Sex, Violence, Love(PART 2 OF 3)
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As of June 28, there are 15 copies in the Vancouver libraries, and all of them are checked out. Twenty 20 people are waiting in the line.
So, Kato, you're saying that the movie is quite popular, aren't you?
Yes, I am. It's in a big demand. It must be pretty good. Don't you think?
You're gonna force me to watch the quite violent and sexually explicit movie, aren't you?
I thought you were open-minded.
Yes, I am... I'm always open to new ideas and opinions. Why don't you tell me about your favorite movie---"300 (Spartans)"?
Yes, I do. First of all, watch the trailer:
300
Battle of Thermopylae
（Traler）
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I also made a comment in the catalogue:
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■（Click here for the real McCoy!）
I love this fast-paced, action-packed movie---especially, combined action scenes of slow-motion and fast-forward movement.
These fighting scenes are so impressive and shocking that this technique might have influenced in making the violent scenes of "Spartacus, blood and sand"---a dazzling and fascinating television program in 2010.
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Is this movie popular too?
Yes, you bet. Look at the following record:
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As of June 28, there are 9 copies in the Vancouver libraries, and all of them are checked out. Nine people are waiting in the line.
I see... This one is also in a big demand, isn't it?
You're telling me, Diane.
But "300" isn't in your list, is it?
No, it isn't. I jotted down my comment in the catalogue on June 22, but I actually saw the movie two years ago. Since I was thinking of writing thie article, I jotted down the above comment.
I see. So, Kato, how come you picked up "SPARTACUS" and "300" among all the action movies.
'Cause the impressive and shocking fighting scenes with slow-motion and fast-forward movements boggled my mind. This technique is found in both movies. So naturally I thought both movies had the same cinematographer.
Did the two films have the same director of photography?
Well... to make a long story short, each film has its own cinematographer. The "300" cinematographer is Larry Fong while the visual effects supervisor of "SPARTACUS" is Charlie McClellan. Apparently, different persons created fighting scenes for each movie.
Then how come you thought the same technitian was involved in both movies in the first place?
Well...in the 2010 "SPARTACUS", Peter Mensah played "Doctore"---a trainer and the right-hand man of the owner of the gradiator school.
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"Doctore" played by Peter Mensah
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Peter Mensah in "300"
Peter Mensah also played a minor role in "300." He confronted the leader of the Spartan army and was thrown to the big well to his death.
So, Peter Mensah is common in both movies, isn't he?
Yes, he is. So I concluded that the casting director of "SPARTACUS" had chosen him for the much bigger role---"Doctore." Apparently, the casting director must have seen the fighting scenes of "300" and told the film director of "SPARTACUS" about the unique technique.
This is how the director of "SPARTACUS" came to adopt the same technique as used in the "300" fighting scenes. Is that what you thought, Kato?
Yes, it is.
I wonder if "300" was made based on the historical battle.
Yes, it was made based on the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC---so named because it was fought at Thermopylae in the following map.
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The leader of the Greek army was King Leonidas of Sparta.
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The leader of the Persian army was King Xerxes I.
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The "Spartacus" is an excellent movie, but "300" was more exciting and shocking to me simply because I saw the movie of uniquely violent nature for the first time.
Kato, do you like movies full of violence?
No, not really. I don't like violence, but naturally, the violence certainly propells me to want to see more.
How come?
Well...we, human beings, have a fighting instinct deep inside as the Romans passionately loved fighting to death in the Colosseum. Look at the above trailer. You can see the spectators in the amphitheatre crying in joy when they saw the head of a gradiator chopped off and the blood spattered around.
Kato, did you enjoy it too?
To tell you the truth, I detested the violence at first. When I was through the first 6 episodes of the "SPARTACUS", however, I started to enjoy the death game just as the spectators in the amphitheatre.
Tsk, tsk, tsk,... Kato, that isn't the right attitude.
I'm not saying that the death game is a right thing for us to enjoy. But let's face the reality. As I told you, we, human beings, have a fighting instinct deep inside as the Romans passionately loved fighting to death. And this has certainly to do with the holocaust.
Violence and Terror
of Dr. Josef Mengele
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The driving force for cruelty and violence is deeply rooted in the bottom of our mind, I suppose. Otherwise, we wuoldn't be able to understand that such a well-educated man as Dr. Mengel did a terrible thing on innocent people.
So, Kato, are you saying that everybody has the driving force for cruelty and violence rooted in the bottom of his or her mind?
Yes, I am. The evidence is the spectators crying for joy in the movie "SPARTACUS."
But we're different from the spectators of those days. We're well educated and cultured as civilized human beings. We've learned from the mistakes in the past.
Do you really think so, Diane?
Yes, I do.
But when you look around on the Net at this moment, you can easily see the death game going on rampantly.
You gotta be kidding.
No, I'm not. Look at the following video clips:
Genocide in Sudan
2 millions killed so far
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(To be followed)