 Moaveni identified two factors which may have contributed to the intensity of Iranian indignation over the film . First , she describes the timing of the film 's release , on the eve of Norouz , the Persian New Year , as " inauspicious . " Second , Iranians tend to view the era depicted in the film as " a particularly noble page in their history " . Moaveni also suggests that " the box office success of 300 , compared with the relative flop of Alexander ( another spurious period epic dealing with Persians ) , is cause for considerable alarm , signaling ominous U.S. intentions " . 
