 From its opening , 300 also attracted controversy over its portrayal of Persians . Officials of the Iranian government denounced the film . Some scenes in the film portray demon @-@ like and other fictional creatures as part of the Persian army , and the fictionalized portrayal of Persian King Xerxes I has been criticized as effeminate . Critics suggested that this was meant to stand in stark contrast to the sheer masculinity of the Spartan army . Steven Rea argued that the film 's Persians were a vehicle for an anachronistic cross @-@ section of Western stereotypes of Asian and African cultures . 
