Iran is always good for some laughs

[SmoothCriminal]

Oh Iran. Apparently the mythological story of 300 Spartans fighting off many Persians over 2500 years ago was actually some good old American Propaganda. Just goes to show that the American media (Cough "COMMIES" Cough) cannot be trusted. Thanks for showing me the truth Iran. Nothing like some good old war propaganda based on an event that dates back well before America existed.

http://english.people.com.cn/200703/12/eng...312_356565.html

[unasoto]

thats funny its base on historical events.or about as much historical as Troy, or Alexandor. :)

[VaKo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/300_Spartans

[Shaun]

thats funny its base on historical events.or about as much historical as Troy, or Alexandor. :)

Well, not really. There is no evidence to indicated the Trojan War ever happened, it's part of Greek mythology (although most myths have at least a bit of basis in reality). I'm not sure what you are referring to by Alexandor, if you mean Alexander the Great he was a real historical figure who we know really existed, but there are a lot of Greek myths with him as the hero. The Battle of Thermopylae really did happen (although the sizes of the armies were probably far for what the Greeks recorded - history is written by the victors and all that) so it can be said to be as historically accurate as Alexander the Great in that we know they existed but not sure accurate the historical details are, but I don't see how it can be said to be anything like Greek mythology.

Also Iran's government is completely retarded, like all theocratic regimes.

[cooper]

Look at it this way:

You're a proud, polish person. Several years from now some guy creates a popular work of art, called Gleiwitz, about how the evil Poles tried to invade peaceful germany, and the German millitary, through trial and tribulation, managed to amass a sufficient force to thwart the attack, and fend off the polish horde.

How would you feel about that?

Obviously the book is virtually unobtainable in Poland, as it's fiction based on an historic truth the Polish people are trying to put behind them. But outside polish borders the work of art becomes very popular. Sales go through the roof. People have posters of images associated with it on their bedroom wall.

How would you feel about that?

Then some exec in a moviestudio outside of Poland sees a way to make a few bucks off a popular thing in todays local culture, and makes a movie about it.

How would you feel about that?

Outside of Poland, it becomes one of the best-selling movies of all time. People are expecting Oscars here.

How would you feel about that?

Now factor in the history lesson that the nazi-staged attack by "polish troops" on a radio station in Gleiwitz, Germany was used as justification for Nazi Germany to invade poland, which started off WWII...

History is very much written by the victors. But if the Nazi's hasn't lost, rest assured that what few poles were left alive would be offended to the core if and when such a movie were to be made. There are always 2 sides to a story. Don't be so easy to dismiss the one you're not familiar with.

[Shaun]

I don't think that's too valid an example. To start with it's kind of loaded because no one likes the Nazis and we know it isn't true for a fact.

And even if that's a valid argument surely then it's wrong to make any film based on any war between two countries, because the victor will obviously have twisted things to make them look like the good guys and their enemies the evil guys?

It is a historical event and even if we don't know all the circumstances, how often do we know all the circumstances of something that happened a long time ago? Should we never make films based on those things because we don't always have both sides' story?

And the suggestion that this is an anti-Iranian propaganda film seem a bit far fetched to me. To start with I doubt the average person even knows that Iran is Persia and I don't think the average 5th century BCE Persian would have had a lot in common with a modern Iranian anyway - they spoke a different language and the Muslims wouldn't invade Persia for another thousand years (in fact Islam and Christianity didn't even exist). It seems so loosely connected to Iran to me. It's like suggesting making a film about Joan of Arc is an anti-English film because the English are occupying France and kill Joan in it 500 years ago. Actually, World War 2 films are made all the time from an Allied Forces perspective, but no sensible person suggests Saving Private Ryan was designed as propaganda against modern day Germany, regardless of the fact that the German state back then did such inhumane things and it wasn't even that long ago.

[jool]

Irans President is behaving like a real world equivalent of a forum troll. Everything is an attack and/or insult and the response is completely out of proportions. Problem is that you can't kick him without causing worse problems and at the time he might also have nukes.

The movie is only accurate to the graphic novel, which in itself is only loosely based on the historic record. I believe it would be very hard to find any historian who would say that the battle itself didn't happen, though they might argue what the actual size of the forces were or how large its impact was relative to other battles in the same period.

[unasoto]

thats funny its base on historical events.or about as much historical as Troy, or Alexandor. :)

Well, not really. There is no evidence to indicated the Trojan War ever happened, it's part of Greek mythology (although most myths have at least a bit of basis in reality). I'm not sure what you are referring to by Alexandor, if you mean Alexander the Great he was a real historical figure who we know really existed, but there are a lot of Greek myths with him as the hero. The Battle of Thermopylae really did happen (although the sizes of the armies were probably far for what the Greeks recorded - history is written by the victors and all that) so it can be said to be as historically accurate as Alexander the Great in that we know they existed but not sure accurate the historical details are, but I don't see how it can be said to be anything like Greek mythology.

Also Iran's government is completely retarded, like all theocratic regimes.

No I was refering to Alexander Hamilton. [/sARCASM] of course Alexander the great. I was comparing movies. (300/Troy/Alexander) When I said historically I meant as historically as Hollywood can get. all 3 are based on STORIES (books) Troy the city did exist, and the Greeks did have a war with them. Its the historical core that I was referring to.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_war

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_VII

[Shaun]

Well maybe I was a little over assertive without doing proper research first, however the first line of the historicity section of that article does say "The historicity of the Trojan War is still subject to debate.", along with some statements in favour of its historicity like "Today many scholars agree that the Trojan War is based on a historical core of a Greek expedition against the city of Troy, but few would argue that the Homeric poems faithfully represent the actual events of the war." but the point is there is nothing like as much evidence to support the Trojan war as the other two. What I should have said is there's a lot less certainty as to whether it happened or not.

Edit: Also I didn't realise there was a film called Alexander which is why I was a bit confused, I don't remember ever seeing it advertised athough it was only 2004 according to IMDB.