Essay Three-Frank Miller

Frank Miller is more than just a comic book writer; Miller is emerging as an important voice in film. Through his movie 300, Miller brings to life unlikely heroes who fight injustice against tremendous odds, and often lose. He virtually redefines the hero. In his movie 300, the heavily outnumbered Spartan warriors fight for their country’s freedom against an overwhelmingly enormous Persian Empire. The Persian king, Xerces, expanded his empire by force, whip, and greed. Claiming to be a god, Xerces demanded loyalty or death from all his subjects. His reign was a dark cloud of evil that overspread country after country. He set about enslaving his captives, forcibly taking from them their freedom and seeking to beat out of them all hope. The three hundred soldiers of Sparta who fought to the death for their freedom represented a small but significant light of hope in a dark cloud of evil. Although the three hundred soldiers were defeated by a dark cloud of arrows, their actions led to the eventual defeat of the Persian Empire. Had they decided their lives were not worth losing, that the odds were too greatly stacked against them, they would never have inspired so many others to step up. In addition, though such may not have been his intent, Miller’s films encourage the average citizen to take a stand, however useless it may seem, and fight for freedom and goodness in the world. Miller himself is quoted as saying, “It was an epiphany to me to realize that the hero wasn’t necessarily the guy who won… I tend to be drawn to characters who might die disgraced to the world, who technically lose whatever combat they’re in (sic) but win the moral victory” (Ito). While it is true that in this film the heroes die and the world remains relatively unchanged, the world is changed nonetheless, at least in a small corner or for a short time.


Ito, Robert. New York Times. (Late Edition (East Coast)). New York, N.Y.: Nov 26, 2006. Pg. 2.

In a world in which morality has become loosely defined, one in which heroes seem to be in short supply (at least in traditional arenas such as high level sports, religion, and politics), Miller’s message is an important one for the Average Joe. Although the message itself is the most important aspect of Miller’s films, the way in which that message is portrayed is quite unique. Miller’s film-noir style “thematically showed the dark and inhumane side of human nature” particularly in the case of the Persians in 300 (Dirks). The grimness of the situation is driven home even more strongly by the style in which Miller makes his films. Shot in gloomy grey and black scenes accented in sharp red colors, 300 is a uniquely designed film as well as a perfect example of film noir. By employing the old yet still powerful techniques of film noir, Miller makes the point visually as well as prosaically, that while good may not triumph over evil completely, it can make little differences in the lives of individuals along the way (MacDonald). And thus he gives hope to his audience, to any war-weary potential do-gooder. The mantra is to “Fight in the shade.” The hope is that, however small, one will make a difference.


Dirks, Tim. "Film Noir." "The Greatest Films". 2008. 7 Mar. 2008 .

MacDonald, Heidi. Publishers Weekly. New York: Mar 7, 2005. Vol. 252, Iss. 10; pg. 40, 3 pgs.

Miller makes a difference as both film maker and comic book writer. His influence has reshaped Batman, introducing this superhero to a new generation as “a darker, more reality-based Batman, influencing both the Tim Burton film version and [Director Christopher] Nolan’s new take” (MacDonald). And his films draw crowds. They have pure entertainment value. Publisher’s Weekly wrote that “While Sin City is something of a cult favorite, Batman is one of the world’s most popular superhero characters” (MacDonald). Miller’s works have attracted such stars as Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Brittney Murphy, Benicio Del Toro, Rosario Dawson, and Elijah Wood. Big name actors, coupled with lots of action, violence, and suspense bring popularity and success to Frank Miller films. His films are just out-right entertaining.

MacDonald, Heidi. Publishers Weekly. New York: Mar 7, 2005. Vol. 252, Iss. 10; pg. 40, 3 pgs.