Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-14-2014

Publication Title

Journal of Communication Inquiry

Volume

39

Issue

1

First Page

5

Last Page

20

Abstract

Popular films continue to replace history courses as the source of truth with regard to important events or eras. 300, in its interpretation of the Battle of Thermopylae, based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller, is an example of this trend. Rather than adhering to the presented historical facts of the event, 300 offers a hyperreal interpretation of the battle and the societies that surrounded it, infusing contemporary hegemonic ideologies regarding sexuality, classism, and race into a mediated discourse that presents the spectacle of the film as reality. This essay examines the narratives that are presented within the film, paying particular attention to how each narrative moves away from historical documentation and toward a hyperreality that glorifies violence, misogyny, and domination. How these narratives can potentially become the historical reality that individuals internalize is of particular concern here.

Comments

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Sage in Journal of Communication Inquiry on July 14, 2014, available online: https://doi-org.leo.lib.unomaha.edu/10.1177/0196859914539506

Tyma, A. W., This is Sparta! Mediated Mythology as Pedagogy in 300. Journal of Communication Inquiry (39, 1) pp. 5-20. Copyright © [2015]. DOI: https://doi-org.leo.lib.unomaha.edu/10.1177/0196859914539506

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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