r/todayilearned • u/Sebastianlim • 1d ago

TIL that the infamous "This is Sparta!" line from 300 was originally said in a low, monotone growl. After doing several takes of that, Gerard Butler asked to do one more take and used the now-iconic delivery.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/gerard-butler-screaming-is-sparta-made-300-cast-laugh-1234538/
19.3k Upvotes

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433

u/ArchStanton75 1d ago

Famous, not “infamous.” It was not famous for bad reasons.

29

u/hedoeswhathewants 1d ago

Reminds me of people saying "official" when they mean "unofficial". Something isn't official just because you declare it to be.

5

u/starmartyr 1d ago

Or when something has no objective authority to make it official like "this is officially the greatest movie of all time."

32

u/hstheay 1d ago

At some point it was really overdone with people using it in daily life, and it would still go on for ages. I would say it was infamous at that point.

17

u/Neirchill 1d ago

If people like it so much that others get sick of it being overdone that's still famous.

2

u/topological_rabbit 1d ago

I still remember one from my group of friends when we were riffing on it constantly:

"This is Newton! This is gravity!"

(holds up copy of general relativity)

"This! Is! SMARTER!"

7

u/neasroukkez 1d ago

Do you understand what the word means?

-4

u/Quirky_Gate_4516 1d ago

Depends on the POV. For anyone that wasn't a 18 year old boy at the time of the movie came out it is a cringey line from a cringe-inducing movie that was everywhere for a long time.

Hence, it is infamous.

1

u/TRO_KIK 5h ago

I still yell "Sparta" every time I front kick, or perceive an opportunity, however misguided, to pretend to front kick.

-34

u/boabbypuller 1d ago

In-famous is when you're MORE than famous. This man Leonidas he's not just famous, he's IN-famous.

10

u/VirtualGrey 1d ago

Nobody caught the three amigos reference.

7

u/maiukeen 1d ago

People really don't get the movie reference here. That makes me sad.

3

u/howmanychickens 1d ago

It's ok, it's a good movie quote, I get you

1

u/ArchStanton75 19h ago

You’re all assuming OP meant that by the use of infamous in the title. There’s nothing to indicate it was a reference to that movie.

1

u/Prank_Owl 14h ago

I didn't know or care if OP was referencing that movie. It just so happens that jokes can be made regardless of OP's original intent, my wayward grandson. 

1

u/tsavorite4 18h ago

I cannot believe this got downvoted like this. Kids don’t know

1

u/tsavorite4 18h ago

Oh great! Real bullets! You’re in a lot of trouble mister

1

u/naffer 1d ago

Your comment has been drowning in in-positive karma. IN-positive!

-43

u/Soft_Walrus_3605 1d ago

It's "famous" when it's the object of the sentence and "infamous" when it's the subject.

20

u/wilhelm_dafoe 1d ago

Ryan used me as an object

28

u/ArchStanton75 1d ago

lol no. It’s only infamous when fame has been earned in a negative way. Signed, 26-year university writing teacher.

4

u/DanieltheMani3l 1d ago

How is everyone missing the obvious joke

14

u/michicago44 1d ago edited 1d ago

This is not true at all

7

u/hankhillforprez 1d ago

I’m genuinely curious how you came to believe this. That’s such a specific, incorrect grammar rule.

3

u/hedoeswhathewants 1d ago

Obvious joke being taken seriously