylae (pronounced ther-mop-i-lee) is a real historical event, just heavily fictionalized and stylized in 300. Tom Cruise talks about it to Ken Wantanabe in The Last Samurai a couple of times, first in the discussion about a million troops and whether he understands the word, and at the very end when he spoils this movie by telling him that they were killed to the last man defending the pass in the mountain. The number “a million” is disputed by historians, estimates of the Persian forces range from tens of thousands to half a million. Not quite as many as legend would dictate, but still, lots, especially for a couple hundred Spartans and Greeks to handle.
@@CYB3R2K lol well she’s seen The Last Jedi: it literally cannot get worse than that. So she might as well see the Snyderverse and judge for herself, since it’s not going anywhere. Or are you worried that she’ll like it?
She only really shields her eyes because she's conditioned herself to do it. She even admitted at the end that she found it hard to admit how much she liked it because she didnt feel like she should like somthing so violent.
For a little perspective, you might want to check some YT history channels on the Persian Empire, the Ancient Greek city-states, and Thermopylae. Blue of Overly Sarcastic Productions has some pretty interesting takes on both sides. This much is true: Western history would be incredibly different if not for the Spartans’ stand at Thermopylae. 13:46 This line is actually recorded in the histories, so it might actually be accurate.
When Leonidas made Xerxes bleed the look of stunned horror on his face was priceless, more so since he was acting as a haughty god king above everyone. When I saw this in the cinema back then everyone cheered at that moment even as the Spartans fell. Leonidas sure sent him a message and a scar to remember.
I got the same feelings and thoughts. Leonidas knew he would ''lose'' the battle - but not exactly losing. When he was talking with Xerxes, he said clearly: before the war is over he will prove that even a god king can bleed. So he just wanted to prove this single point. Because the whole army of Xerxes, all his people stood behind Xerxes, just because they believed: he is a god - and Xerxes maybe even believed it itself (because when all people say this to you all the time, beginning at your earliest childhood - sure you maybe believe it yourself). And thats what surprised Xerxes himself, when he put his hand to his face and was in disbelieve, that he bleeds. It was the ultimate prove , that he isnt a god. And in that sense Leonidas won against Xerxes - because Leonisas defeated the narrative on which all is based on. And i can imagine, the spartan army later on could use that weakness, that every persian at this point knew : ''we dont have a god behind us... its just another king for whom we fight for'' , while spartans fight for their sheer survive, and therefore have a much stronger motive. Leonidas knew this. And thats why it was so important, to make this ''god'' even the slightest wound, just to prove this point, for everyone visible.
As a true Spartan (born there and still spend 4 months a year there), and history buff, this is one of my favorite tales of all. At my Father's funeral last summer I shared a story of how his bloodline was from King Leonidas (purely in jest, but it got such a great reaction). At his grave there's a marker our family put with the saying "Go tell Sparta, passerby, that here by Spartan Law I lie". He loved our heritage too. I'm so glad you got around to reacting to this flick, I've loved a ton of your reactions, but this one takes the cake. Keep up the great job. As an aside, the distance from Sparta to Thermopylae is 378 km (just under 235 miles). That would equate to about a week's march. After the battle, the Persians finally met their match less than a month later at the Battle of Salamis (covered in the sequel to 300).
Spartans weren't a race. The whole peninsula was Greek, from Athens to Thebes to Syracuse, etc. Sparta was a city-state within ancient Greece with a unique social system and constitution. Being Greek doesn't make you a Spartan.
@@Astafar13 Sorry but Spartans originate from a different Greek tribe called Dorians/Doric. Spartans were very different in culture from the other Greek tribes because of this.
@@kirschakos ..... so they were ethnically Greek like the entire peninsula, but were a city-state (tribe) that had a unique social system (culture). You literally said exactly what I did.
@@georgethetravelgenius1705 I hope that a verbal technicality from having been born in a particular geographic location isn't an attempt to equate a modern person with ancient citizen soldiers taken from their parents at a young age, raised in ruthless and grueling military life, left to fend for themselves in the wilderness or die, forced to steal their dinner and beaten for getting caught, having to abduct their own wives, etcetc. Because there are absolutely no parallels between those two people other than both being born in a place with a particular name. Claiming "true Spartan" like there's some kind of kinship with the men from the movie comes across as a bit of an ego stretch. But so does "The Travel Genius", so maybe there are no surprises here.
As a reminder, this movie is based on historical events, so a happy ending would be white-washing history. It's not supposed to have a happy ending. History was violent, war is still going on,. Right this second, in Ukraine, soldiers are fighting a similar battle for survival of their people, in a similar style of smaller more capable army (Ukraine) VS huge numbers of average soldiers (Russia). There's no reason to hide from the ugliness of war, it's very real. If this is confusing, google "the battle of Thermopilae", that should clear stuff.
"Come back with your shield. Or on it." Spartans do not retreat or surrender. If you returned home without your shield it was probably because you dropped it to run away faster. So it is basically saying "Come home a victor, or dead".
Highlander is a very good movie. It has a similar vibe to the first Terminator, with a bit of Braveheart thrown in for good measure. It is also videogame character Lara "Tomb Raider" Croft's favourite film.
You may remember from The Two Towers when Legolas lamented that the battle of Helm's Deep was "300 against ten thousand"...that was doubtlessly a reference to this same battle. Also, you may recognize the actor playing the Spartan who narrates the battle as the actor who played Faramir.
Cassie, you are, by far, my favorite reactionist! You get so invested in what you watch, and it’s when you can’t verbally describe what you’re feeling and resort to animated verbalistics is what I sit here and laugh at. Oh, yes, I have no problem making up words;) keep it up! Looking forward to your next reaction with your sister. Please bring back your snacks, that’s one of the things I do enjoy watching, makes it feel welcoming. THIS IS SPARTA!
![[UNCUT] “บอสณวัฒน์” ลากไส้!! ใครหนุนหลัง "แม่ตั๊ก ป๋าเบียร์" I คนดังนั่งเคลียร์ I 30 ก.ย. 67](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QlD7mU2KKRk/mqdefault.jpg)
Cassie is hilarious “he wasn’t kneeling he was being a trampoline” 😂😂
Another great Cassie-ism
I had to actually laugh out loud at that one. Not the response I was expecting from her.
Leaponidas.
You win. 😂 🏆
lol
Not sure if anyone has said this yet, but the storyteller/narrator character is played by David Wenham, who played Faramir in the Lord of the Rings movies. This was one of his first roles post-LotR. He was also in Van Helsing with Hugh Jackman and he is hilarious in it.
I did not realize that. Thank you!
I knew he sounded familiar
@@DerrickMims mmhmm. He has an excellent voice. Loved him in this
I was getting ready to post same comment. Can't believe after literally just rewatching LOTR how on earth she missed that person cause she loved that character so much and his voice is so distinct!
@@jenloveshorror she may not have filmed them at the same time, so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.
I had a course on ancient Greek history in university, the old professor was doing the lecture for the last time before retirement, and he once mentioned his favourite historical movies.
He put "Cleopatra" with Liz Taylor on second place and "300“ in first.
Not, as he said, because of historical accuracy, but because he said it was exactly the way the Spartans would have told the story...
Ye bunch of lies.
KKK would have loved the "300" movie. Absolutely horrendous portrayal of the Persians.
@@velmurugan3139
KKK?
@@Sleeping_Insomiac en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan
@@velmurugan3139
I know what *that* KKK is, I just hoped for your sake there was something else with the same name...
Because then your statement wouldn't have been totally f*ing ridiculous.
The Spartans were famous not just for their fighting abilities but for their laconic wit. When Philip of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, was conquering Greece, he sent a message to the Spartans saying: "If I invade Laconia, I will leave it a ruin." The Spartans sent back a message with only one word: "If." 😂
The word laconic comes from the name for Sparta - Lacedaemon.
They ripped the message they got and just sent the “if” back
@brettsalazar1886 Interesting. What are your sources on that? I'd love to read them. :)
It was an empty threat and the Spartans knew it, so they knew they could respond in kind. Lacedaemonia was immensely poor and not worth a fight, Philip bypassed them in his conquest of Greece.
Ironically the Spartans later sided with the Persians against Alexander II, Philip's son. Alexander dished out his own laconicly witty response after the battle of Granicus against the Persians. He gifted 300 sets of Persian armour back to Athens, along with the message: "Alexander, son of Philip, and all the Greeks except the Spartans, give these offerings taken from foreigners who lived in Asia". The Spartans refused to combat the Persians and so Alexander explicitly called them out.
Got to bare in mind The Argead Dynasty of Macedonia are descended from Argos... They are closely related to the Spartans.. Dorian Greeks, one of the four tribes.. all are descendants of Herakles according to their legends.
It's interesting she mentioned Last Samurai because in the last battle of that movie Tom Cruise's character tells the story of the 300 Spartans, and the General asks what happened to them, and Cruise responds "Dead to the last man". Then they smile at each other and charge into battle.
The Spartan warrior code sounded a lot like bushido to the samurai. They are similar in some ways.
The Daimyo 😉
@@promnightdumpsterbaby9553 yes he was the clan leader. That title also made him the planner and director of his soldiers in the battle. We call those people generals.
@@Jack-Shat As humans we will always have hierarchies. We are not equal in all things. Some will always be subordinate to others. One person's oppressor is another's savior. Stop playing the victim card. It's not a good look.
@Khari Lane no shit.....I had no idea that anyone who is in total command of an army is called a general ,and anyone in command of a ship,regardless of rank is called "captain." Thank you. 😊 27 years of military history and strategy has taught me jack and shit,and jack left town I guess...
Cassie has gone from only watching rom coms, happy endings, and Disney Channel movies to "blood, gore, guts, let's do it" and "kill him, kill him, kill him." Love it!
Ya I’m pretty sure that those whom vote for the movies are going for the ones that will get more of a reaction from her haha
@@yourlifeisagreatstory Reaction channels aren't fun without the reactions.
@@christopherozouf To me, she's the best reactor, some are just loud and obnoxious and can't stop talking for 5 seconds throughout the whole reaction like Ashley Burton and Natalie Gold.
Rom com ? Huh ? What? Egyptian coded message for an attack on a rival country ?
@@Radwar99 Natalie Gold is unbearable. Her reactions are so fake.
Several years after the movie, Gerard Butler was asked in an interview if he ever used the Leonidas voice in real life. He grinned. He said he used in in an airport after waiting for several hours for a delayed flight. When they finally got in line, he bellowed out, “Tonight my friends, we dine in hell!”
My favorite part of this reaction was how quickly Cassie went from “I need relief from all the gushing…” to “KILL HIM! KILL HIM!” 😂
That's character progression lol.
I was without oxygen for almost 2 minutes and nearly passed out from the biggest belly laugh I've had in years after you said "he wasn't kneeling, he was being a trampoline"...God bless you, you are priceless!
The frightening thing is that the actual Spartans were much more brutal than this portrayal.
True. Namely their treatment of their slaves, the Helots, that they treat as material possessions and are free to murder freely. Young Spartans' right of passage requires them to kill a Helot without getting caught and while it is tradition for them to cull or massacre a Helot village as a celebratory event and a means of preventing the slaves from revolting.
@DGermanFunk, absolutely.
Agreed. Yet, no movie portrayal can ultimately depict such warriors with perfection.
Its funny how the Spartans are portrayed as freedom fighters in the movie when in reality they had more slaves than anyone else in Greece.
@@Nandrall18-25 they're not Freedom Fighters they're defending their country like anyone would
This movie is (very loosely) based on the historic Battle of Thermoplyae in 480 BC. As you can imagine, the added a huge amount of fantastical elements to the historical narrative. While the Spartan training portrayed in the movie is broadly accurate in its brutality, they left some things out. The boys in training were deliberately underfed, so that they'd learn how to survive on their own. While stealing was not forbidden, getting caught while stealing was punished viciously. Also, one of the last things a Spartan had to do before they completed their training in "the Agoge" was to murder a Helot, which was one of the slaves the Spartan's kept. In fact, the Helots were one of the main reasons the Spartans were so militaristic, the Helots actually outnumbered the Spartans, and they were worried about a slave uprising.
As for the Spartans, a major inaccuracy was what the Spartans are wearing. In real life they did not run around bear chested wearing nothing but leather speedos, though the red cloaks are accurate. They would have worn Bronze body armor known as a cuirass, bronze armor on their legs called greaves, a bronze helmet, and a large wood and bronze shield. Their primary weapon was an 8 foot spear and they carried a short sword as a secondary weapon. In fact most of the Greeks were to a certain extent, equipped in this manner, and it was one of the reasons the small force of Greeks did so well against the massive Persian army. The Persians were generally equipped with much lighter armor and generally fought in a much more skirmishing style. They were very unprepared for the much more face to face up close and personal combat the Greeks favored. The movie is right that there were only 300 Spartans present, but there were also 4000-7000 other Greeks from various City States also defending the pass with them, but acting under Spartan command.
As far as the Persians go, their were no monsters in their army, just men. Even the Immortals, who did actually exist were ordinary men, The name Immortals came from the fact that there were always 10,000 of them. If they lost men in combat, their numbers were always restored to 10,000. As far as the numbers go, the Greek Historian Herodotus, who was the first to write about the battle, puts their numbers as over a million. Historians to this day debate this claim, that perhaps it was exaggeration. Some Historians place the Persian numbers as low as 100,000-200,000 men, which, to be fair would still massively outnumber the Greeks.
The fact that the Spartan army was barred from marching at the beginning due to a religious festival did happen, but what went down with the Oracle went a little differently, according to Herodotus. He states that the Oracle predicted that either Sparta would fall, or Sparta would lose one of its Kings. Leonidas thought the king the Oracle refereed to was him, (Sparta was ruled by two kings,) and so led 300 Spartans to Thermoplyae. Initially, the battle went very well for the Greeks, with the Greek infantry holding the narrow mountain pass against the Persian army. They were aided in this endeavor by an Allied Greek Navy led by the Athenian fleet who, despite being outnumbered, held the Artemesium straight against the Persian Navy. This prevented Xerxes from landing Persian forces behind the Greeks by sea. Ultimately though, the Greek position was betrayed by a man named Ephialtes, however he was not a Spartan. Herodotus describes him as a local goat herder who showed the Persians the goat path that led behind the Greek position. The name Ephialtes later came to mean nightmare in Greek. The Greeks did get wind of it before it was too late though, so Leonidas ordered the bulk of the Greek army to retreat, while he would stay behind wit the 300 Spartans to act as a rear guard, buying time for the rest of the Army to retreat. 700 Greeks from the City State of Thespia, and 400 Thebans also chose to remain behind for the rear guard. They were all killed to the last man.
After the battle, the Persian Navy would be decisively defeated by the Athenian/ Greek navy at Salamis, and later the Persian army would be decisively defeated at Platea by a Spartan/ Greek army as the movie portrayed. This ended Xerxes attempt to conquer Greece. A well known epitaph, atributed to the Poet Simonides was placed on a stone at the site of the battle. Roughly translated it states "Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, that here, obedient to their laws, we lie." Unfortunately, the original stone does not survive, but a new one was placed there in 1955.
Sorry for the wall of text, I'm a historian by trade, and had a bit of a fascination about this time period in my youth. Anyways, I really enjoyed that reaction!
Liked your post. I also liked that the two kings of Sparta would be put on trial after their time was up for the year.
Did you play AC Odyssey?
If I recall there was a Spartan who rushed out into battle unarmored and even though he fought valiantly and pushed the enemy back, he was punished for fighting without armor. Spartans were very rigid and no amount of heroics or even following orders mattered if you got dishonored or broke the rules.
That was an amazing recapitulation of history bro, i appreciate it a lot.
That was a super-informative comment! Can you speak as to whether the sequel was at all accurate historically?
The most intense insult ever: "May you live forever". The Spartans considered death in battle to be the most glorious pursuit of life. Living forever would have been an unimaginable curse to them. It's so small but probably my favorite part of the film.
Best insult is Chinese: "May you always live with your equal".
The thought of him living in that body forever was a worse punishment than death itself. That’s why Leonidas cursed him to have immortality.
Return home with your shield (alive) or on it (killed in action)\ 'Η ταν ή επί τας in laconic language
And your soul will have no honor.
@@perfectionbodycare8401 It wasn't his disfigurement, but the shame of having betrayed his people.
While Leonidas may have been a very tough and hard solider.. those last words he spoke.. always make me tear up a little. The fact that in his last moments, he thinks of his one true love and wife.. just excellent acting from Gerard Butler and great writing
I think that part, as well as what he said to Michael Fassbender's character at the end, are equally worthy of tears.
Um....yeah but the REAL King Leonidas most certainly was not frickin pining for his wife...ugh! That is pure Hollyweird fiction. So enjoy that if you want but I don't believe the real man would have even all sappy and sentimental especially about a God damn woman
@@4everhealthwellness344 1. Your name is accurate.
2. You are clearly without love, and for that I pity you.
You have no idea strong it can make you.
3. While the historical Leonidas probably wasn’t thinking of his family when he died, the film took way worse liberties with history and that’s what you quibble about?!
@@4everhealthwellness344 well true. We aren't talking about real life Leonidas. This is a purely fictionalized version of historical events. Did the giant inhuman monsters not give it away??
It's kind of like The Last Samurai or Titanic but to an even greater extent here. The Last Samurai and Titanic were historical events with fictional elements to them. This is much the same, but to an even like....more fantastical telling.
@@4everhealthwellness344 Also it's hard to tell what real Leonidas was thinking in his final thoughts. A lot of people do think of their loved ones (or at least I would think most would, not to mention you know OH CRAP I'M ABOUT TO DIE), and for a solider most likely his comrades right before death. Are you a mind reader? Can you go into the past at the time of his death and ask him? No? Okay, then it's pretty unknown.
A bronze Statue of Leonidas was raised in Thermopylae with the inscription "ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ" ("Come and take them") In response to the Persians telling the Spartans to lay down their weapons. The history on this is so cool.
A term now adopted by American constitutionalists lol
@@thucydides7849 yup. Come and get them, punk.
@@thucydides7849 Who have never actually read the Constitution.
@MichaelLee-tt7gm what's your point edge lord?
The "May you live forever" line is so much colder than you realize. Remember earlier in the movie, when Michael Fassbender and the other Greek were looking down on the Persian encampment, and he says that Spartans dream of a good death. A good death, to a Spartan was to die gloriously on the battlefield, surrounded by your enemies. So when Leonidas told the hunchback that he hopes he lives forever, he was literally calling him a coward who was unworthy of being a Spartan and doesn't deserve honor, glory or renown.
Also, the story of Leonidas and the "Battle of Thermopylae" is a classic. Given that it really occurred makes it all the greater.
Duh.
You can still go to Thermopylae and there is a statue of him
Also, having to live with his shame is his punishment, so living forever extends that punishment into eternity. Very Greek, like Sisyphus.
Its also an existential punishment, that he will want to die from eventual regret, that he has to live with it, or end himself, and Leonidas wants him to carry that indefinitely as judgmental suffering.
It's very loosely based on a true story most of the movie is a complete fabrication, still a good movie though.
Zack Snyder did an absolutely amazing job at capturing Frank Miller’s epic graphic novel…..just as he did with the adaptation of Alan Moore’s Watchmen.
Interesting to hear you mention The Last Samurai; Tom Cruise’s character recounts the story of The Battle of Thermopylae to Katsumoto.
Katsumoto: “What happened to the warriors at Thermopylae?”
Algren: *smiles* “Dead to the last man.”
Katsumoto: *smiles*
Both men: *unsheath their katanas and lead the samurai charge*
With both 300 and Watchmen, Snyder had the advantage of having almost the whole movie effectively storyboarded for him in the graphic novels. That led to tighter storytelling than when Snyder is left to his own devices.
@@danieldickson8591 100% agree with you there. It’s a shame The Hughes Brothers didn’t take the same approach when they attempted to adapt From Hell….a graphic novel that would be amazing to see rebooted; however part of me fears that it’d just be some sort of shitty, dumbed down adaptation.
@@mitchellneu That always gets me to crack a smile too. It's like an unspoken sentiment of "Let's go be the next legend people tell"
Snyder did an awful adaptation of Watchmen.
I love the stark contrast of the two leaders. Xerxes steps on his people, Leonidas lets his people step on him.
"My king, it's an honor to die at your side"
"It's an honor to have lived at yours".
Wow I never actually caught that.
I never noticed that either.
wow i never actually picked up on that detail
Also, Leonidas doesn't have pierced nipples while Xerxes, to contrast, does. I love storytelling.
The 300 Spartan warriors at the gates of Thermopyle used to be something that most common people knew. The graphic novel this film was based on was a take on that legend, hence the visual style. The fantastical elements, I take it, reflect the fact that it's depicted as our narrator relates it to his fellow Spartans.
Well, the novel is highly inspired by the "historical" / folklorical telling of the battle by herodote. And, as a quick note, the equipment worn by spartns in the movie is actually pretty accurate to this more mythical version despite it not being historically accurate at all
I think of 300 as being the antithesis of the movie Troy, with Brad Pitt as Achilles. That film treated myth as though it were history, while this one presents history with the trappings of myth.
Sadly large numbers of younger people don't even know American History, so World History hasn't got a chance. I would be willing to bet that 80% or more of high school seniors couldn't find Greece on the map.
@@johnsinclair4448 "american history" makes me chuckle lol. I'm european, the history most of us know is easily 5 times as long as the history of "new" (non-indigenous) american history. Funny that you don't even know about that short span of time.
Ppl dont know how important it was for our western history for leonidas and his gym buddies to save us from that tyranny. Thank you spartans
I love how you went from "Eew the squishing!" to "WE DON'T SURRENDER!!!!".
I remember seeing this in the theater when it came out. Such a good movie. Highly stylized but insanely inspirational. I left the theater ready to fist fight a bear of I had to. 🤣
that was as epic as the story itself
hahaha. that was awesome.
this indeed was a great movie.. i liked the sequel a lot more but both are favorite fims of mine. eva green (She played Artemisia in the sequel)) is such a badass of a woman.
@@kristopherryanwatson Nah, the sequel was ok-ish, but doesn't come close. Same as that Sin city sequel. Great movies with very sub-par sequels. A Frank Miller curse maybe. 😅
@@PainInTheS Nah, sequels being on par or even better than the original film is the exception rather than the rule. It does happen, but it's rare.
@@PainInTheS The sequel had a different director.
The saying, "Come back with your shield, or on it" refers to the shield that Greek soldiers carried, called the hoplon. The soldiers themselves were called hoplites after the name of the shield. It was such an important piece of war gear that they were expected to either return alive from battle carrying their shield, or be carried back dead on them.
Hoplon actyally refers to the entire gear of the soldier, shield (aspis in ancient greek), weapons (hopla, plural of hoplon) and any armour. Even today the lower ranked soldiers in greek army (usually drafted soliers) are called hoplites because they carry their weapons.
To lose in battle and not die to a Spartan was seen as a dishonour
Ή ταν ή επί τας!!! In Ancient Greek!!!
It only took her a couple of hours to go from being squicked by the sound of flesh getting cut to being a full Spartan herself: “No! We die!”
m.th-cam.com/video/zSiKETBjARk/w-d-xo.html
😂😂
"Their uniforms are just speedos and capes!" I'm still laughing 30 minutes later...Cassie is why I rewatch these movies!
The real Leonidas was 59 years old during this battle. Shows what the human body can do if it is taken care of. Spartans served in the army from age 18 to 60; the latter years as reserves I think. Amazing.
Don't they make a similar joke in the spoof film? I don't think she'll watch the spoof of this one, "Meet the Spartans", like she watched the Robin Hood one, "Men in Tights".
That's where Superman got the style for his outfit. He just added a letter on the chest.
In real life they also had bronze armor and shields. The Persians had wicker shields and armor (if any)
@@AlejandroDiazadiaz201 Correct - a massive advantage in in-close combat. Notice that even the Immortals have shields of wicker
Wasn't sure Cassie would like this one, but she's always willing to give things a chance. If we're doing historical epics Kingdom of Heaven (specifically the director's cut, that bit is important) by Ridley Scott would be a strong pick. It's even got a love-story.
I love that one, yes from me
I think she could also like the Last Duel. Ridley Scott is best in historical movies nowadays.
There's definitely a few where she really should only watch the director's cuts. Kingdom of Heaven, The Abyss, Batman v Superman and Justice League.
Thank you. I mentioned it as well. A true epic.
The most underrated movie I've ever come across.
Kingdom of Heaven directors cut is fuckin brutal
This is a true story! It got turned into a somewhat fictionalized/mythologized comic book, which then got adapted to the film you just watched, but the actual Battle of Thermopylae happened, led by 300 Spartans (probably around 7,000 Greeks in total), against a force of probably around 120,000-300,000 Persians. They used a natural chokepoint to make the invading Persian army face them in smaller numbers. Eventually, after a local named Ephialtes revealed a way to flank the Greek forces, the Persians did slaughter all of the Spartans and most of the remaining Greeks who stayed to fight (a few Thebans surrendered, but the Spartans were killed to a man). Delaying the Persian army at Thermopylae allowed the rest of the Greek states to prepare for a full scale war, and the Persians were eventually defeated and forced to withdraw from Europe. Ephialtes never received the promised reward for betraying the Greeks, but he earned a price on his head, and had to flee to Thessaly, and eventually was killed about 10 years later.
Thebes was ridiculed and hated all across the Greek world for their surrender to Xerxes. Their city fell to poverty and slums until Alexander the Great finally put an end to its meaningless, traitorous existence.
I love history
With respect, cut the "somewhat" from before "fictionalized."
And to this day Ephialtes has come to mean "nightmare."
This might be trivial semantics but graphic novel not comic book
There were only two ways you could get a tombstone upon your death in Sparta. The first was to have been killed in battle, the second was if a mother died during childbirth. All others were buried with no markers, forgotten to time. There is a lion statue that was built on the site in ancient times to honor the battle, its still there.
good call back man. One of my dreams is to visit the site of the battle in Greece. I was so close but then god darn it covid hit.
@@darthsaren6519 it's kind of a shame that the site is no longer a narrow pass between the mountains and the sea. Would've loved to see the battlefield as it was in 480 BC
@@spartanK42 yep, I know the geography is not the same anymore..I mean it makes sense . To understand the place a bit more a few years ago I actually did a geography comparation with 2 maps : 1 modern one and a map of what the pass looked like in 480 BC. If you see the ancient map ? Oh man the tactician in me was screaming - pick the battle here , pick it here :)
@@spartanK42 During the WW2, the British and Greek troops fought defensive a battle against the attacking German Fallschirmjäger in almost the exact same spot.
There is also a stone marker "tell the Spartan passing by" poem is writen on
I love how horrified she is by basically the entire movie 😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Horrified and yet rooting for them at the same time, lol. Damn, I remember watching this in the theater and thinking "Wow those Spartans are ripped!"
@@Kayjee17 In Roger Ebert's review, he said he thought their muscles were CGI. 😂 There's some behind-the-scenes video of their athletic training, it was pretty intense.
Good I think it's time she grew up and realized life isn't always Disney family friendly all the time
@@mickeymouse7726 That choice is entirely up to her and your opinion doesn't matter. There are some worthwhile R rated movies and there are some that are a waste of the time it took to make them. Hopefully, those of us who are loyal, caring audience members will steer Cassie towards the good stuff and protect her from the bad.
I know you loved Lord of the Rings, so an interesting connection is that Dilios, the one-eyed narrator who Leonidas tasked with returning to tell the story in 300 is played by the same actor who played Faramir in Lord of the Rings.
My favorite thing about this movie is that the story is narrated by a spartan, Dilios.
So everything we see and is how he wants us to imagine and remember the 300. Everything is more epic, violent, dark, or tragic because of Dilil’s talent with words. His narration is spartan-like : intense, sharp, laconic, uncompromising, and epic. So is every other aspect of the movie.
Escpecially when he narrates the ending, which he hasn't even witnessed.
ironic that you say 'laconic' for it means spartan
Yes the whole thing is a tall tale, based loosely on truth. That's why it's all so crazy!
Dilios is not one to let the truth get in the way of a good story. He's been telling this story for over a year and it gets bigger and more fantastic with every telling. Now we're witness to the final telling on the eve of battle to inspire the troops. I like this method of storytelling.
and yet all people say is that the elephants aren't realistic and too big and saying that there's no way that it's realistic...
There is a reason why this story has stuck around for more than 2000 years. When Xerxes talks about erasing Sparta from the pages of history... Those 300 spartans sacrificed themselves to make sure no one would ever forget their story. And they haven't been. This occurred about 500 years before the birth of Jesus. And we are still telling this story. I find it so powerful. Some of the lines in the movie were from the original records of this battle. The line about fighting in the shade is real. Or as real as it gets. It comes from Herodotus, he names the Spartan that said it. It could just be something he put in the mouth of a famous soldier, but regardless that line has existed for more than 2000 years. The fact that it ends up in a movie, in the 21st century is a testament to how much this story has stuck around. The only thing to top it in my opinion is the Trojan Horse, in terms of long lasting storytelling. I love history. So wild to think about how PEOPLE actually did this, then. And again, the power of story telling. The fact that people even know the name Leonidas is proof. His name lives on and will continue to. He is immortal, at least as a concept. We will never forget his name. Shit 200s from now no one will remember me, or most of you. Imagine doing something so worthy of an epic story that 2500 years from now humanity will still remember you. Mind boggling. Anyway, rambling. This movie is great. But the story is even better.
Few years after this Spartans invited Persians to Greece to help them fight Athens.
Xerxes also lives on in the Bible as a husband of Esther. A great story in itself.
@@Jutrzen Greece was made out of city states so different political views clashed from time to time. Even during the Persian invasion some joined the enemy against other Greek states. It takes away nothing from the heroes who fell in the war against Persia.
@@kirschakos This is evolution in action. Humans will pretend they have reasons to fight, but the truth is our biology commands us to form groups and try to kill each other. In the long run, it makes us stronger and more likely to survive a hypothetical conflict with an enemy of another species who our genes have no control over. Look at it this way, if we were a purely peaceful species, we would have never built nuclear weapons. But if we get invaded by aliens, we might only have the chance to survive because we already built those and other weapons.
After all these millenials nobody knows Xerxes but everyone knows Sparta.
History lesson:
Most of the epic one liners in this film are versions of historically accurate words said by the Spartans.
They learnt to fight with words as much as with spear and sword. It became famous and given the title still used today for short pithy comebacks - Laconic wit. This is because Sparta was in the region of Laconia (hence the inverted V on their shields - Lamda, the Greek letter for L)
You are very knowledgeable of my culture, just a small correction. Not Delta (Δέλτα), Lamda (Λάμδα) which is the greek L. Capital Delta is a whole triangle, capital Lamda is like a capital Delta or a triangle without the bottom line. Many foreiners, mostly americans, get confused by Lamda, often putting it in the place of A when they want it more stylized. It is an honest mistake for people used to Latin letters in their own alphabet which doesn't have the greek letter Lamda.
The Spartans believed that to be perfect warriors they had to be well rounded individuals. They prized wit, dance, music and poetry. These skills were important to a Spartan warrior. No mindless thugs.
Let’s not forget an the Helots lol
@@menelaoslyk Corrected. Thank you. Palamedes would be spinning in his grave.
One such example of this wit was when an enemy confronted them and said something to effect of “if we defeat you in battle, we will enslave your wives and children, and put your city to the torchs.”
The Spartans replied with one word. “If.”
This movie was based on a true story. Leonidas was 60 when he fought with the 300. 10,000 Greeks including the 300 Spartans fought at Thermopylae. When they were betrayed, Leonidas sent them home to fight another day. 1000 Greeks plus the 300 defended Thermopylae.
Was not 60 at 60 as a Spartan you retire
Not really, this movie is based on graphic novel and it's fiction that put some historical background.
@@bona183 the novel was based on an actual battle, the movie wasn't 100% accurate but it did happen... research the history of it
@@jacobdougall5736 He wasn't? He was born around 540 BC to King Anaxandridas II, right? He died 19 September 480 BC at the Hot Gates / Thermopylae, right? Maybe he wasn't REALLY born in 540 BC? Is that it? Maybe all those dates are wrong because historians make stuff up anyway? Maybe math is hard?
@thaz fff are you stupid? Did you even get an education? None of what you said is true. Do some research before saying stupid as shit like that
A lot of the most badass lines from this movie, like the "then we will fight in the shade" line, are direct translations from ancient Greek sources talking about the battle of Thermopylae.
Return with this shield... Or on it.
"Lay down your weapons!"
"Come and get them"
@@QuayNemSorr Molon Labe, which translates to Come and Get them in Greek, is the Military Motto of the modern Greek Army and is also used by certain groups of the United States' NRA in regards to the 2nd Ammendment
@@dgrmn12345 "Lave"
I remember when my dad took me to see this for my 14th birthday and my god the visuals in this movie really blew my eye sockets away. Lol
*Did your dad say, "Jordan, do you like movies about gladiators?" before he took you to see 300.*
Lol No he didn’t. He had me watch the trailer and asked if I’m interested in seeing it on my birthday.
Did he ask, “Have you ever been in a Turkish prison?”
@@lewstone5430 lol. Where oh where have I heard that one.
If I saw this movie at 14 it would have made me grow a full beard and a foot taller before the closing credits
Spartan warriors were renowned for their battle prowess. Contrary to the film portrayal, however, they wore heavy armor: cuirasses, greaves, bracers and helm, along with the iconic large Spartan shield, which also made for an effective weapon. Spartan hoplites were like walking tanks, and the phalanx formation is still an effective tactic used today, especially by riot police.
And to this day they have a reputation for being even less talkative than Clint Eastwood in his movies.
In ancient times, Laconia was the name of the Spartan state whose free inhabitants were also called Laconians or Lacedaemonians. This is where the term 'laconic' comes from.
For example, when Philip II of Macedonia approached with his army, legend has it that he sent the following threat to the Laconian capital of Sparta: "If I defeat you, your houses will burn, your cities will burn, and your wives will become widows ." To which the Spartans replied: "If".
They also had highly decorated shields with many different designs painted by the soldier carrying it, not just that one design. Many were big lions heads or other dangerous creatures. One soldier (I forgot his name) only had a life sized fly painted on his shield. When asked why he had this tiny fly on his shield he said something to the effect of "I will be so close to my enemy that this fly will be as big as a lion"
But i mean, who can argue with those sweaty abs ;D
a bit more to that of course, for example that the phalanx was basically used by everyone at this point, and stayed in use thoughout the roman era until even the rennaisance maybe even longer
@@tacitus5665the Romans abandoned the phalanx pretty early on. A phalanx is ideal if there is not much space. But they are also slow and must be in perfect formation at all times. Which is a big reason why the Romans crushed the greeks when they came knocking on their door.
Watching bloody carnage and then hearing "holy shish-ka-bob" is one of life's little wholesome moments 😂😂 (16:30 ish)
many of the amazing shots in this film are direct 'copies' of frames in the original graphic novel, its one of the reasons I love it, & have watched it sooo many times!
I love Frank Miller’s drawing style!
@@MikeB12800 same reason I enjoyed the film Sin City, they got his artwork spot on.
Heck yea that shot of them pushing the Persians off the cliff was straight from the graphic novel, like 100% accurate.
I remember when myself and a couple other managers screened this movie after we closed one night (I manage a movie theater downtown). After it was all over, we came out of the theater, all pumped up and ready for "battle". This movie is so visceral and motivating, one of Zach Snyder's best films for sure.
The Spartan response to "Lay down your weapons." was μολὼν λαβέ. "Molon Labe". Literal translation: "Come take". And yes that did actually happen. Probably the most epic and ancient mic drop in history.
Literally legendary.
none of this happened, its all propaganda
@@kenwahler3277 lol butthurt Iranian I imagine?
@@kenwahler3277 You aren't fooling anyone by up-voting your own lies.
The "we will fight in the shade" line is from the original account as well
The final scene in this movie still gives me chills because he went knowing that he would have to die in order for his armies to fight. Also the imagery you commented on at the start of the movie is because they wanted to movie to look like the graphic novel it is based on.
You mentioned "Last Samurai", if you remember in that movie Algren tells Katsumoto the story of the 300 men at Thermopylae who faced 1,000,000 . At the end, Katsumoto asked what happened to the men at Thermopylae and Algren responded, "Dead to the last man" .....
Cassie started this film with a lot of trepidation but she not only persevered but kept on providing insightful commentary throughout! And surprised herself by liking the film for its story and its original, stylized appearance. This was one of the first movies using virtual environments inserted behind and around the actors who played out their parts on very small soundstages. The effect is very painterly and surprisingly effective, perfect for this story!
Yeah, I think Sin City and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow were two of the other early ones. In these cases, they were all going for stylized visuals that did not have to represent modern reality. We've sort of lost that in recent years as this technique is now used to make flat, realistic settings.
Snyder really did make it look a lot like the graphic novel
"the noise of the gooshing . . ." classic! beautifully descriptive. Thanks! love your reactions!
Yes, classic Cassie!
Don't forget the sloshing.....
The Battle of Thermopylae is probably my #1 historical "Last Stand" story. Several lines of dialogue are actually lifted from the historical record... the 'fight in the shade', the response when told to give up their weapons- "Molon Labe" (come and take them)- was real as well.
The Greek forces numbered @ 7,000 , including the 300 Spartans and their helots. When Ephialtes led the Persians via the "secret" path, Leonidas ordered the bulk of the forces to beat feet before they got surrounded and cut off. The surviving Spartans and @ 700 Thespians remained behind to fight a rear-guard action to cover their retreat to fight another day.
The statement mentioned near the end is on a stone at the site of the battle :
" Go tell the Spartans, passersby, that here obedient to their laws we lie..".
Just a bit of clarification as well ... the main reason for the color palette and some of the over-the-top imagery is that the movie was based mostly on the stylized graphic novel, and secondarily on the factual details of the évents.
I truly believe that a film like 'Quigley Down Under ' would better suit Cassie and Carly. A leading man that both have not reacted to. Tom Selleck in his prime, and probably his best role. Westerns, are not Cassie's favorite genre. But I believe that this film (which I do like) is even father outside the wheelhouse of these two ladies.
Such a good film
Only my Roy could recommend suck a good movie 😂
She’ll be disgusted by this film, but hey, that’s partly why I’m watching.
Not sure I want to watch them weep over genocide...
Great movie!
Thing is, while watching this you have to consider it's being told by Dilios (the survivor/one eyed guy). It's basically a propaganda story to rouse the rest of Greece to war, hence all the monsters, exaggerated numbers etc.
It is of course also a beatiful and thrilling movie in it's own rights, but the above point kinda excuses most of the historical inaccuracies.
Well Cassie I was not expecting you to like this one but I've been pleased to see your channel's growth and your own personal growth as person. It's rare to see a person continuously grow to understand and appreciate new and different things. Keep up the good content.
I grew up on these stories of the ancient civilizations, my Grandfather read to me about the 300 who stood their ground at Thermopylae...learned Latin so I could read the history books in original text.
a time where kings fought their battles
The original text is in Ancient Greek from the historian that wrote it..Search Herodotus you won't be disappointed.
latin ? you mean ancient greek (MAYBE)
Acient ELLINIC........"Latinic"???
W.t.f.
I saw this movie in theaters the day it came out. It was PACKED. Awesome experience. Had never seen a movie filmed like this before and it was great.
"The Noise Of The Gushing" was actually the working title of this film.
Watching her lose her innocence with each passing movie is so hilarious and satisfying to watch .she’s absolutely adorable with her reaction.
Losing her innocence is a heavy price to pay, that is my deepest regret
@@SGTMARSHALL1 agree, when innocent is lose. she gonna turning into another TH-cam reactors
@@boboboy8189 her personality changes beyond what we see here, her mind can't unsee something
@@SGTMARSHALL1 By the time she does her last video, she'll be covered in tattoos and piercings, have a mohawk and an eyepatch, be smoking a cigar and wearing leather and chains.
What I can't believe is how much she does not know about human nature, history and how historical events have shaped our present world. Some would call it Innocence, some would call it Ignorance.
You should watch The Princess Bride if you've never seen it. It is an absolute classic with so many memorable lines and scenes. Probably a good one to watch with your sister.
Think she may have seen that one. She has a web site link posted somewhere that shows all of the films that she has already seen. If I find it again, I will add to this comment.
Just youtube search: princess bride popcorn in bed to see if she did it
@@thomast8539 Its on her about page on her channel, Letterboxd, and yes, she has seen it.
@@anyone9689 She's seen it before she started this channel. When she reacted to "Men in Tights" she mentioned seeing Cary Elwes in "The Princess Bride". Also when she watched "Twister".
Going of a Vizzini quote: You fell victim to one of the classic blunders - The most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia'
Another one to watch is Red Cliff if I remember right or maybe Hero with Jet Li. Was that stylized? I cant remember
If I remember right, 300 was the first movie where everything except the actors was either green screen (background) or cgi (things like arrows). Nothing was real in the movie except the actors and their costumes.
Can you imagine having to act in a parking lot behind a studio, with no context, no visual aids. It was pretty amazing at the time.
“He was being a trampoline!” is why other reaction channel can’t hold a candle to PIB. The incomparable Cass and Carly.
Don't worry about the critics. Your channel is perfect, just as it is.
She just has to check the "Like" rating to lift her spirits in that regard. Currently 4.7k "likes" compared to only 120 "unlikes", that's a 98% "Like" rating.
"SPARTA-MAN...!" Cassie, some of the things you say are genuinely adorable! That is only one of the reasons why we love watching your reactions to great movies! ( :E
what a lot of people don't get about this movie is it is not meant to be historically accurate. it's told by a Greek in a very Greek way to inspire troops . they are wearing trunks instead of armor because in the Greek style of storytelling they would be depicted as nude. at the same time the storyteller would want the Persians to depicted as monsters or barbarians.
Okay, the Persian emissaries to Sparta and Athens the first time around were sent by Darius ( father of Xerxes ) they were the ones that were dumped in a well and a pit. When Xerxes invaded some 12 years later he didn't bother sending any emissaries to either Sparta or Athens....
The main part of the fighting done at Thermopylae was done with 7,000 Greeks ( mostly Spartan ) that held off a far superior force of Persians numbering around 300,000, it wasn't until Ephialtes betrayed rhe Greeks that it became necessary for the Greeks to retreat ( they held out for 2-3 day depending on sources ) while the what was left of the 7,000 retreated, Leonides and 300 of his personal bodyguard and 1,100 Boeotians stayed.. but were quickly overwhelmed. Xerxes did implore Leonides to lay down his weapons... to which the Spartan Kings response was recorded as " Come and take them"
After losing his fleet to the Athenians Xerxes forces met the Greeks at Plataea for an all out battle that saw the Greeks field the largest army they ever have.... finally beating Xerxes and his Immortals.
Quick note the Immortals were called the Immortals because they wore face masks in battle and when one fell they were instantly replaced so at the end of any battle it looked like they had no casualties.
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ !!
"Then we will fight in the shade." can't fade that level of badassery
"Oooh he was not kneeling, he was being a trampoline" made me straight cackle 😂
i will always love how the vibe changes when the scenes switch from the battlefield & the city.
from full-on chaos to a relative quietness.
Oh dear, I can't really see her liking this one, lol
Quick historical (in)acuracy rundown:
*There was no conspiracy to bribe the monks, Leonidas like everyone else in the ancient world was superstitious and believed their religion and thought 300 guys was all he could bring. The story with his wife Gorgo and the traitor on the Council was not even in the comic, Gorgo was in the comic but only appeared for one page. The traitor was a completely new character for the movie, the subplot was added to give her more screen time, because it's an otherwise an entirely male cast.
*Several lines are from history. "You'll find plenty down there" was what Leonidas said when he thew the emisaries into the well after they asked for earth and water. "Then we'll fight in the shade" and "Come back with your shield or on it" are also direct quotes from history.
*All the Greek city-states sent contingents, not just The Spartans and Arcadians. (Just a few hundred each, they were all observing the same holiday) Leonidas had between 4000-7700 men total under his command
*Various reputable sources at the time did place the Persian Empire's army's strength at one million. Modern scholars believe the number to be closer to 100,000-250,000. There were no elephants, rhinoseros, whatever that freaky human-cave-troll with the knife-hands was, etc. The guys tossing the gunpowder grenades are about 1400 years early. They had cavalry but couldn't get them up to the pass, only foot soldiers (part of why Leonidas chose that spot to dig in)
*Xerxes was not a giant super-twink with fetish piecings, he was a guy with a big beard. Along with invading Greece, he put down uprisings in Egypt and Babylon and finished several ambitions construction projects started by his father.
*The Spartans didn't fight in battle bikini bottoms, they had some of the most advanced armor in the ancient world. When Frank Miller visited Thermopylae for inspiration, he saw a statue of Leonidas, nude with his spear and helmet. Miller found the image evocative and decided they should be shirtless like fantasy heroes.
*It was a two-front battle. The Athenian Navy was holding off The Persian Navy at a similar choke point several miles up the coast. Both positions had to hold, if the Athenian blockade failed, The Persians would get in behind Leonidas and slaugher the land troops, if Leonidas's position failed, the Athenian Navy would be cut off. These events are portrayed in the sequel "300: Rise of an Empire"
*Once their position was compromised Leonidas ordered a phased retreat under cover of night. There is some controversy over whether he simply got caught before he could finish or in fact volunteered to stay behind to buy the retreating troops more time. The last stand wasn't just the 300 Spartans but also 700 Thespians and 400 Thebans. The final battle took all day. Leonidas was killed in the early afternoon. They fought over his body and managed to keep it from The Persians for several hours.
300 Spartan is based on a comic, not literal historical fact.
I'm currently at 2:45 and I am going ahead and liking this video simply because Cassie said she takes all of her fans into account when recommendations are made. That kind of kindness and character is why I watch you. Thank you Cassie. Now I am going to enjoy your video. :p
One of the best movies ever made for men if that makes sense, when i came out of the movies i was so spaced out i almost got run over
In the movie the Last Samuri. This is the battle they were talking about when they were crouched down behind the straw and Cruse said DEAD TO THE LAST MAN and the Samuri replied IT IS A GOOD DEATH
I love how Cassie says she liked the movie with such utter disbelief in her voice lol.
Mark my words: no movie-reaction-youtuber will ever dislike a movie. Its healthy for her likes, and subcribes. Beeing negative about a movie creates dislikes, and therefore bad for the algorithm. I dont remember when i saw ever a movie-reaction-youtuber where the person said ''sorry, but this movie was shit, and a waste of time'' ... and i saw a lot youtubers reacting to movies right now.
i’ve said i did not enjoy several movies, pulp fiction, goodfellas, shawn of the dead to name a few while still trying to find the good parts. To be fair, im very easily entertained but i did, very surprisingly genuinely like this one
And there are movies she won't watch because we all know she wouldn't like them - The Exorcist, for example. Very wise to not watch that one!
@@PopcornInBed And you've also been pretty meh on a lot of Mel Brooks comedy. Comedy in general, you can be stingy with those laughs. So it's obvious to me you do genuine reactions.
@ahad2k11 I won't watch that one either! I'm too afraid to see it, I know it will freak me out and give me nightmares
I'm surprised you didn't recognize Faramir. Also, the battle this is based on is the one that Katsumoto and Nathan talked about in The Last Samurai, paralleling their own small group fighting to the last man.
This is how a GOOD tragedy works. The original story, the comic, and the movie.
I'm so proud of this community! Can you imagine Cassie watching this when she first started? The length we've gone to desensitize her and toughen her up, it's really paying dividends! And now in turn she's toughening her sister up! Good job, everybody!
We'll have her watching Reservoir Dogs soon!
It's extremely gratifying to see her see through the blood and gore to the story underneath the spectacle and appreciate it as well as the stylization many times. To see her enjoy herself and the film.
I think Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers were probably the Rubicon.
@@r.b.ratieta6111 Definitely. Saving Private Ryan is a brutal assault on the senses that just doesn't stop hammering you for 3 hours solid. That movie definitely changed her perception of blood/gore in film. She still may not really like it, but she seems to "get it" now.
Her sister is still a chicken, we have to give her more time 🤣😂
If Cassie doesn’t only take suggestions from her Patreon subscribers, then I have a movie suggestion for her that barely any of the current generation of movie reactors have reacted to so far:
Phone Booth (2002) starring Colin Farrell and Kiefer Sutherland.
And yes 95% of the movie takes place in a phone booth, yet it is an all time psychological thriller classic!
Phone Booth; good movie. It's interesting that the whole movie plot was "We need to keep a guy in a Phone Booth for an hour and a half...." "How do we do that?"
Ahh, the movie that is the opposite of 'It's a Wonderful Life!' I think it is great.
Great movie
I still have this on DVD. 😳😅
Another great one is Ryan Raynolds in the movie “Buried”. Just a stunning movie
The "This Is SPARTA" moment still gives me chills after all these years. Now THAT is a line!
I'm so glad you reacted to this. So few do. I really think you should also react to another seldom reacted to film that you even mentioned...LEGEND. It is an amazing film with a really unique look and one of the best villains of all time played by the fantastic Tim Curry...RIP.
Why does everyone always think Tim Curry is dead, lol
This is definitely a very stylized film. For good reason. What you are seeing through most of the film is the story as being told by the guy with the bandaged eye (forgot his name). The visuals are what the soldiers listening to the story are imagining.
Dilios. ;). No, seriously, ;)
@@daveygivens735 That's it. Thanks. I was half a second from looking it up.
It is also a very classic narrative form. Have you ever read Homer's Odyssey? It reads much like sailor's yarn.
I LOVE that you watched this movie!! It doesn't seem like your typical "cup-o-tea," but I'm glad you enjoyed it!
This movie sends me to the gym. Every. Damn. Time. Gerard Butler killed it in this. ✊🧔♂💪🏋♂
This movie sends me to Greek restaurants. My body is now 30% saganaki.
You seemed like the last person I’d expect to watch a movie like this
It's so stylized because it's being told by the Spartan story teller. That's why a lot of the enemies look like monsters and Xerxes looks like a giant
Yes!!! I've read so many comments about how there were no monsters and Xerxes standing ten feet tall. Frank Miller brilliantly narrated the story to let his imagination go wild.
It's basically a propaganda story from the Spartan's perspective.
Love your reactions! ♥ In the end it is the art that moves us, and this piece was done magnificently by Zack Snyder. Great adaptation! ♥
For me, the art is beautiful, but what moves me about this movie is that 2,500 years ago, a group of 300 Spartans actually did stay behind as the Greek army retreated to protect their rear from the Persians. And they did fight to the last man. There were about 1,300 others from the various Greek states who stayed behind to help, and they died as well. What moves me is that this happened. King Leonidas stood his ground there, vastly outnumbered, and allowed none to pass while his small force stood.
There may be some familiar faces here. Lena Headey, as the queen, played Circei Lannister in GoT, and the gent who gave the final,speech played Faramir in LOTR.
I also forgot Michael "Magneto" Fassbender was in this.
Also Dominic West, of The Wire.
The "May you live forever" is the most insulting thing you could say to a Spartan. It's why he looked so shamed when it was said to him. To die a beautiful death, to die with honor and courage was the greatest thing you could achieve in life. Living forever meant you would never get that chance.
"Gates of Fire" by Pressfield is a great historical novel with LOTS of research into the Spartan mind, lifestyle and training of their youth.
I think I've read that book at least 20 times
Oh man! I already knew Cassie was going to be in for a shock when she saw this one. Got so excited to see this. Fun Fact: 300 is actually based on a comic rather than the actual historic event hence the stylized look for it too.
There was a really good documentary on the History Channel about the actual battle, and what Sparta was like. The movie does not show this but apparently at the same time as this land battle was going on a large-scale Naval engagement between the Greeks and Persians was happening as well, just over the horizon.
Ya that's what the sequel to 300 is based on.
That would be the battle of Salamis where the Athenians demonstrated the power of their navy.
@@hanng1242 Not quite. The battle of Salamis was later. The battle of Artemisium was the one that happened at the same time as Thermopylae.
@@mrfomo217 Ah yes, you are right. It seems I don't remember by Herodotus as well as I thought.
I love watching movies with you Cassie! Whenever my wife and I watch a movie she is inevitably asleep 6 minutes in. I appreciate you staying awake!
I’m happy to see you liked this, considering all the times you had to shield your eyes from the stabbing and such. It remains my favorite Zach Snyder movie, perfectly suited to his unique visual stylings and love of slow mo.
It’s also funny that you mentioned The Last Samurai since the battle depicted in this movie is mentioned in that one. The Battle of Thermopylae (pronounced ther-mop-i-lee) is a real historical event, just heavily fictionalized and stylized in 300. Tom Cruise talks about it to Ken Wantanabe in The Last Samurai a couple of times, first in the discussion about a million troops and whether he understands the word, and at the very end when he spoils this movie by telling him that they were killed to the last man defending the pass in the mountain.
The number “a million” is disputed by historians, estimates of the Persian forces range from tens of thousands to half a million. Not quite as many as legend would dictate, but still, lots, especially for a couple hundred Spartans and Greeks to handle.
This is the only decent Snyder movie. His shtick gets annoying fast in his other movies
@@CYB3R2K lol well she’s seen The Last Jedi: it literally cannot get worse than that. So she might as well see the Snyderverse and judge for herself, since it’s not going anywhere.
Or are you worried that she’ll like it?
Came to the comments to make sure someone pointed this out about being mentioned in last samurai
She only really shields her eyes because she's conditioned herself to do it. She even admitted at the end that she found it hard to admit how much she liked it because she didnt feel like she should like somthing so violent.
Zack Snyder’s made 4 good movies.
This, Dawn of the Dead, the Owl movie, and Pain and Gain.
For a little perspective, you might want to check some YT history channels on the Persian Empire, the Ancient Greek city-states, and Thermopylae. Blue of Overly Sarcastic Productions has some pretty interesting takes on both sides.
This much is true: Western history would be incredibly different if not for the Spartans’ stand at Thermopylae.
13:46 This line is actually recorded in the histories, so it might actually be accurate.
When Leonidas made Xerxes bleed the look of stunned horror on his face was priceless, more so since he was acting as a haughty god king above everyone. When I saw this in the cinema back then everyone cheered at that moment even as the Spartans fell. Leonidas sure sent him a message and a scar to remember.
I got the same feelings and thoughts. Leonidas knew he would ''lose'' the battle - but not exactly losing. When he was talking with Xerxes, he said clearly: before the war is over he will prove that even a god king can bleed.
So he just wanted to prove this single point. Because the whole army of Xerxes, all his people stood behind Xerxes, just because they believed: he is a god - and Xerxes maybe even believed it itself (because when all people say this to you all the time, beginning at your earliest childhood - sure you maybe believe it yourself). And thats what surprised Xerxes himself, when he put his hand to his face and was in disbelieve, that he bleeds. It was the ultimate prove , that he isnt a god. And in that sense Leonidas won against Xerxes - because Leonisas defeated the narrative on which all is based on. And i can imagine, the spartan army later on could use that weakness, that every persian at this point knew : ''we dont have a god behind us... its just another king for whom we fight for'' , while spartans fight for their sheer survive, and therefore have a much stronger motive.
Leonidas knew this. And thats why it was so important, to make this ''god'' even the slightest wound, just to prove this point, for everyone visible.
"Don't throw it away, you seem to need it" - Cassie
"Hold my spear" - King Leonidas
Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, and Michael Fassbender crush it in this!!!
Wenham in particular. His narration brings so much to the movie.
And of course not one of them has the same accent 🤣🤣🤣
Yep, surprised she didn't recognize Faramir
Don't forget Fassbender and Vincent Regan
As a true Spartan (born there and still spend 4 months a year there), and history buff, this is one of my favorite tales of all. At my Father's funeral last summer I shared a story of how his bloodline was from King Leonidas (purely in jest, but it got such a great reaction). At his grave there's a marker our family put with the saying "Go tell Sparta, passerby, that here by Spartan Law I lie". He loved our heritage too. I'm so glad you got around to reacting to this flick, I've loved a ton of your reactions, but this one takes the cake. Keep up the great job. As an aside, the distance from Sparta to Thermopylae is 378 km (just under 235 miles). That would equate to about a week's march. After the battle, the Persians finally met their match less than a month later at the Battle of Salamis (covered in the sequel to 300).
Spartans weren't a race. The whole peninsula was Greek, from Athens to Thebes to Syracuse, etc. Sparta was a city-state within ancient Greece with a unique social system and constitution. Being Greek doesn't make you a Spartan.
@@Astafar13 Sorry but Spartans originate from a different Greek tribe called Dorians/Doric. Spartans were very different in culture from the other Greek tribes because of this.
@@kirschakos ..... so they were ethnically Greek like the entire peninsula, but were a city-state (tribe) that had a unique social system (culture). You literally said exactly what I did.
@@Astafar13 no, being BORN in Sparta, Laconia, makes you Spartan.
@@georgethetravelgenius1705 I hope that a verbal technicality from having been born in a particular geographic location isn't an attempt to equate a modern person with ancient citizen soldiers taken from their parents at a young age, raised in ruthless and grueling military life, left to fend for themselves in the wilderness or die, forced to steal their dinner and beaten for getting caught, having to abduct their own wives, etcetc. Because there are absolutely no parallels between those two people other than both being born in a place with a particular name. Claiming "true Spartan" like there's some kind of kinship with the men from the movie comes across as a bit of an ego stretch. But so does "The Travel Genius", so maybe there are no surprises here.
Per the chat, you have GOT to watch August Rush... it is literally everything that you and Cassie love in a movie.
As a reminder, this movie is based on historical events, so a happy ending would be white-washing history. It's not supposed to have a happy ending.
History was violent, war is still going on,. Right this second, in Ukraine, soldiers are fighting a similar battle for survival of their people, in a similar style of smaller more capable army (Ukraine) VS huge numbers of average soldiers (Russia). There's no reason to hide from the ugliness of war, it's very real.
If this is confusing, google "the battle of Thermopilae", that should clear stuff.
"Come back with your shield. Or on it." Spartans do not retreat or surrender. If you returned home without your shield it was probably because you dropped it to run away faster. So it is basically saying "Come home a victor, or dead".
“Ohhhh he was not kneeling, he was being a trampoline” 29:16 😂😂😂 I cracked up
Highlander is a very good movie. It has a similar vibe to the first Terminator, with a bit of Braveheart thrown in for good measure. It is also videogame character Lara "Tomb Raider" Croft's favourite film.
Ah yes. Me and my friends all through school were always yelling "SPARTA MAN!" 😂
Great reaction! Gerard Butler is absolutely fantastic in this film, and his enunciation is freakin’ legendary.
You may remember from The Two Towers when Legolas lamented that the battle of Helm's Deep was "300 against ten thousand"...that was doubtlessly a reference to this same battle. Also, you may recognize the actor playing the Spartan who narrates the battle as the actor who played Faramir.
Cassie, you are, by far, my favorite reactionist! You get so invested in what you watch, and it’s when you can’t verbally describe what you’re feeling and resort to animated verbalistics is what I sit here and laugh at. Oh, yes, I have no problem making up words;) keep it up! Looking forward to your next reaction with your sister. Please bring back your snacks, that’s one of the things I do enjoy watching, makes it feel welcoming.
THIS IS SPARTA!
She seems to not understand the purpose of Spartan lifestyle, but that's not surprising.