When bad reviews and huge box office numbers coincide, the gulf between critics and audiences is laid bare.
Cinnamon Stillwell
When it comes to the offerings of Hollywood, rarely does a film resonate strongly with both mainstream America and the largely liberal world of film critics. For the two seem to inhabit different universes, particularly when it comes to depictions of patriotism, war, religion and the age-old struggle between good and evil.
When bad reviews and huge box office numbers coincide, the gulf between critics and audiences is laid bare. Such was the case with “The Passion of the Christ” and “National Treasure,” both of which Americans flocked to see even as critics shook their heads in disbelief.
The unprecedented success of the recent film “300” is further evidence of this pattern. While critics have largely panned “300,” Americans clearly haven’t been listening. The film’s opening weekend brought in $70 million, with all 57 of its early IMAX midnight showings selling out, making it the highest-grossing March opening ever and third-highest opening for an R-rated feature. And its box office numbers have remained high ever since.
Based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller (of “Sin City” fame) and directed by Zack Snyder, “300” is a fictional recounting of the famous Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. The battle pitted King Leonidas and his bodyguard of 300 Spartans — aided by the Thespians — against the vast army of the Persian King Xerxes. Seeking to block the Persian army at a narrow mountain pass until Sparta and the rest of Greece could amass the will and forces to fight, the greatly outnumbered Spartan warriors used their superior fighting skills, bravery and determination to hold the “Hot Gates” to the last man. It was the Spartan sacrifice at Thermopylae that enabled the Greeks to later triumph over the Persians and carry on a civilization that brought us democracy and the rule of law. Critics See the Wrong Film
While critics described the film as overly violent, juvenile, stupid, macho, right-wing, race-baiting and, according to Stephen Whitty of the Newark Star-Ledger, an expression of “Saturday-matinee xenophobia,” “300” clearly has resonated with the masses. The reasons for this are obvious, at least to anyone who doesn’t inhabit the ranks of the intellectual elite. The film’s time-honored themes of bravery, honor, camaraderie, sacrifice, courage against all odds and, above all, the struggle between good and evil, are tailor-made for mainstream America during a time of war. Its success bespeaks a yearning for stories that tap into the ideals of a nation fighting for its survival.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2007/03/28/cstillwell.DTL
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