I saw it last night at a midnight showing. The only thing "homoerotic" about it is the number of physically fit actors wearing very little clothing which is in keeping with the time period. In fact, there is very little having to do with homosexuality which was about as common in that time as it is now. There was, however, a strong showing of the bond that grows between friends, brothers, and soldiers that many modern crackpots have misinterpreted as homosexuality.
Visually this movie is amazing, and is worth seeing in the theater simply for the effect. Like Sin City, 300 is filmed in a very stylized manner that adds a kind of hyper-realism to the beauty of the countryside, the grim determination of the warriors, and the bloody slaughter of the battle. Like great works of art, everything on the screen has a purpose, nothing is there by accident, and the effect is quite stunning.
For those of you who don't already know, the story is a romance of the Battle of Thermopylae, meaning the events are true, but many of the characters and details have been embellished to aid in the storytelling. The story is told in a very classical style, heavy on narration, and praising certain ideals while condemning certain faults. Even without the stunning visual cinematics, it is a movie unlike anything that we are used to seeing.
If you can't tell, I really enjoyed this movie, but there are some people who might not.
Who 300 is not a movie for:
*Children
*People uncomfortable with the sight of nudity, blood, or violence.
*People who expect contemporary storytelling where actors act in a realistic, everyday maner.
*People looking for a historically accurrate telling of the Battle of Thermopylae.
For everyone else, I think this is a great film.
Edit Re: "Molon Labe" They do not say it in greek (Mel Gibson didn't direct this), but when the Persian demand that they lay down their weapons they say "come and get them".
