This is Sparta

Alright, so you may be wondering where am I going with this 300 thing. Well, ultimately, I finally had to choose to narrow my direction down to one specific area of focus, so I decided I would focus predominantly on this film as a form of art because of the defamiliarizing effect that it has on its viewers. As I watched the film, I felt like the main way in which it affected me through defamiliarization was by estranging the ideas I commonly associate with war by the film's critique of the glory that can be associated with being a soldier and going to war for one's country. Honestly, I really do not think of war as being glorious or something desirable. I would go to war if their was a draft or if I had to go, but I am not the type that really desires to go battle, kill others, and risk my life dying on a battlefield. However, I definitely believe there is much honor and respect to be had there. Therefore, this film, on the other end if the spectrum, is totally estranged to my views. Take this next scene link as an example. Leonidus has the oppurtunity to avoid going to war and remaining at peace with the Persians who are conquering their land. Now, I definitely understand if he would not want to surrender, thus, turning down Xerxes the Persian king's offer. However, he does way more than turn their offer down. He provokes them to attack Sparta by killing the messenger of Persia. Leonidus wants to go to war against the Persians or as he calls them later, a Tyrant. There is no sense of fear or hesitation about going to war. Rather, there is a sense of glory and honor to be gained by going to war. In fact, the only way to achieve this form of glory and honor is by going to war according to the film. Prior to seeing this film, I had never thought about the glory and honor of going to war in this way. Here in the scene, the cinematography is a very vital defamiliarizing effect. The sun shining in the way that it does once again hints at the idea of glory. Leonidus is seen looking at the sun as he is contemplating his descision. It is all centered around the idea of glory. He sees glory on the horizon. The cinematography depicts this mindset. Also, the music defamiliarizes us in a likewise manner by adding a weight of glory to the scene. In addition to the music, the way in which the scene slows down, zeroing in on Leonidus, hints at the idea that great glory is to be gained from going to war. As you watch the scene take in all the different ways that it reflects this idea and does so in a way that is unfamiliar to us. Every component makes the idea of war glorious again. This glory is what drove the Spartans and Leonidus to respond the way they do in the film and in this scene....also the pop up, if it happens when you watch it will defamiliarize the scene even further! Lol!

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