The 300 Spartans with Richard Egan: DVD Cover
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The 300 Spartans Director: Rudolph Maté Cast: Richard Egan, Ralph Richardson, Diane Baker, Barry Coe

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  • DVD Release Date: 05/11/2004
  • Original Release: 1962
  • Rating: Not Rated
  • Sales Rank: 26,520

Viewer Rating: (6 ratings)

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Features

Closed Caption; [None specified]

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Scene Index

Side #1 --
1. Prologue/Main Titles
2. The Conqueror
3. The Spartan Spy
4. Demaratus
5. The Helicarnassian Queen
6. A Matter of Unity
7. Leonidas' Plan
8. The Traitor's Son
9. Return to Sparta
10. The Challenge
11. Disgrace
12. Only 300 Men
13. Victory or Death
14. Rest Stop
15. Thermopylae
16. Samos & Toris
17. Samos' Warning
18. A Brother Lost
19. Night Attack
20. A True Spartan
21. To Live in Peace
22. Message From Sparta
23. The Fighting Machines
24. Hydarnes' Threat
25. The Second Attack
26. The Immortals
27. A Stolen Victory
28. The Trap
29. Our Last Morning
30. The Final Battle
31. The Final Offer
32. A Few Brave Men

Scene Index

Editorial Reviews

This opulent historical epic, filmed in 1962 with an international cast, dramatizes the Battle of Thermopylae of 480 B.C., in which several hundred brave Spartan warriors heroically attempted to stave off a Persian invasion. American "beefcake" star Richard Egan portrays the Spartan King Leonidas, who recognizes the futility of the enterprise but nonetheless inspires his men to defend their city-state. Historically speaking, their spirited defense was anything but futile: It bought Greece enough time to raise an army large enough to repel the Persians. Technically, 300 Spartans belongs to the subgenre derisively known as "sword-and-sandal" films, a field left empty until Ridley Scott’s Gladiator revived interest in the form in 2000. Among the earlier sword-and-sandal epics, though, The 300 Spartans stands virtually unchallenged, thanks to elaborate production values, the muscular direction of Rudolph Mate, and spectacular battle sequences. Supporting Egan are Ralph Richardson as Themistocles, the Athenian ruler; Diane Baker as Ellas, the king’s niece; and David Farrar as Xerxes, the Persian king. Some of the dialogue is corny, and a number of the lesser characters are played rather haphazardly, but overall 300 Spartans is a rousing adventure that can still hold its own. Ed Hulse, Barnes & Noble

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Customer Reviews

300 Spartansby Anonymous

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May 03, 2005: The 300 Spartans depicts the spirit of the Spartan warrior: Bravery, Loyalty, and Determination. The one part I enjoyed was when Leonidas is told that they have been cut off from escape and shouts to his soldiers "we can no longer defend the pass. So we shall attack and kill Xerxes." As they begin to march, the look of determination falls on to there faces. This film is one of the greatest epics of all times and is a must see for everyone.

300 Spartansby Anonymous

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July 26, 2004: 1961 film on the famous stand by the Spartans against the Persian hordes of Xerxes at the pass of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. Although the screenplay is somewhat of a Cold War fossil with some cliche dialogue as well as plenty of forced acting, the film is mostly faithful to the historical facts; the plot moves at a rather steady pace and is carried by good action. The film follows the general historical facts pretty accurately. To avenge his father Darius' humiliating defeat at Marathon, King Xerxes of Persia prepares a major invasion of the Greek mainland with a gigantic army of over 100,000 men: the largest army ever assembled in antiquity. Upon crossing crossing the Hellespont into the Greek mainland, the Greek city states meet and discuss what to do next. King Leonidas of Sparta (Richard Egan) calls for an expeditionary force to delay the Persian army at the pass of Thermopylae (The Hot Gates), a narrow mountain pass in north-eastern Greece so called because of the hot geysers nearby. The delay will allow all of the Greek cities to prepare their defenses and mobilize their citizen armies. Debate ensues but Leonidas knows there's no time to waste. Ignoring the religious festival, he heads out with a group of 600 hoplites to the mountain pass: inspired by the Spartans' bravery, other Greek cities contribute a force of approximately 6000 men. Having the advantage of holding a narrow pass offering limited maneuverability, the Greek hoplites defeat the ill-organized Persians several times: the Persians being primarily adept at cavalry and archery were ill prepared to fight close infantry formations such as the Greek phalanx. Victory seems plausible but the majority of the Greek army chooses to retreat to prepare better defenses; with their departure, only Leonidas and his 300 hoplites remain to fight the Persians. After being betrayed and encircled, the remaining Spartans choose to stand their ground and fight to the bitter end. Again, this is a pretty decent film to be enjoyed by all ages. The screenplay is somewhat heavy with Cold War propaganda and the acting quite stiff. What makes up for the latter is the cinematography and choreography along with some reasonably good dialogue. A good film to rent or own. I heard that Michael Mann is planning to adapt and direct Stephen Pressfield's book 'Gates of Fire' for film; I look forward to seeing a modern version of this epic battle.


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