Thoughts on the 1982 Conan Film and all things Conan and Conan Related.

[BAYLOR]

I remember sitting in the theater , The opening monologue by Akiro , Conan's Chronicler , The opening credits with the forging of the sword with Basil Poldouris wonderful and powerful opening score. Young Conan learning the lore nd Riddle of Steel from father . The Comes Thulsa Doom Can get enslaved grows up become Gladiator , Warrior Thief and Adventurer And he and his companions face of against against the mighty Atlantean Sorcerer Thulsa Doom and his Snake Cult Henchmen In the role of Conan Arnold Schwarzenegger more then did justice to the character and in may crystallized my image of Conan. and James earl Jones was wonderful un the Role of Tulsa Doom and as a noun Max Von Sydow as Osric . There is a lot to love in this film and, I suspect that Robert E Howard would have liked this film adaptation.

Thoughts?

 

[BAYLOR]

This is a film I own oon dvd and have watch numerous times. It never gets old.

 

[Vince W]

I was reading a lot of Conan, the Ace and Tor books, when this came out. I thought it was fantastic then. When I had read pretty much everything there was to read of Conan/Howard I could see the cracks in the film and was slightly critical, but I have since returned to the view that it's a film I love and I don't care if it's 100% authentic Conan. Oh, and the Basil Poledouris is one of the best ever. I own this film on DVD, Blu-ray and digital and it gets viewed at least once a year.

 

[Toby Frost]

I like the first film very much (I've not seen the second). As with Terminator, it makes the most of its rather wooden lead. It's very well shot and Conan's three companions are surprisingly likeable. Thulsa Doom is a great villain. And the score is tremendous. Overall, it's a daft story with a ropey lead actor, executed really well and a lot of fun.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Love the soundtrack by Basil Poledouris - have the original version, extended import, and the Prague Philharmonic version.

 

[Foxbat]

I like this film and like others here, I find the soundtrack very impressive.

 

[Overread]

Fantastic film!
Personally I really loved the beginning all the way up to his training coming to an end. I think its one of the best portrayals of a character developing from basically a nothing boy into the beginnings of the hero we know. There's a great sense of fantasy and adventuring wrapped up in it. Even by the end he's not actually saved the world or anything, just got the girl out from the evil snake cult and defeated teh cultist snake leader. The magic is also (likely by the limited budget and effects of the era) very muted which works perfectly with Conan. There's no huge epic spells or such; its that muted magic that's there under the surface, but limited and often only hinted at here and there.

And in the end for all its serious and battle elements it also fun.

 

[BAYLOR]

I was reading a lot of Conan, the Ace and Tor books, when this came out. I thought it was fantastic then. When I had read pretty much everything there was to read of Conan/Howard I could see the cracks in the film and was slightly critical, but I have since returned to the view that it's a film I love and I don't care if it's 100% authentic Conan. Oh, and the Basil Poledouris is one of the best ever. I own this film on DVD, Blu-ray and digital and it gets viewed at least once a year.

On scene that stands out is , the scene where Conan, in chains and running from hungry wolves, takes refuge in a mysterious and forgotten Barrow of giant warrior king presumably of the race of giants his father spoke of when he told Conan the story steel and how giants stole it from the gods and were struck down and how man found the secret of steel because theses same gods left it on the battlefield.

 

[Narkalui]

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

that's not pasted. It's all from memory...

 

[BAYLOR]

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

that's not pasted. It's all from memory...

My first though when I saw and heard this on the big screen was. " Get set for a grand adventure ! " This film was all of that and so much more. In all my memories of summer movies , this one is the one that I love best of all.

 

[Vince W]

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

that's not pasted. It's all from memory...

I always hear Mako's voice when I read that.

 

[BAYLOR]

I always hear Mako's voice when I read that.

He was amazing.

 

[Overread]

I've got the Conan soundtrack on CD and when that first song plays its doesn't sound right without his short bit of narration at the start. One of the few times that I like a narration as part of a song in that type of way

 

[paranoid marvin]

It could very easily have been a disaster, but it wasn't. Arguably also one of Arnie's best acting roles. Great cinematography and soundtrack. Great performance by Mako as the narrator, an inspired decision.

 

[Vince W]

It could very easily have been a disaster, but it wasn't.

Exactly. Things that could have gone wrong didn't and the inclusion of actors such as Mako, Max von Sydow and James Earl Jones went a very long way to give this film the gravitas it needed. Something that was sorely lacking in the sequel. Or the reboot.

 

[BAYLOR]

It could very easily have been a disaster, but it wasn't. Arguably also one of Arnie's best acting roles. Great cinematography and soundtrack. Great performance by Mako as the narrator, an inspired decision.

Arnold more than did justice to the role of Conan. The people that made the film caught the spirt of Conan and that of the Hyborian age.

 

[BAYLOR]

Exactly. Things that could have gone wrong didn't and the inclusion of actors such as Mako, Max von Sydow and James Earl Jones went a very long way to give this film the gravitas it needed. Something that was sorely lacking in the sequel. Or the reboot.

The film had just the right balance to succeed. Yes, The sequel was very lacking but it had it moments . The 2011 remake was pretty dire and it wasn't Jason Momoa's fault, he wasn't bad in the role Conan.

 

[BAYLOR]

Fantastic film!
Personally I really loved the beginning all the way up to his training coming to an end. I think its one of the best portrayals of a character developing from basically a nothing boy into the beginnings of the hero we know. There's a great sense of fantasy and adventuring wrapped up in it. Even by the end he's not actually saved the world or anything, just got the girl out from the evil snake cult and defeated teh cultist snake leader. The magic is also (likely by the limited budget and effects of the era) very muted which works perfectly with Conan. There's no huge epic spells or such; its that muted magic that's there under the surface, but limited and often only hinted at here and there.

And in the end for all its serious and battle elements it also fun.

This film had a lot of heart.

 

[CTRandall]

As I happily say to anyone who asks me: "Best. Film. Ever."

Part of what hooked me was the fact that, despite it being an "action" film, there are huge sequences where the story is allowed to unfold slowly, often with little dialogue and relying on just visuals and music, e.g. when Thulsa Doom kills Conan's mother or as Conan grows up turning the wheel of the well.

On scene that stands out is , the scene where Conan, in chains and running from hungry wolves, takes refuge in a mysterious and forgotten Barrow of giant warrior king

I use that scene as part of an introduction to film music with my older students. Take the music away and the first thought is that the scene will be some kind of fight with a monster. Add the music and everything changes, placing the magic and quasi-spiritual elements at the centre of the scene. The music really tells the story, here.

 

[BAYLOR]

As I happily say to anyone who asks me: "Best. Film. Ever."

Part of what hooked me was the fact that, despite it being an "action" film, there are huge sequences where the story is allowed to unfold slowly, often with little dialogue and relying on just visuals and music, e.g. when Thulsa Doom kills Conan's mother or as Conan grows up turning the wheel of the well.



I use that scene as part of an introduction to film music with my older students. Take the music away and the first thought is that the scene will be some kind of fight with a monster. Add the music and everything changes, placing the magic and quasi-spiritual elements at the centre of the scene. The music really tells the story, here.

Actually that that scene is a nod to the L Sprague De Camp's Conan Short story The Thing In Crypt . In that story, the Skelton comes alive and does battle with Conan . Interestingly the man that did the novelization of the the Conan film was L Sprague De Camp.