Film denounced by Iran breaks records
Updated on 11 April 2007
A film denounced by Iran 'as hostile and distorted' has broken box office records in the United Arab Emirates.
Based on a graphic novel by Frank Miller, '300' tells the ancient tale of the legendary battle between Spartans and Persians at Thermopylae in 480 BC.
Iran has criticised the film as "hostile behaviour which is the result of cultural and psychological warfare."
Despite the controversy '300', staring Gerard Butler, is expected to continue to top film screens in the Emirates this week and the movie has been largely praised in the Gulf State of the UAE.
Iranian-American Onome Emami said: "Firstly, I thought it was a really good movie, I really liked the fighting scenes.
"I didn't really like how they portrayed the Persians but I don't think it's such a big deal for them to make such a controversy on TV. It was a good watch."
An Iranian circulated a petition against the film on the Internet, saying the film was both "fraudulent and distorted."
Iranians take great pride in their history and the empire they founded, and any perceived slight against that heritage often sparks criticism across the political and social spectrum.
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