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Iranians outraged over hit movie ‘300’
Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 3:40 am
by Yalmuk
TEHRAN, Iran - The hit American movie “300” has angered Iranians who say the Greeks-vs-Persians action flick insults their ancient culture and provokes animosity against Iran.
“Hollywood declares war on Iranians,” blared a headline in Tuesday’s edition of the independent Ayende-No newspaper.
The movie, which raked in $70 million in its opening weekend, is based on a comic-book fantasy version of the battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C., in which a force of 300 Spartans held off a massive Persian army at a mountain pass in Greece for three days.
Even some American reviewers noted the political overtones of the West-against-Iran story line — and the way Persians are depicted as decadent, sexually flamboyant and evil in contrast to the noble Greeks.
In Iran, the movie hasn’t opened and probably never will, given the government’s restrictions on Western films, though one paper said bootleg DVDs were already available.
Still, it touched a sensitive nerve. Javad Shamghadri, cultural adviser to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said the United States tries to “humiliate” Iran in order to reverse historical reality and “compensate for its wrongdoings in order to provoke American soldiers and warmongers” against Iran.
The movie comes at a time of increased tensions between the United States and Iran over the Persian nation’s nuclear program and the Iraq war.
But aside from politics, the film was seen as an attack on Persian history, a source of pride for Iranians across the political spectrum, including critics of the current Islamic regime.
State-run television has run several commentaries the past two days calling the film insulting and has brought on Iranian film directors to point out its historical inaccuracies.
“The film depicts Iranians as demons, without culture, feeling or humanity, who think of nothing except attacking other nations and killing people,” Ayende-No said in its article Tuesday.
“It is a new effort to slander the Iranian people and civilization before world public opinion at a time of increasing American threats against Iran,” it said.
Iran’s biggest circulation newspaper, Hamshahri, said “300” is “serving the policy of the U.S. leadership” and predicted it will “prompt a wave of protest in the world. ... Iranians living in the U.S. and Europe will not be indifferent about this obvious insult.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17599641/?GT1=9145
What next?
Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 12:28 am
by Jay21
I've heard a rumor that '300' is actually a propaganda movie and it's complete bull. It's nothing more than entertainment. We need not see this movie to have animosity towards Iran, and many other Muslim nations for that matter.
Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 12:38 pm
by threeblow
I've heard a rumor that '300' is actually a propaganda movie and it's complete bull. It's nothing more than entertainment. We need not see this movie to have animosity towards Iran, and many other Muslim nations for that matter.
The movie is about persions, who weren't even muslims.Go do your homework
Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 6:27 pm
by Jay21
I've heard a rumor that '300' is actually a propaganda movie and it's complete bull. It's nothing more than entertainment. We need not see this movie to have animosity towards Iran, and many other Muslim nations for that matter.
The movie is about persions, who weren't even muslims.Go do your homework
Persians aren't Muslims!? lmao!. Get a clue, guy. Anyway, the controversy is that the Iranians think this put MUSLIMS in a bad light. Since we don't called Iranians Persians anymore, unless you didn't know that? Don't try to show me up, I probably know more on this entire Middle East conflict than everyone on here combined, especially you.
Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 6:44 pm
by guest
I've heard a rumor that '300' is actually a propaganda movie and it's complete bull. It's nothing more than entertainment. We need not see this movie to have animosity towards Iran, and many other Muslim nations for that matter.
The movie is about persions, who weren't even muslims.Go do your homework
Persians aren't Muslims!? lmao!. Get a clue, guy. Anyway, the controversy is that the Iranians think this put MUSLIMS in a bad light. Since we don't called Iranians Persians anymore, unless you didn't know that? Don't try to show me up, I probably know more on this entire Middle East conflict than everyone on here combined, especially you.
Just a little show-off? He does not talk about Iranians, he talks about persians .... he´s speaking about the past when the movie plays.....
Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 7:18 pm
by weedbender
Iran is getting mad about the movie ----how stupid is that? Maybe someone should tell them its a MOVIE and its for entertainment only.
Next they will start buning up buildings cars cities flags and killing each other over it just like the cartoons.
Thats ok I'll just sit back a watch the pathetic antics.
BUt cant wait to see the movie.
Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:27 pm
by weedbender
hey mod why dont you dish out the warnings that I pointed out on threeblow in general news section?
Fair is Fair you know
Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:01 am
by Jay21
The movie, which raked in $70 million in its opening weekend, is based on a comic-book fantasy version of the battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C.,
Your EXPERT opinion is that Islam had spread to Persia/Iran nearly 500 before Jesus Christ (a.s.), and 1100 years before Muhammad (s.a.w.s.)
How fortunate we are to be graced by your membership of this forum, oh learned one...
No, my opinion is that that the Iranians are getting upset for a reason (which you have just so graciously pointed out for me) they shouldn't be!
Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:09 am
by wewant2no2
That should be a good movie... Check out this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDiUG52ZyHQ
I bet with all that publicity that movie will clear another 70 million or more. NOW everyone will want to see it.
Take care...
Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 11:02 am
by weedbender
I think Im gonna go see it this weekend.
Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:32 pm
by TagemandBagem
The second trailer for 300 is one of the best movie trailers ever made IMO. One reviewer even suggested skipping the film and just watching that trailer over and over.
As for the Iranians, they're obviously over-reacting but not without some reason.
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/ ... onbat&only
Frank Miller sounds more than a little rabid himself and there's no question his mindset is one of a "clash of civilizations" with Iran and Arabs meshing together to form one congealed, confused mess of an enemy. He even claims Iraq declared war on the US as justification for the invasion...