Conan the Barbarian (1982)

[Chilly]

Conan

i saw conan the barabrian and it was the most funny movie ever. not directly but the wasy it was done just made me laugh

coupla weeks ago i saw the second one. no offence but arnies acting skills couldnt even save theese mpvies

 

[Brian G Turner]

Conan the Barbarian

Well, got the DVD for Christmas and hopefully going to watch it tonight. And hopefully, I will enjoy it again! Haven't seen the film for many, many years, but the film soundtrack is one of the best I have. Really good stuff, and highly recommend a good listen.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Re:Conan the Barbarian

Well, I watched "Conan the Barbarian" and still really enjoyed it. There are some cheesy moments, but a few scenes aside I still think it's one of the best fantasy films ever made. Then again, I guess there's only the LOTR films to compete with.

The first 15-20 mins of the film are just superb - the way the film moves forward without dialogue makes for very effective viewing.

Oh - and of course a reasonably young Oliver Stone co-wrote the script...












* - * - * - * -* - * -* - * -* - * - SPOILER ALERT!!!!! * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * -

However, it has to be said that the fight among the stones and bones near the end, when Conan almost single-handedly fights off a horde of cavalry, is still one of the worst edited pieces of film I've ever seen! Disparate camera moves smash into one another with the most atrocious editing - this really must have been a very rushed job! It really has to be seen to be believed. Even worse those are some of the reels of film included - the most prominent example perhaps being the archer friend of Conan, who at one point the camera gets right behind as two cavalry riders loom over him while he has his bow ready....excepting that there's no arrow notched, the actor forgets to make a pretence of firing - but, of course, the rider pauses confused before deciding to throw himself from his horse as if in utter agony of not having been fired upon!

I noticed a number of soundtrack pieces not present on the CD - I really am going to have to try and track down some of those - the entire music score pushes the film in a way that few others could ever hope to do.

 

[nemesis]

Re:Conan the Barbarian

Conan the Destroyer is a completely ridiculous fantasy jaunt. Barbarian is better because there is less dialogue. Whenver any actor speaks the film loses a point

 

[Brian G Turner]

Re:Conan the Barbarian

Yes, after "Conan the Barbarian" you'd really think they could've got a decent sequel out, wouldn't you? But, oh, no, they had to made "Conan the Destroyer" instead.

 

[ravenus]

CONAN THE BARBARIAN - John Milius

In most cases, books/movies that appealed in one's childhood turn out to be not so appealing when revisited with a more knowing frame of mind; but there are occasions when such stuff actually seems a great deal more worthy of appreciation on second-run. Examples like this include the Sherlock Holmes TV series, Superman: The Movie...add Conan the Barbarian to that list.

My previous recollection of CtB is from the hazy, dark, well-worn, cropped full-frame videotape rental that used to be the standard entertainment for us kids of the 80's. I sort of liked it then but in a lukewarm manner and definitely secondary to other action fodder like Terminator, Rambo and Commando. Now finally seeing it as it was originally intended to be seen, my appreciation of this movie has been thoroughly upped.

The character of Conan was first realized in a series of hyper-masculine leather and steel fantasy pulp fantasy stories by Robert E. Howard who wrote with a ferocity that transcended the printed page. It is to the credit of director/writer John Milius (who wrote Apocalypse Now for Francis Coppola) and his team (including script writer Oliver Stone, before he made Platoon) that, apart from a couple of Hollywood-style "relay-shun-ship" moments, this world is brought to vivid life on screen: The men are hulking, the fights are pleasingly bloody and the Gods are unapologetically pagan.

A stunning amount of attention to detail is on display in the design of the film, from the crude milieu of our barbarian hero to the striking snake motifs of his adversary Thulsa Doom. The wide-screen photography is plainly awesome and Composer Basil Pouledoris serves up a thumping score to accentuate the heroics on screen: Entire scenes go by where barely a few lines are spoken, yet we are completely immersed in what we see and hear. The climax is a wordless affair that stuns the senses, leaving only enough room to think "Rob E. Howard would have loved this!". Milius is clearly an intelligent director and has done a brilliant job here.

Arnold Schwarzenegger in the title role may not be as much the flamboyant rogue as Howard's written character but with his massive frame fills in the role of savage warrior. Along with the rest of the crew, he seems to be having a great time and this sense of fun is easily transferred to the audience. Aficionados of manly adventure films will find CtB a thoroughly satisfying ride.

 

[j d worthington]

This is one of those films I have mixed feelings on. I quite like some aspects of it, and absolutely despise others. For one thing... I hate it that they whitewashed Conan so. He's much more effective as a rather darker character -- more than slightly brutal (not just violent, but brutal), and somewhat sinister.

I have trouble with the crying sequence... and I find the part about his slavery ... stretched, to say the least. I just found that one dull and tedious, and it stretched me credulity too far.

I also felt that there just wasn't enough of the high emotions in the film thta there should have been. It was too slow-paced for Howard's work; too philosophical, but with a sort of dimestore philosophy, nothing particularly profound. And I found the stitching together of various of Howard's tales to be rather weak and watered-down, as well. If Howard could do nothing else, he could tell a tight story in most cases, and he could evoke a dark, savage, and brooding atmosphere ... the film was too bright to allow much of that... it needed darker colors, and tighter direction and editing -- tighter pacing, altogether.

That said, I wasn't particularly against Schwarzenegger in the role ... he did fairly well with it, but with more direction, he could have been better. Other performances varied from the rather good to the barely adequate; and certainly some of the set design and (save for the brightness in tone noted above) the cinematography was quite good, at times excellent.

But, overall, I'm glad I've only seen the thing a couple of times since it came out; and I'm still waiting for someone do to Howard's character, rather than an Arthurian version of the redoubtable Cimmerian. (And why the devil should they feel they need to make him a knock-off Galahad, for pity's sake? Rochester and Heathcliff certainly had dark enough characters, and proved quite popular in the cinema as well as literary form....)

 

[HardScienceFan]

Well,it certainly projected a B-movie feel......
I kept seeing the Frazetta cover for Conan the Cimmerian in front of me.
Hands up everybody who thinks this one should be remade.
Wolfgang Petersen should direct it,great CGI thrown in......
I can see it already
Boxofficehit@Hollywood.com
*don't try this link,it's nonexistent*

 

[Connavar]

Even before i knew who Conan was, i didnt like seeing this movie as a kid.

It looked so bad. Now when i see it and i laugh at how they could make a movie like that.


He is more similer to an alien than Conan.

 

[Pyan]

And if you don't like this one, I'd avoid Conan the Destroyer (1984) like the plague!

 

[HardScienceFan]

And if you don't like this one, I'd avoid Conan the Destroyer (1984) like the plague!

Thanks for the Link,I know enough now.
Why the smiley,I think this one could be a worthwile cinematic experience, along with the best of Godard,Fellini,Visconti.Didn't Schwarzenegger get an
Oscar nomination for a Streetcar Named Desire.Didn't Anthony Hopkins call him
"inimitable" once.If there's any bad acting in this movie,I 'm sure it's just a ploy to gain cult status.As for the telegraph poles:Cimmerians were experimenting with long-distance communication and haute cuisine,facts which Howard always failed to mention.

 

[Rothgar]

I grew up loving this movie. It was the coolest high adventure movie of the 80's besides Excalibur. I didn't read Howard's books until many years later and I agree they are much better than the movie.

One thing I wanted to mention was, I watched it listening to the director's commentary on the DVD, and it was very interesting to hear what John Milius was originally envisioning for Conan. He had said that he was looking to create a large budget trilogy, and the sequels were supposed to be Conan fighting against large mutant armies of creatures that shouldn't exist on earth anymore. That is all I remember but it sounded really cool.

Also, John Milius had put together a script years ago for another sequel to Conan I believe called King Conan or something. I read about it at aintitcoolnews. Haven't heard anything about it for a while though.

 

[BAYLOR]

In many ways this film has crystalized my image of Conan . It's not a perfect adaptation but, it more than does justice to Conan.

 

[Vince W]

That's true for many people. It's still the best version, so far. It's not perfect but I enjoy it for many reasons. It gets watched at least once a year. Usually around the Christmas holiday when I have extra time.

 

[Boaz]

I was fourteen years old and had read a number of REH's Conan stories, when the movie came out. My mother took me and my ten year old brother to see it. I was totally into it... especially when the semi-naked woman is put into Conan's cage. As I was indulging in the soft core porn, I heard my brother shouting, "Take your hands off my eyes! I can't see!" I looked over and saw my mother covering my brother's face. The entire theater erupted in laughter.

 

[BAYLOR]

I was fourteen years old and had read a number of REH's Conan stories, when the movie came out. My mother took me and my ten year old brother to see it. I was totally into it... especially when the semi-naked woman is put into Conan's cage. As I was indulging in the soft core porn, I heard my brother shouting, "Take your hands off my eyes! I can't see!" I looked over and saw my mother covering my brother's face. The entire theater erupted in laughter.

Its pretty tame stuff compared to what's on the big and sea screen thees days.

Scene that stands out in the movie for me , Conan just freed , is running from wolves. He see what first he think is pile of rocks, but soon figures out its burial cairn . He fall in though the entrance, looks around , seen the remains of warriors , a Chariot with the skeletons of Horses, you hear the faint cry with the wind or , is it the restless spirits that haunt the tomb.? Conan lights a fire which , throws everything into a clearer view and , he see a giant fully armor skeletal warrior on a throne , his right hand resting on a giant age encrusted sword. Conan approaches , lifts the sword which, he knows is steel , and starts banging off the crust and , causes the skeleton warrior to topple . Conan utters the the name of his god "Crom". I suspect he might have been remembering the story his father had told him about the giants who were stuck down by the gods for stealing the secret off making steel. Conan comes out of he cairn , uses the sword to strike off his chains and, looks at the wolves , whom he dispatches, off camera . The music in that whole screen is marvelous.

 

[Vince W]

Basil Poledouris' entire score of Conan the Barbarian is marvellous. One of the best, IMO.

I remember seeing the first time at 13 and thinking, 'Conan was never a slave' but rolled with it. There were so many memorable scenes in the film I can't single one out as my favourite. It's a case where the sum is greater than its parts.

 

[BAYLOR]

Basil Poledouris' entire score of Conan the Barbarian is marvellous. One of the best, IMO.

I remember seeing the first time at 13 and thinking, 'Conan was never a slave' but rolled with it. There were so many memorable scenes in the film I can't single one out as my favourite. It's a case where the sum is greater than its parts.

There were lots of great scenes .


The scene where they were together in the inn, Valeria essentially tries to persuade Conan give up his quest for vengeance and have a life with her while they still both had life and each and , forget about Thulsa doom and everything else . In that whole scene , she does all the talking and Conan, just can't bring himself look her in the eyes but, in his expression , you can see that he is conflicted between doing what she wants and doing what he wants. Well, off course being the Hero , he chose the latter which, lead to the chain of events which ended up costing Valeria here life.


I think that were any of us in Conan's situation , we want'd want ride off with Valeria . I certainly would.

Interesting that in that whole film there only one only one line of dialogue between Conan and Valeria and that was in the scene where they first met outside the snake tower. I think if could change ,one thing in the film, Id have given them more dialogue.

 

[Vince W]

Conan's dialogue was limited on purpose because of Arnold's heavy Austrian accent. It didn't bother me but I'm sure the sound people had a hard time getting clear speech recorded.

I do think that is one point where Conan the Barbarian fails and that's showing how intelligent Conan was. If you look at the stories Conan is a master tactician, strategist, polyglot, and demagogue.

 

[BAYLOR]

Conan's dialogue was limited on purpose because of Arnold's heavy Austrian accent. It didn't bother me but I'm sure the sound people had a hard time getting clear speech recorded.

I do think that is one point where Conan the Barbarian fails and that's showing how intelligent Conan was. If you look at the stories Conan is a master tactician, strategist, polyglot, and demagogue.

I never had problem with how Arnold spoke , he can act. In the case of Conan, his accent actual helped . I bought as him Conan , lock stock and barrel .


Conan was very intelligent , very self aware and made it point educate himself as went on his journey to become king.