The Field of Glory

I am only going to make two more posts before I take a good long break from this blog for a while. In order to wrap up my analysis of 300 and the way in which it defamiliarizes us by causing us to see the glory of being a soldier and going to war, I want to post one last video that shows the conclusion of this depiction from the film. It is the final stand by the 300 Spartan soldiers. They all get slaughtered; however, the film makes their death seem glorious! Perhaps the most obvious aspect of this portayal occurs at the very end of the scene when Leonidus is about to be murked by a ton of arrows. In particular, watch the way in which the film depicts Leonidus going down and ultimately dying; however, as you watch this part, watch the way in which the film shows the sun reflecting its glorious light. This is a blatant metaphor of the theme this film presents throughout its duration. It is ultimately a film about restoring glory to the ideas that we associate with being a soldier and going to war. It makes me want to fight and die for something bigger than me. In addition, it caused me as the viewer to want to watch the film again and agin and enjoy it as a piece of art that communicates directly to my soul. The film has an aesthetic beauty that can make any viewer stop and contemplate the way ideas are communicated as well as enjoy the special effects from the various scenes. For me, this final scene really encapsulates the essence of the reality that this film defamiliarizes us by creating a newness in the way in which we view being a soldier and being in war.

Fight to the Death