The new movie “300” drew an overwhelming box office response despite skeptical reviews from most critics. In part, this hostility stemmed from the movie’s portrayal of bloody combat as heroic and noble, rather than the wasteful exercise described in “Flags of Our Fathers” and so many other acclaimed anti-war epics. By contrast, “300” offers dazzling, highly stylized visions of the doomed stand by 300 Spartans against literally hundreds of thousands of Persian invaders in 480 B.C. Simultaneously brutal and beautiful, the movie also shows cowardly politicians back home in Sparta who won’t send reinforcements for the heroes defending the whole society. The R-rating recognizes extreme, graphic violence as well as a lyrical sex scene between husband and wife on the eve of battle. Enthusiastic public response to this unforgettable cinematic experience shows that despite our war-weariness, millions of Americans still admire the sacrifices of dedicated warriors determined to defend their loved ones back home against what the movie explicitly decries as "the barbarism and mysticism of the East.".