Directed by:
John MiliusCinematography:
Duke CallaghanComposer:
Basil PoledourisCast:
Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow, Sandahl Bergman, Ben Davidson, Mako, Valérie Quennessen, William Smith, Franco Columbu, Jorge Sanz (more)Plots(1)
Young Conan's parents are murdered by a horde of vicious warriors who then enslave the young child for years. He is eventually released from slavery and taught the ancient arts of fighting. Transforming himself into a killing machine, Conan travels into the wilderness seeking vengeance on the man responsible for his family's murder. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (11)
A solidly shot, grand-looking fantasy film, with a stunning production design and one of the best musical scores. Basil Poledouris created a captivating epic music that ranks among the highest peaks of his work. The legendary Arnie is fairly bearable as Conan, he looks better in the fight scenes than in the dialogues, but that is nothing new.
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Arnie in a strong silent type role that he was born for, supported by the unforgettable, atmosphere creating music by Basil Poledouris (one of the best cases of linking music and picture that I have ever heard/seen). And in fact, almost all the characters are silent. And in the end, isn’t this better than the empty prattling that we know from most movies nowadays? And that isn’t just my nostalgic blindness speaking, from the days when I watched Conan’s movie adventures for the first time. To this day I remember hassling my father for a whole week to record it on VHS. Not to speak of the delight I felt when at last I got my hands on a DVD version, so I could watch it in the original format and with the original English language soundtrack. One of the movies that was murdered by the 4/3 format. P.S.: I’m pleased that I’m not the only one to notice that some scenes seem like they came straight out of Alexander Nevsky. ♫ OST score: 5/5
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A film of truly barbaric qualities. Terrible acting, primitive directing, trivial story, excellent musical accompaniment... All of this brings together a completely unique atmosphere, which goes with the subject like a sword in the chest. What is the use if the fights are built more like a fitness demonstration of Arnie's muscles, what is the point if only the demonic James Earl Jones’s performance is the only decent one...? Milius's Conan remains a fearless war cult among fantasy films because, despite all the objectively visible flaws (and there are as many of them as there are naked women in Thul's harem), it retains a special pagan charm. Which doesn't change the fact that the film is actually quite lousy...
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Another overrated movie, in which only the music and lavish production are interesting, and it depends on each individual how willing they are to appreciate these two factors. The plot is shallow and the acting performances are poor even in the case of otherwise quality actors. The direction is also not worth mentioning. Conan the Barbarian looks up to the peaks of the genre, such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy or the older Excalibur, from a great distance. If nothing else, it is a positive thing that the role of Conan did not require any acting skills from Schwarzenegger, so in retrospect it is one of his best roles tailor-made for him. Overall impression: 40%.
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I spent my teenage years buried in Anglo-Saxon fantasy and RPGs, the latter of which has somehow endured to this day. Conan is a divine Sword & Sorcery fantasy film not lacking in epic scenes, loads of pathos, boobs, a good dose of blood, beautiful exteriors, and Max von Sydow. I’m not left wanting for anything and only the minimum of things are extraneous. The soundtrack is one of the best on the market. Even the giant snakes and demons don't look awkward all the time. A favorite and Arnold's best role.
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