Why Such A Fuss Over A Movie? After all, isn't it just a comic-book inspired, computer-generated fantasy?

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Payvand Iran News ...

3/19/07

19/06/16 21.40

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Why Such A Fuss Over A Movie? After all, isn't it just a comic-book
inspired, computer-generated fantasy?
By Kam Zarrabi, Intellectual Discourse
After all the commotion over the movie 300 in the Iranian community here, as well as the
condemnations by the Iranian press, I thought it timely to reflect upon this and some other legends that
have worked their way into various cultures of the world, portrayed as historical fact or, at least,
claiming some historical merit.
Clearly, legends dont suddenly appear out of nowhere to prevail as a peoples national folklore or
cultural heritage. Those of us who have read and cherished Ferdowsis great epic, the Shahnameh or
the Book of Kings, while appreciating the poets own confession that, Rustam was just a Brave from
Sistan, I made him that Champion of Legend., we still take an inexplicable pride in the exploits of that
Champion and the demise of ancient Irans detractors in his hand.

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Ferdowsi made that monumental thirty-years effort in order to resurrect the Persian pride and Iranian
heritage and language after the fall of the Sassanian Empire to the Arab invaders. Although there
certainly is some historicity behind the legends of the Shahnameh, some documented but mostly oral,
the book is basically a compilation of legends and folklore, appealing to the nationalistic cravings of a
people with deep historical roots.
Just like the Iranians, other people have also their respective ethnic or national legends that serve as
sources of nostalgic pride, however historically unfounded or illusory. Today, the Mongolian people
take great pride in their ancestral hero, Chengiz Khan, the same conqueror who is regarded as antihero
among the cultures that faced his merciless onslaught.
Interestingly, that same Alexander of Macedon that ended the glory days of ancient Irans
Achaemenian Dynasty some 23 centuries ago, is a folk hero in Iran, where parents name their sons
Eskandar, or even Afrasiab and Pashang, other ancient antiheros, bestowing upon them an Iranian
identity due to their bravery.
Going back to the Battle of Thermopylae, there is absolutely no historical or archaeological evidence of
such a battle fought at that particular spot. A large army of several hundred thousand would have
logically taken the inland route toward Athens through lush valleys and rolling hills, rather than through
the bottleneck of the narrow Thermopylae Pass, where only a single-file group could supposedly
squeeze through, one at a time. Furthermore, one look at the geography of that coastline (Goggle
Earth) reveals no cliff or narrow seaside path. The shore area is several kilometers wide all along the
foothills.
Whether Xerxes (Khashayarsha) was defeated before reaching Athens or simply decided to turn back
due to some internal turmoil inside his empire, is not known to history. After all, there are no historical
accounts of the times other than those written by Herodotus the Greek!

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For a scholarly dissertation on the history of that era please refer to Professor Kaveh Farrokhs recent
work.

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Another story related to the same Xerxes is the legend of Esther, supposedly his Jewish queen. Again,
there is absolutely no evidence of the existence of such a queen or the accounts of that legend as we
see in the Book of Esther in the Bible. Yet, the Festival of Purim is celebrated every year around this
time, commemorating the victory of the Jewish tribes living in the Achaemenian Iran over their illwishers who were to do them harm, thanks to Esthers bravery and cunning.

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Incidentally, the so-called tomb of Esther and Mordakhai in Hamadan, Northwestern Iran, is about as
evidentiary as is one of several graves of the Mongol ruler, Tamerlane, this one near the town of
Sangesar in North-Central Iran!

Translating the Garden

An even older legend, the very foundation of the Book of Exodus in the Torah, talks about Gods wrath
against the Egyptian Pharaoh, Ramses, who had ordered all the first-born sons of the Hebrew tribe to
be killed in a certain night. That night the tables were turned, just as supposedly happened centuries
later in the story of Esther, and death instead fell upon all the first-born sons of Egypt, saving the Jews
who then escaped from the bondage of the Pharaoh by crossing the Sea of Reeds (The Red Sea).
The Passover, meaning that death passed over the Hebrews and, instead, struck the Egyptians, is
celebrated every year about this time.
In both of these legends one peoples redemption is at the extraordinarily brutal demise of another. In
Esthers case, according to the Biblical narrative, 75,000 Persians were massacred, young and old, for
planning to harm the Jews, perhaps a good example of the preemptive strike strategy exercised these
days in our modern world!
In the Exodus story, one might wonder how the death of perhaps several thousand totally innocent firstborn sons of a nation might be rationalized as Gods just punishment for a ruthless Pharaohs
intentions. Or, was that also an example of a preemptive strike?
Of course, both these tales are just that, stories and not history, with no archaeological evidence
whatsoever. Nonetheless, these legends, as well as most others of similar genre, have served the
purpose intended for them, that of sustaining and boosting a people or a nations sense of valor or
glory, all too often at the expense of another people or nations denigration or belittlement.
The celebrants these days would seldom recall the details of the accounts of such legends; what the
Jewish people celebrate now is the legacy of survival, victory, freedom and , above all, the love of their
God for His people. Thankfully, not many jubilant celebrants would actually recount the narratives as
graphically and explicitly detailed in the Torah.

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Why Such A Fuss Over A Movie? After all, isn't it just a comic-book inspired, computer-generated fantasy?

19/06/16 21.40

graphically and explicitly detailed in the Torah.

This brings me to an article I read on the internet, which begs for a response.
One Dale McFeatters article Comic-book movie upsets Iran; get a life. featured in a couple of Los
Angeles area newspapers on March 17, 2007.
Mr. McFeatters is clearly puzzled and quite indignant about the Iranian press and government objecting
to the film, 300, for its depictions of ancient Persia and the Persian people. At the same time, he
seems to validate the story as some sort of a historical fact by referring to the Encyclopedia Britannica
(out of context, of course) for verification!
In response to this contributor who writes for the Scripps Howard News Service, I would like to offer the
following:
Imagine a comic-book type, computer-generated animation, much like the movie, 300. This time it is
about the fictitious nation of Noble Dobermans, a Disney type movie showing graceful, noble
Doberman Pinchers, those blue-blooded and by nature proud dogs admired for their intelligence,
independent nature and valor.
Much to their chagrin, the Noble Dobermans, as the nation is called, discover that some members of
another species, the Rat, up to that time quite harmless and, in fact, often useful for their contributions
to society, had evolved into aggressive, self-serving rodents who would stop at nothing to benefit
themselves at the expense of the very integrity of the Noble Doberman State.
By tracking the bad Rats, it is discovered that they have infested the food silos, stealing the food and
stashing it inside their labyrinthine storage areas. Banks and other financial institutions are then
discovered to be ransacked by the Rats, who are attracted by nature, as we know, to anything shiny
and valuable, hiding huge stashes of the stolen valuables in their underground chambers.
Decision is made to round up the Rats and confiscate the horded goods. Alarmed by that decision, the
Rats try to make it out of the Noble Doberman State, carrying everything they have accumulated in
their oversized bags on their backs. Noticing this, the Dobermans round up those Rats who could not
escape in time, confiscate their properties, and intern them in special Rat containment areas.
Ultimately, as a final solution to this Rat infestation problem, the Noble Dobermans decide to
exterminate the pests by herding them all into a fiery inferno, like the one in the movie, 300!
Do you get the picture, Mr. McFeatters?
If you think some people would protest against such a clearly loaded and venomous scenario, just tell
them to get a life! OK, Mr. Mcfeatters? Just tell them it is only a computer generated fantasy movie.
Then watch and see how many days or hours your career lasts.
... Payvand News - 3/19/07 ...

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Why Such A Fuss Over A Movie? After all, isn't it just a comic-book inspired, computer-generated fantasy?

19/06/16 21.40

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