How Hollywood baddies tarnish Iran image

In this exclusive ifilm report, the effects of bad characters in the anti-Iran movie '300' are discussed in terms of how they can tarnish the image of a nation. 

Part of an ifilm show titled 'Hollywood Cut' highlights the consequences of depicting a deformed villain in the '300' flick and brings in the expert opinion to further analyze such false historical images in Hollywood movies.

The narrator for the show says, "The humiliating cliche which inherently exists in Hollywood is the dramatic role of a bad character in the movie" titled '300', adding, "There is a traitor among the Greeks. He's a terribly deformed man with a disgusting appearance."

This is just an example showing that even those who have helped Iranians throughout history should be demonized in Hollywood movies. Thus, Iranian people are vilified with considerable subtlety through such representations in the flick. 

Meanwhile, Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich, the expert on the show, said of such false depictions in Hollywood movies, "Iranians are very proud and they're very proud of their history. So when their history was distorted, especially [in] movies such as the '300'. I think the general population showed anger and resentment. That said, there are lots of Iranians, especially those who live in the diaspora, the ones who live overseas who see their identity shaped by these movies, and then they face the hostility of the countries where they live."

She adds, "Maybe, the hostility is not aimed at them personally, but it's aimed at their identity and regrettably, there are many Iranians who, in order to separate themselves and distance themselves from what is being projected as an Iranian identity, tend to also discredit the Iranians that are perhaps back home and jump on board with the Hollywood Bandwagon so that they feel affiliated with their host country vs their native country. So, I think it has more than just one aspect."

‘300’ is an American war movie intended to inspire the world to shape a pessimistic view toward Iran and its history of civilization.

The flick, directed by Zack Snyder, shows Iranians in a bad light as ruthless people who live to attack other lands. Iran is wrongly depicted as the symbol of totalitarianism. As opposed to such an image, Greece, a metaphoric reference to the West in the flick, is a cradle of civilization.

'300' also suggests the idea that one Greek man is worth a thousand Persians after someone from the Greek army is killed in the movie, while the remaining men get outraged and kill as many as a thousand Persian soldiers. 

Propagation of both Iranophobia and Islamophobia is active in Hollywood. The film '300' released in 2007 is a case in point.

AG/AG