300 (2006)

When the big-screen adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel hit cinemas in 2006, 300 was subjected to ridicule and criticism for its portrayal of the Persians. While the Iranian embassy protested its screening in theaters of countries like Uzbekistan, France, Turkey, and Thailand, an Iranian delegate at the United Nations would protest the biblical saga in a press release.

Based on fictional events, 300 is the age-old story of David and Goliath—the underdog’s triumphant victory despite being outnumbered and facing impossible odds. Set in 480 B.C., Zack Snyder tells the story of a war between the mighty Persian empire and a mere 300 Greek soldiers.