Conan the Barbarian (1982)
Director: John Milius
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Sandahl Bergman
Primary genre: Sword and sorcery
Taken from Robert E. Howard’s pulp adventures in the early 20th century that centered around a muscled, scantily clad dude wielding a big sword towards all sorts of beasts and men, it is fascinating to see how a penned adaptation by Oliver Stone and John Milius (writer of Apocalypse Now (1979)) turned out to be a thoughtful portrayal of heroism within the campy boundaries of the sword-and-sorcery genre. A blueprint for later adventures of this type, Conan the Barbarian showcases a mythical world populated by witches, kings, thieves, sorcerers, beasts, and cult leaders with Spain’s landscapes used effectively under a fantastic and scalable production design (it is a Dino De Laurentiis production after all).
“Steel isn’t strong, boy, flesh is stronger! Look around you.”
Yet, there is a lot to admire here and despite its straightforward source material, Milius is more interested in exploring Conan’s quest for revenge at a much slower pace than you would have expected than to stage constant set pieces against tacky 80s monsters. Its dialogue-free prologue sets up perfectly Conan’s motivation in 20 minutes with Basil Poledouris’ thunderous score invoking a variety of emotions at every shot; from the Anvil of Crom to the rip-roaring Riders of Doom, Polydouris’ work is now the stuff of legend. Earlier traits of Oliver Stone’s primal exploration of the psyche are evident. From its introduction of a famous Nietzschean quote “That which does not kill us makes us stronger” (and in the case of Conan, literally), the film continues to unveil philosophical conversations about the riddle of steel and whether it is the weapon that makes the hero or vice versa. This favors an intellectual route which most of its targeted audience (back then) would not have cared for anyways yet the filmmakers elected to weigh man’s willpower against pure physical might.
Conan the Barbarian gave to the world Arnold Schwarzenegger’s incredible physique, a career defining moment for the beloved cinema icon which is deeper and more poignant than you would remember though. This role could have been easily reduced to a single-note one, yet Arnie’s big break and onscreen charisma allows him to grow likeable traits; he is honest, knowledgeable, loyal, and pure. He delivers a strong yet stoic and surprisingly grounded performance with Conan contemplating retrospectively his choices especially in ****SPOILER **** the finale after he violently beheaded Thulsa Doom at his now deserted temple in the middle of nowhere ****SPOILER ****.
The supporting cast in the love interest and villain department is remarkably strong too. Sandahl Bergman (who won a Golden Globe for her work here!) is as capable as they come, a fierce and defiant equal of Conan oozing strong dramatic depth that to this day, many movies fail to match while James Earl Jones as the iconic sorcerer Thulsa Doom with a particular fetish for snakes elevates the material to Shakespearean levels. A mere look conveys thousands of emotions.
One aspect which might attract some critique, is its limited action. For a flick featuring the word barbarian in its title, there is little brutality from the protagonist’s part which would turn off those expecting a more traditional adventure of kill the bad guy and save the girl routine. When Milius though stages his skirmishes, these are visceral, messy, and gruesome (as they should be) invoking a sense of violence that brings us back to the cruelty of this imaginary world. In addition, its late 70s commentary on hippie behavior might be seen as dated today but after all the superhero stuff and end of the world scenarios, it actually feels quite fresh.
Conan the Barbarian is one of those motion pictures that can be easily disregarded as something made to make money, show some skin, and deliver gratuitous bloodshed. Yet, what will you discover, is a multi-layered film boasting one of the best scores in history, with a likeable character and his rightful quest for justice. If this is not entertainment, then what is it?
The granddaddy of sword-and-sorcery
+Arnold IS Conan
+James Earl Jones’ acting
+Incredible soundtrack
+Production design
+Multi-layered quest for revenge
+Great love interest
