I feel exactly the same as many people about this movie (i.e kind of fascist values, melting defense of the race and civilization, body glorification, and hate over decadent and perverse eastern peoples), but I am wondering about the intent: was it made to condemn that fascism or to glorify it? I preferred to choose the second option, while kind of liking the movie anyway. It is well shot, not too bloody, and much better than epic movies like "the lord of the rings". Sex scenes are very exciting and beautiful, as well as the oracle's scene. I also fear that this version of the Battle of Thermopylae will be kept in the mind of main people to be historical. We do know that Xerxes was not evil and Leonidas was not good. The reality of both aechemenid Persia and Sparta is more complex. Anyway, we must also remind that the story of the Battle of Thermopylae had been written in ancient times to be a glorification to Sparta and Greece, as a propaganda against new enemies and towards a unification of the geek cities. We knew the same with the war of Troy, the battle of Marathon, all Egyptian stories, even the bible's stories were mainly made for strategic and political goals. So, it would not be fool to think that this movie nowadays could be used as a propaganda against Iran and/or an alliance of Turkey with Asian states.
