Conan the Barbarian is the epitome of "Sword and Sorcery" fantasy on-screen

"Between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis, and the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of. And onto this, Conan, destined to wear the jeweled crown of Aquilonia upon a troubled brow. It is I, his chronicler, who alone can tell thee of his saga. Let me tell you of the days of high adventure! "

Need I say more? I'm gonna.

I was always under the impression that this was a silly action movie. After watching it one day, I was absolutely flabberghasted at how much of a solid epic this movie was.

Conan the Barbarian, starring everyone's favorite Austrian hulk, is often accused of being a silly, camp fantasy movie based on pure violence and action scenes. This couldn't be wronger in my opinion. I believe it is a statement people make without ever seeing the movie (like me). Conan THE DESTROYER, is all that, a sequel with toned down story and maturity meant to appeal to children with ridiculous action scenes and plot. The first one, however, is as solid as Arnold's abs.

Conan the Barbarian tells us the story of an orphan boy raised as a slave and gladiator in a mythical era of the world. He soon earns his freedom and turns to revenge, seeking the men with the "Snake sigil", who killed his parents and stole his family's sword. He soon befriends Subutai, a thief from distant lands, and Valeria, a warrior woman with whom he falls in love. The trio are hired to save a princess (the daughter of a aged adventurer turned king, played by Max Von Sidow) from Thulsa Doom(James Earl Jones), one of the last fabled Atlanteans, who uses sorcery to control those around him. It is soon revealed that Doom and his followers were the ones that murdered Conan's family. The 3 heroes confront Thulsa Doom and his cult, and though Valeria dies, Conan is able to best the warriors of Doom in an epic battle, and decapitate the wizard on his temple, saving the brainwashed princess and ending the cult. The movie final narration shows a aged Conan sitting resolutely on his throne, many years in the future. A vision of what's to come.

An important element to the plot is the "Riddle of Steel". Conan's father tells him that he can trust nobody, only steel (the family sword). Thulsa Doom believes that control over flesh (the power he has over others) is greater than the power of steel. By the end of the movie (I believe) that Conan proves that true power lies in one's control over oneselve, not over tools or people. This fits with the Nietzsche quote we see at the beginning of the movie "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger"

The movie is armed with a INCREDIBLE soundtrack by Basil Poladouros (one of the greats). It's narrative, that one needs friends and allies if one hopes to complete their goals is also solid. Conan cannot rely only on himself, the movie thus dissuades from the "Macho" notion that a lot of people think Conan is all about. He's in reality a very well crafted (if minimalistic in some aspects) character.

Conan the Barbarian is an Epic. It tells a story of, as the opening narration suggests, HIGH ADVENTURE. One in which very mortal men and women work together to defeat a terrible foe. It has this epic feel where people curse at ancient Gods, face down sorcerers with arcane power, and ride across a mythical land. I don't find this kind of style often in movies.

I highly recommend it. And just to wrap things up:

"Crom, I have never prayed to you before. I have no tongue for it. No one, not even you, will remember if we were good men or bad. Why we fought, and why we died. All that matters is that today, two stood against many. Valor pleases you, so grant me this one request. Grant me revenge! And if you do not listen, the HELL with you!"

TL:DR - This movie is great. Legendary soundtrack, great characters, incredible villain, beautifull cinematography, awesome set design, and an epic feel that's seldom found in movies.

Submitted November 04, 2020 at 12:26AM by Mervynhaspeaked https://ift.tt/34VKzSl