When 300: Rise of an Empire hit theaters in 2014, most people expected a carbon copy of Zack Snyder’s original testosterone-drenched epic. They wanted more abs, more slow-motion blood spatter, and maybe another iconic "This is Sparta" scream. What they actually got was something far weirder and much more interesting. Basically, the movie belongs entirely to one person: Eva Green.
Honestly, the Eva Green Rise of the 300 performance is the only reason we're still talking about this movie over a decade later. While the first film was a masculine fever dream about brotherhood and sacrifice, the sequel shifted its weight toward a female villain so ferocious she made Xerxes look like a background extra. Green played Artemisia, a naval commander with a grudge against Greece that ran deeper than the Aegean Sea.
Why Artemisia Stole the Show
You've probably seen the memes or the clips of her dual-wielding swords. But there’s a nuance to why critics who hated the movie still loved her. While Sullivan Stapleton’s Themistokles felt a bit like a "Spartan-lite" hero, Green went full tilt. She wasn't just "playing" a villain; she was chewing the digital scenery until there were metaphorical teeth marks on the green screen.
Artemisia wasn't just some one-dimensional bad guy. Her backstory is actually pretty grim—her family was murdered by Greek hoplites, and she was left for dead before being rescued and trained by Persians. This trauma fueled a "war, war, and more war" mentality. Green has mentioned in interviews that she loved the "ebbs and cracks in the armor" of the character. She wasn't interested in being the "boring girlfriend" or a simple love interest.
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The Training Was No Joke
It’s easy to assume everything in these movies is CGI. However, Green actually went through a brutal physical transformation to play the part. We’re talking four hours of training a day. She worked with Mark Twight—the same guy who turned the original 300 cast into human boulders—to learn swordplay.
- Two months of double-sword training: She had to learn to move with blades as if they were extensions of her arms.
- The "Dance" of Death: Green described the choreography as a dance, though one that required endless squats and lunges to get low in her stances.
- Doing her own stunts: For the most part, that’s really her swinging those swords and kicking Greek soldiers off ships.
She’s admitted she isn't naturally a "physical" person. She’s famously shy and prefers a glass of red wine to a gym session. But for Eva Green Rise of the 300, she leaned into the "badass" persona. It was liberating for her to be "irreverent" and "not polite" on screen.
That Infamous Sex Scene
We have to talk about it because everyone else did. The "power-play" sex scene between Artemisia and Themistokles is perhaps one of the most bizarre sequences in modern action cinema. It wasn't romantic; it was a literal battle. They were throwing each other against walls and grappling as much as they were... well, you know.
Green and Stapleton spent days filming it. It was choreographed like a fight scene. According to Stapleton, it was basically a "half-naked fight" with a much better-looking enemy. The line Green delivers afterward—"You fight harder than you f***"—became an instant classic of "campy" cinema. It highlighted the power dynamic: Artemisia wasn't looking for love; she was looking for an equal to own.
The Box Office Reality
Did it live up to the first one? Financially, it was a success, but it didn't capture the cultural zeitgeist in the same way. The original 300 made about $456 million on a $60 million budget. Rise of an Empire cost a lot more—$110 million—and brought in around $337 million worldwide.
| Metric | 300 (2006) | 300: Rise of an Empire (2014) |
|---|---|---|
| Production Budget | $60 Million | $110 Million |
| Worldwide Gross | $456 Million | $337 Million |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score | 61% | 45% |
The sequel did much better internationally than it did in the US. Domestically, it only cleared about $106 million. Critics were split. Some called it a "step down" from Snyder’s vision, but almost every review mentioned Green as the saving grace. Variety called her performance "fearsome," while others described her as a "Xena/Joan Crawford hybrid."
Accuracy vs. Hollywood
If you’re a history buff, you might want to look away. The real Artemisia I of Caria was indeed a naval commander and an ally of Xerxes. She was smart, too—she actually advised Xerxes against the Battle of Salamis, which the Persians ended up losing.
In the movie, she dies in a dramatic duel with Themistokles. In real life? She survived the war and returned home with her dignity (and her head) intact. The film turned her into a vengeful Greek-born orphan, but the historical figure was a queen in her own right who happened to be a brilliant tactician.
How Eva Green Changed the Franchise
The "Eva Green effect" is real. She brought a level of gothic intensity to a genre that is usually just sweaty guys shouting. Before her, the women in the 300 universe—like Lena Headey’s Queen Gorgo—were strong but largely stayed within the confines of their political roles. Green’s Artemisia broke the mold by being the primary driver of the plot.
She's the one who manipulates Xerxes into becoming the God-King. She's the one leading the fleet. She's the one who refuses to surrender even when the odds are impossible. Without her, Rise of an Empire would likely be a forgotten "straight-to-DVD" style sequel. With her, it’s a cult favorite for fans of high-camp villainy.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're revisiting the movie or watching it for the first time because of the Eva Green Rise of the 300 hype, keep a few things in mind:
- Watch the background details: Look at her costumes. They are "regal yet rock 'n' roll," often featuring metal spikes and leather that look like armor even when they're dresses.
- Focus on the eyes: Green is famous for her "piercing" gaze. Even in the middle of a frantic CGI battle, she’s doing a lot of acting with just her expressions.
- Check out the "making of" clips: Seeing her train with those double swords makes you appreciate the physical labor that went into the role. She really did put in the work to look like she could take down a Greek general.
- Compare it to Sin City: A Dame to Kill For: Green played another "femme fatale" villain in a Frank Miller adaptation the same year. It’s a great double-feature to see how she handles different types of "dark" characters.
Ultimately, Eva Green proved that you can elevate mediocre material through sheer force of will. She didn't just play a part; she became the movie. Whether you love the over-the-top violence or find it exhausting, it’s impossible to look away when she’s on screen.
To truly appreciate the performance, look for the 10th-anniversary retrospective interviews or the Mark Twight training blogs. They offer a deep look into how an actress who "isn't physical" managed to become the most intimidating warrior in a franchise built on muscles and myth.