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The True Hollywood Left

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Zack Snyder's 300, the saga of the 300 Spartan soldiers who sacrificed themselves at Thermopilae in halting the invasion of Xerxes' Persian army, was attacked as the worst kind of patriotic militarism with clear allusions to the recent tensions with Iran and events in Iraq - are, however, things really so clear? The film should rather be thoroughly defended against these accusations.{{ZA}}
There are two points to be made; the first concerns the story itself - it is the story a small and poor country (Greece) invaded by the army of a much larges state (Persia), at that point much more developed, and with a much more developed military technology - are the Persian elephantsZack Snyder's 300, giants and large fire arrows not the ancient version of high-tech arms? When the last surviving group saga of the Spartans and their king Leonidas are killed by the thousands of arrows, are they not in a way bombed to death by techno-soldiers operating sophisticated weapons from a safe distance, like today's US 300 Spartan soldiers who push the rocket buttons from the warships safely away sacrificed themselves at Thermopilae in halting the Persian Gulf? Furthermore, invasion of Xerxes's words when he attempts to convince Leonidas to accept the Persian domination[[army]], definitely do not sound was attacked as the words worst kind of a fanatic Muslim fundamentalist: he tries patriotic militarism with clear allusions to seduce Leonidas into subjection by promising him peace and sensual pleasures if he rejoins the Persian global empire. All he asks from him is a formal gesture of kneeling down, of recognizing the Persian supremacy - if the Spartans do this, they will be given supreme authority over the entire Greece. Is this not the same as what President Reagan demanded from Nicaraguan Sandinista government? They should just say "Hey uncle!" to the US... And is Xerxes's court not depicted as a kind of multiculturalist different-lifestyles paradise? Everyone participates in orgies there, different races, lesbians and gays, cripples, etc.? Are, then, Spartans, [[recent]] tensions with their discipline [[Iran]] and spirit of sacrifice, not much closer to something like the Taliban defending Afghanistan against the US occupation (orevents in [[Iraq]] - are, as a matter of facthowever, the elite unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard ready to sacrifice itself in the case of an American invasionthings really so clear? The Greeks main arm [[film]] should rather be thoroughly defended against this overwhelming military supremacy is discipline and the spirit of sacrifice - and, to quote Alain Badiou: "We need a popular discipline. I would even say /.../ that 'those who have nothing have only their discipline.' The poor, those with no financial or military means, those with no power - all they have is their discipline, their capacity to act together. This discipline is already a form of organization." In today's era of hedonist permissivity as the ruling ideology, the time is coming for the Left to (re)appropriate discipline and the spirit of sacrifice: there is nothing inherently "Fascist" about these valuesaccusations.
But even this fundamentalist identity of There are two points to be made; the first concerns the Spartans story itself - it is the story a small and poor country ([[Greece]]) invaded by the army of a much larges [[state]] (Persia), at that point much more developed, and with a much more ambiguous. A programmatic statement towards developed military [[technology]] - are the Persian elephants, giants and large fire arrows not the ancient version of high-tech arms? When the end last surviving group of the film defines Spartans and their king Leonidas are killed by the Greeksthousands of arrows, are they not in a way bombed to [[death]] by techno-soldiers operating sophisticated weapons from a safe distance, like today' agenda as "against s US soldiers who push the rocket buttons from the warships safely away in the reign of mystique and tyrannyPersian Gulf? Furthermore, towards Xerxes's [[words]] when he attempts to convince Leonidas to accept the bright futurePersian domination," further specified definitely do not sound as the rule words of freedom a fanatic Muslim fundamentalist: he tries to [[seduce]] Leonidas into subjection by promising him peace and reason - sounds like an elementary Enlightenment program, even with sensual pleasures if he rejoins the Persian [[global]] [[empire]]. All he asks from him is a Communist twist! Recall also that[[formal]] gesture of kneeling down, at of recognizing the Persian supremacy - if the film's beginningSpartans do this, Leonidas outrightly rejects they will be given supreme [[authority]] over the message of entire Greece. Is this not the corrupt same as what President [[Reagan]] demanded from Nicaraguan Sandinista [[government]]? They should just say "oraclesHey uncle!" according to whomthe US... And is Xerxes's court not depicted as a kind of multiculturalist different-lifestyles paradise? Everyone participates in orgies there, different races, lesbians and gays, cripples, etc.? Are, then, Spartans, with their [[discipline]] and spirit of sacrifice, gods forbid not much closer to something like the military expedition to stop Taliban defending Afghanistan against the Persians - US occupation (or, as we learn latera matter of fact, the "oracles" who were allegedly receiving [[elite]] unit of the divine message Iranian Revolutionary Guard ready to sacrifice itself in the [[case]] of an ecstatic trance were effectively paid by American invasion? The [[Greeks]] main arm against this overwhelming military supremacy is discipline and the Persiansspirit of sacrifice - and, like the Tibetan "oracleto quote [[Alain]] [[Badiou]]: " We [[need]] a popular discipline. I would even say /.../ that 'those whohave [[nothing]] have only their discipline.' The poor, those with no financial or military means, in 1959those with no [[power]] - all they have is their discipline, delivered their capacity to act together. This discipline is already a [[form]] of organization." In today's era of hedonist permissivity as the ruling [[ideology]], the Dalai-lama [[time]] is coming for the message [[Left]] to leave Tibet (re)appropriate discipline and who was - as we learned today - on the payroll spirit of the CIA!sacrifice: there is nothing inherently "Fascist" [[about]] these values.
But what about even this fundamentalist [[identity]] of the apparent absurdity Spartans is more ambiguous. A programmatic [[statement]] towards the end of the idea film defines the Greeks' agenda as "against the reign of dignity, freedom mystique and Reasontyranny, sustained by extreme military disciplinetowards the bright [[future]], including of the practice of discarding the weak children? This "absurdity" is simply further specified as the price rule of [[freedom ]] and [[reason]] - freedom is not freesounds like an elementary [[Enlightenment]] program, even with a [[Communist]] twist! [[Recall]] also that, as they put it in at the film. Freedom is not something given's beginning, it is regained through a hard struggle in which one should be ready to risk everything. The Spartan ruthless military discipline is not simply Leonidas outrightly rejects the external opposite [[message]] of the Athenian corrupt "liberal democracy,oracles" it is its inherent conditionaccording to whom, it lays gods forbid the foundation for it: military expedition to stop the free subject of Reason can only emerge through a ruthless selfPersians -discipline. True freedom is not a freedom of choice made from a safe distanceas we learn later, like choosing between a strawberry cake or a chocolate cake; true freedom overlaps with necessity, one makes a truly free choice when one's choice puts at stake one's very existence - one does it because one simply the "cannot do it otherwise.oracles" When one's country is under a foreign occupation and one is called who were allegedly receiving the divine message in an ecstatic trance were effectively paid by a resistance leader to join the fight against the occupiersPersians, like the reason given is not Tibetan "oracle"you are free who, in 1959, delivered to choose," but: "Can't you see that this is the only thing you can do if you want Dalai-lama the message to retain your dignity?" No wonder that all early modern egalitarian radicals, from Rousseau to Jacobins, admired Sparta leave Tibet and imagined the republican France who was - as a new Sparta: there is an emancipatory core in we learned today - on the Spartan spirit payroll of military discipline which survives even when we subtract all historical paraphernalia of Spartan class rule, ruthless exploitation of and terror over their slaves, etc.the CIA!
Even more important isBut what about the [[apparent]] absurdity of the [[idea]] of dignity, perhapsfreedom and Reason, the film's formal aspect: the entire film was shot in a warehouse in Montrealsustained by extreme military discipline, with including of the entire background and many persons and objects digitally constructed. The artificial character [[practice]] of discarding the background seems to infect weak [[children]]? This "realabsurdity" actors themselvesis simply the price of freedom - freedom is not free, who often appear as characters from comics rendered alive (they put it in the film . Freedom is based on Frank Miller's graphic novel 300)not something given, it is regained through a hard [[struggle]] in which one should be ready to risk everything. Furthermore, The Spartan ruthless military discipline is not simply the artificial (digital) nature [[external]] opposite of the background creates a claustrophobic atmosphereAthenian "[[liberal]] [[democracy]]," it is its inherent condition, as if it lays the foundation for it: the story does free [[subject]] of Reason can only emerge through a ruthless [[self]]-discipline. [[True]] freedom is not take place in "real" reality a freedom of [[choice]] made from a safe distance, like choosing between a strawberry cake or a chocolate cake; true freedom overlaps with its endless open horizons[[necessity]], but in one makes a truly free choice when one's choice puts at stake one's very [[existence]] - one does it because one simply "closed world,cannot do it otherwise." When one's country is under a foreign occupation and one is called by a kind of relief-world of closed space. Aesthetically, we are here steps ahead of [[resistance]] [[leader]] to join the Star Wars and Lord of fight against the Rings series: although, in these series also, many background objects and persons are digitally createdoccupiers, the impression reason given is nonetheless the one of (real and) digital actors and objects (elephants, Yoda, Urkhsnot "you are free to choose, palaces, etc.) placed into a "realbut: " open world; in 300, on Can't you see that this is the contraryonly [[thing]] you can do if you [[want]] to retain your dignity?" No wonder that all early modern egalitarian radicals, all main characters are "real" actors put into an artifical backgroundfrom Rousseau to Jacobins, admired [[Sparta]] and imagined the combination which produces republican [[France]] as a much more uncanny "closed" world new Sparta: there is an emancipatory core in the Spartan spirit of a "cyborg" mixture military discipline which survives even when we subtract all historical paraphernalia of real people integrated into an artificial world. It is only with 300 that the combination Spartan [[class]] rule, ruthless exploitation of "real" actors and objects and digital environment came close to create a truly new autonomous aesthetic space[[terror]] over their [[slaves]], etc.
Even more important is, perhaps, the film's formal aspect: the entire film was shot in a warehouse in Montreal, with the entire background and many persons and [[objects]] digitally constructed. The artificial [[character]] of the background seems to infect "[[real]]" actors themselves, who often appear as characters from comics rendered alive (the film is based on Frank [[Miller]]'s graphic novel 300). Furthermore, the artificial (digital) [[nature]] of the background creates a claustrophobic atmosphere, as if the story does not take [[place]] in "real" [[reality]] with its endless open horizons, but in a "closed [[world]]," a kind of relief-world of closed [[space]]. Aesthetically, we are here steps ahead of the [[Star Wars]] and Lord of the Rings series: although, in these series also, many background objects and persons are digitally created, the impression is nonetheless the one of (real and) digital actors and objects (elephants, Yoda, Urkhs, palaces, etc.) placed into a "real" open world; in 300, on the contrary, all main characters are "real" actors put into an artifical background, the combination which produces a much more [[uncanny]] "closed" world of a "cyborg" mixture of real [[people]] integrated into an artificial world. It is only with 300 that the combination of "real" actors and objects and digital [[environment]] came close to create a truly new [[autonomous]] aesthetic space. The practice of mixing different [[arts]], of including in an art the reference to [[another ]] art, has a long [[tradition]], especially with [[regard ]] to [[cinema]]; say, many Hopper's portraits of a [[woman ]] behind an open window, [[looking ]] [[outside]], are clearly mediated by the [[experience ]] of cinema (they offer a shot without its counter-shot). What makes 300 notable is that, in it (not for the [[first time]], of course, but in a way which is artistically much more interesting than, say, that of Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy), a technically more developed art (digitalized cinema) refers to a less developed one (comics). The effect produced is that of "true reality" losing its innocence, appearing as part of a closed artificial [[universe]], which is a perfect figuration of our socio-[[ideological ]] predicament. Those critics who claimed that the "[[synthesis]]" of the two arts in 300 is a failed one are thus wrong for the very reason of [[being ]] [[right]]: of course the "synthesis" fails, of course the universe we see on the careen is traversed by a profound [[antagonism ]] and [[inconsistency]], but it is this very antagonism which is an indication of [[truth]][[:Category:Zizek Articles]]
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