My Issue with 300

First off, 300 was an excellent movie. Maybe not 'Best Picture' worthy, but one of the best theater movies you will ever see. The cinematography is nothing less than brilliant, creating a one-of-a-kind visual experience. The costumes were well done. And a well thought out score helps to add to the overall atmosphere of the movie. Simply a feast for the senses. The movie also sticks fairly closely to the original graphic novel (basically a fancy word for a comic book with blood, which, by the way, is worth picking up simply for the exquisite art) which I am always a fan of. Just a well-thought, well-directed, and overall well-made movie.
My only problem with 300 is its depiction of the 'Persians'. And yes, this is fairly personal. Coming from a Persian ancestry, I'm proud of my heritage. The Persian empire was by all definitions quite civilized with set laws and order. The Persian satraps, setup by Darius, were likely the first instance of states being created with set territories and governorships. The early kings were known for being proponents of civil rights and religious tolerance. The founder of the Persian empire, Cyrus, is famous for freeing the Israelites after his conquering of Babylon. Throw in the large amount of artists and craftsmen that thrived in the Persian empire, as well as the postal system created during the reign of Darius, and it becomes blatantly obvious that the 'Persians' were not the godless heathens portrayed by Hollywood.
Yes the Persians were expansionists. What empire is not? And admittedly Xerxes was not the best of leaders. But where in the world did they get the whole metrosexual bordering on gay thing from? I'm all for artistic expression, but that seems like a bit much to me. And sadly, the depiction of the 'Persians' in 300 is flattering compared to the horrendous piece of shit that was Alexander. One of the many problems of Alexander (seriously, it could be an entire post by itself) was that the Persians were made out to be nothing more than blubbering, dim-witted cowards. At least in 300 the Persians were given some humanity. It's time, in my opinion, for Hollywood to do an honest portrayal of the Persians. How about a bio-pic of Cyrus? Tell me that wouldn't make for a riveting movie. He was around before Alexander, before the Spartans. Without him they may not have ever been. The Persian empire was a dignified, historically important piece of history, and it deserves to be treated as such, rather than given the shit-treatment it recently has.