5. 300
The Film: Based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller, 300 is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and his 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy, drawing a line in the sand for democracy. The film brings Miller’s acclaimed graphic novel to life by combining live action with virtual backgrounds that capture his distinct vision of this historic battle.
The Historical Events: Despite the awesomeness that is the 300 film, the epic battles, the amazing directing, the incredible cinematography by Zack Snyder, and all the impressive special effects, truth is that there are some noticeable historical inaccuracies in this cinematic masterpiece. However, there’s no doubt that the film is loosely based on one of the world’s greatest battles ever: the Battle of Thermopylae. The battle took place back in 480 BC, where an alliance of Greek city-states fought the invading Persian army at the pass of Thermopylae. Vastly outnumbered, the Greeks delayed the enemy in what may be the most epic last stand in history.
The Greek army, led by King Leonidas of Sparta, was about ten thousand strong when the Persians arrived. Xerxes was furious by the fact that the Greeks would take a stand against his immense army (ranging between about 100,000 and 250,000). After warning them to surrender, Xerxes launched a vicious attack. At first, the Greek forces retreated drawing the Persian army into the narrow pass. Then they turned and waged a furious battle against the limited number of Persian who had entered the pass, thoroughly routing them. Time and again the attacking Persians, including the elite immortals, were unable to get through.
Two days after fierce body-to-body battles with the Persians getting destroyed by the much smaller Greek army, their luck was about to change. A local traitor named Ephialtes informed Xerxes about a small path above the pass of Thermopylae that led behind the Greek lines. This way the Persian army passed through the mountains at night and trapped the Greeks. King Leonidas, aware that his force was being outflanked, dismissed the bulk of the Greek army and remained to guard their retreat with 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians, fighting to the death.