Retrospective: Conan the Barbarian (1982) - By Robert B. Marks
I wish Hollywood still made films like _Conan the Barbarian_. Based loosely on the stories by Robert E. Howard, this film is an excellent example of the film-maker's art.
Interestingly enough, the majority of the material for _Conan the Barbarian_ does not come from the Conan stories at all, but rather from Robert E. Howard's King Kull tales. However, this material is well used to create what should soon be a classic fantasy film.
The film begins with a young Conan receiving instruction about "the riddle of steel" from his father. The village is then attacked by Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones), and Conan is taken into slavery. He grows up as a slave, becomes a gladiator, is taken to the east to learn the arts of war, and is then freed by his master. The now adult Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) begins to wander the world in search of revenge. In his travels he encounters and falls in love with the lovely Valeria (Sandahl Bergman) and becomes close friends with the archer Subotai (Gerry Lopez) and an eccentric wizard (Mako; also the narrator).
Where this sort of plot would usually lead to a rather dull, unoriginal film, John Milius' direction turns it into a very high quality tale. The characters are well acted and generally do intelligent things (for example, when Conan is preparing for a battle, he puts on armour). The story is told more with images and music than dialogue, and Basil Poledouris' incredible score helps create an unforgettable movie. James Earl Jones is perhaps the great star of the cast; his Thulsa Doom is both hypnotic and believable.
Also, unlike most fantasy films, _Conan the Barbarian_ is a very intelligent film that keeps the viewer thinking long after it has ended. The riddle of steel is a mystery which rightfully remains unsolved, and one is left realizing that, while evil, Thulsa Doom always speaks the truth. Towards the end, he tells Conan: "Without me, you will have never been", revealing an essential fact about great men: they are made by their enemies.
It is not, however, a film for children or young teenagers. The violence is generally graphic and explosively bloody, and there are several scenes of nudity. Also, the younger audience probably wouldn't fully understand all that there is to _Conan_; unlike too many of its successors, this film is very subtle.
Unfortunately, the film does not actually depict Robert E. Howard's Conan. The chronology of the character is wrong, and the mercenary and vulgar Conan is changed into a quiet and introspective one. Valeria also bears little resemblance to the character that appears in _Red Nails_, and Thulsa Doom does not come from the Conan stories at all; he comes from the era of King Kull (some 20,000 or so years earlier).
However, all in all _Conan the Barbarian_ is a film which set a new standard for fantasy in Hollywood; a standard which is rarely met. Between memorable images, an incredible score, and a well-told story, it is worthy of becoming a classic.
So, the final score: 4.5/5; it would have gotten 5/5 if Conan had actually borne some resemblance to what Robert E. Howard wrote, but that's Hollywood for you...
--
The future has not been written, / The past is set in stone,
And I am but a lonely wanderer, / With time as my only home.
-- from _Demon's Vengeance_
Forthcoming: _Myth_ical Battlefields -- Computer Gaming World (early
1999) (working title)
Speculations: Monolithic Proportions -- The United (early
1999)
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