Review of The 300 Spartans (1962) by Tamsin P — 23 Feb 2011

The battle of Thermopylae is one of the greatest tales of military heroism in the face of unimaginable odds. The fact that a relatively tiny force of Greek soldiers, headed by 300 Spartans held back the might of the invading Persian army, many times larger is simply an astonishing feat and has rightly become the stuff of legend.

This early sixties movie attempts to give the tale the proper sand and sandals treatment but is hindered by a leaden script and some, frankly, dreadful acting. It has not aged well. Richard Egan is about as Greek as mom's apple pie and would be more suited to chomping on a cigar and wearing army fatigues rather than wielding a spear and shield.

He is utterly unconvincing as Leonidas. Xerxes the Great fairs little better in the hands of David Farrar who is more a pantomime Abanazar than mighty Persian ruler. We get no real insight into the culture and society over which these mighty figures ruled.

This is a sanitised and scrubbed up technicolor view of the ancient world in which passionless figures stand front of stage and declaim lines so hammy you can almost smell the bacon. What should be the saving grace for the movie, the battle scenes, are fake and lack any sense of visceral power thanks to the serried ranks of awful extras who plod onto waiting spears and swords without any conviction to the cause whatsoever.

There are some moments that almost brighten the screen. Ralph Richardson and Diane Baker valiantly attempt to imbue some life and intrigue into their roles but the lazy direction and lack of pace make this the kind of history lesson I always used to dread and it all feels rather amateurish.