I've always loved how this film cast three athletes as its leads, and three stage-trained thespians in the key supporting roles. Schwarzenegger, Sandahl, and Lopez bring so much genuine physicality to their roles, not just the action but the slapstick bits too. While Jones, Mako, and Von Sydow bring such commanding gravitas to their monologues. Artistry, just like you said Chuck.
"THAT is strength. THAT is power. The strength and power of flesh." This was no throwaway line, no simple bloviation by the villain. It was a specific lesson Thulsa Doom shared with Conan. I particularly enjoyed how little dialogue the film had. So much was conveyed by the expressions of the actors. I enjoyed _The 13th Warrior_ for the same reason. So much was communicated merely by their expressions and actions, no words needed.
One interesting take I saw specifically for the movie was regarding how the Riddle of Steel is portrayed in it. At the start, Conan is told the only thing one can truly trust is the sword in one's hand. On the other side of things, you have the cult, who is trusting the will of others to the point of self-destruction. At the end of the film, with sword in one hand and a severed head in the the other, it's implied the true riddle of steel is a form of temperance or balance of these features, basically the heart of a man.
That gets in stabbing range of the take I ascribe to, which is that the Riddle of Steel is solved by understanding that good steel and a good sword aren't just handed to mankind -- you have to understand them. If you want swords to exist, you need someone who knows how to make one -- and that gives the swordmaker a power in the world. It's like Chuck said, that everything Conan gains is internal to himself, teaching him to endure, to fight, to think, to read, and so on. The philosophy of the movie is that it is only what you experience and learn and integrate into your own self that gives you strength. Thulsa Doom was someone who had skills -- amazing, even magical, skills -- but who treated everything and everyone as external and less important than his own greatness. Conan knew what he himself really was, and what mattered to him, and he met the world on its terms -- full of evils, but also full of worthy things to be sought and protected -- instead of imaginary terms such as what Thulsa Doom tricked his cult, and himself, into believing.
@@3Havoc It's absolutely connected. You have to know how to do things to do them, and you have to be willing to do the things to change the world. So it's not the same thing as Nietzsche's will to power, but a connected concept. The Nietzschean "Superman" knows how to do things, and has the will to complete the actions taht will change the world. For example, to keep coming back after a snake cult leader until the cult is gone from the world takes both skills and a _lot_ of mental endurance.
I always saw it as the antithesis of what Conan’s father told him: steel (in the form of his father’s sword) fails him, but he could put his trust in men and women and beasts.
Besides SW a new hope, Conan the barbarian were my favorite films when I was a child. I would watch them when I was 6 - 10 years old in 1986 - 1990. My dad had them recorded on VHS and I would watch these films all the time. One thing I realized is that you can watch Conan the barbarian muted and still 100% understand what is happening and route for the main character. But of course you’d never want to do that as the Conan soundtrack is literally the greatest film soundtrack ever made in human history. I honestly just listen to it on it’s own every year! I even have it in a playlist folder in my RUclips channel.
This is one of the best summations of Conan I’ve ever heard and of course it was done here. Well done Chuck, it’s a crime what YT makes your job harder.
like a literal crime. the kind of crime where the only thing keeping the people responsible out of prison is corrupt judges, and presumably organized crime protects said judges from disbarment somehow.
The 1982 movie still really stands apart for how it depicts a lost history sword and sorcery tale. No similar movie feels quite like it, let alone the other Conan films. Despite coming out in 1982 it's very much a 70's film with its naturalism and auteur freedom to do something new. Conan The Destroyer was, alas, a thoroughly 80's film.
My dad and I watched this film often. He would often cite the scene where Conan's mother meets eyes with Doom. With eyes alone, they seem to exchange an understanding that the child will live, if the mother allows herself to die. Then her head falls. Dark scene.
So many stories could be set in the Hyborian Age. I'd enjoy films or a show set there whether they included Arnold or not. The books always focused on Conan, but there were many other heroes and adversaries who played parts. Who would not want to sail with Belit and her crew?
When people ask about my favourite films, I always put this in the top three, and make the point that it is so utterly underrated as "a cheesy fantasy movie with a dumb bullock of a lead actor". The soundtrack, world-building, action, cinematography, theme and direction were all fantastic. That most of the film is non-verbal, except for shakespearian monologues just sells it even more. I think Arnold has around ten lines of dialogue the whole movie (outside of philosophy with Subatai). The rest is physicality. The father has a speech about the gods and the source of man's strength, then we have almost no dialogue until Conan and Subatai discuss religion, then the next major dialogue is the king reflecting on achieving wealth but losing a child, then the lover gives a speech about how love is the most valuable thing in life, then the next dialogue is the villain giving a philosophy of power, then the lover gives another speech about sacrifice, then the last speech is the villain telling the hero how He had shaped the hero through his pain and vengeance. I love the dialogue in this film. And delivered so adeptly against the non-verbal scenes. These people are not dumb savages, but have ancient wisdom lost to the ages.
Stormlight Archives has my favorite response to that whole "I made you strong!" line from some asshole who made the character's life hell then tries to claim they owe them for it. "Ten spears go out battle, nine of them shatter. Did that war forge the one that remained? No... it merely revealed the spear the would not break."
Fantastic breakdown. Likely the best done on Conan. SFDebris once again never fails to impress and amaze in his thoroughly researched and thoughtful analysis, and tactful use of language to convey his breakdown. Bravo.
Though movie conan has such a contrary background to Howard's Conan, born on a battlefield and raised within the Cimmerian tribe and already a powerful warrior and fighter by the time he leaves them to seek his adventure, the movie manages to keep the core of Conan's personality and essence intact.
10:08 Thank you for that observation. I've recently started playing a barbarian in a DnD campaign, and she's not the stereotype of dim-witted savage. She thinks, plans, and she's brutally patient. Your remark helped me articulate a philosophical point about her existence. She has detached/disengaged from the laws (written and unwritten) of society, and has had to embrace a more natural law governed by her existence, because she is unable to re-integrate after events in her backstory. She's a barbarian because she has realized and rejected the artifice of imposed law, and lives by a code that flows from within her sense of self. + edit + 12:16 my appreciation for mentioning this. I only had it once, and I am permanently dealing with muscle fatigue + neurological issue as a result.
I also share the same sentiment towards the viewing of the movie. Although I did watch it when I was a kid, i barely remember anything other than Arnold at the wheel. It wasn't until rewatching it online did I get to experience what I've come to appreciate from the later movies of the previous century, a level of craftsmanship that has gone from many movies of today. It's not that it's a lost art or that movies of the past where higher forms of art but rather that you can tell that there was a considerable level of effort and thought put into all aspects of a movie, even if the final result was not a terribly great movie or worthwhile story. But still, the attempt to put all effort into the project, even if it's an adaptation for the purpose of brand expansion, still makes the movie solid in that regard. I think that today it has advanced to a point like comics in the 90s where the business end of things have produced much fluff ala assembly line that takes away from a worthwhile experience. Like have all kinds of flavors but it all taste like a bland knock off brand.
Oh man! Cave Dwellers! I've watched the MST3K of that sooo many times. How awesome would it have been if Ator actually did have a tank made of coconuts waiting for him in the courtyard? ...and thank you so much for an explanation for those baffling title and credits scenes!
Also, in the Director's Cut of the film, it turns out that Osric's daughter helps Conan sneak into Thulsa Doom's fortress. And after Conan kills Doom, she bows down to worship Conan. But Conan pulls her to her feet (essentially rejecting her worship), but then invites her to travel with him. It is also interesting that this cult and the one it was inspired by are both run by men named Jones.
First of all, this just popped into my feed and I could not be more delighted. You were literally the first video reviewer I ever followed, and did so for a few years when you were just starting out with adding DS9 content, followed you to your site, watched Madoka because of your review (watched your first installation, then the series, then the rest; thanks so much for that). I love how you went in depth on Conan, which for me is a childhood classic. The only place we differ is in the interpretation of Conan as king. I believe that him becoming king was in a way proving Thulsa Doom right. The position of such power was willed by the people - and even if killed, there would be another to take his place. Even when he was publicly beheaded (in a scene that evokes Aztec symbology), another king rose to the same position, with the same power. But perhaps that's just me loving the Shakespearean pathos of James Earl Jones.
A great movie my former childhood friend introduced me to when we were like 10. I didn't like it back then, and he liked it because " _Hurr durr big cool muscle man that talks about killing!_ ". As we grew up, I think he never grew beyond that mentality, but to me this movie had a change in my mind from " _Dumb Barbarian movie_ " to " _Excellent Swords & Sandals movie with fantastic music and much deeper than I saw as a kid._ " I love that quote! " _I've had the best things in Life. Now I want something better: The touch of a lover, the companionship of a friend, and the freedom to walk this world unburdened._ "
I like the the extended version better. It adds a little something extra. People say that it changes the movie, but I think that it's an acceptable change that makes sense to me (at least). Go with God and Be Safe from Evil. 😎 👍
Although not one of my favourite movies of all time, it's one that I enjoy watching and admire as a film. I've also watched your three parter. You have a great way of breaking things down but you also have a very creative sense of humour for your more comical takes. You do both sides of your channel very well.
I want to see them make a film actually using one of Howard's stories, like "A Witch Shall Be Born" or "Black Colossus", both with good plots and battle scenes that could make for a full movie.
I think "Black Colossus" could have great potential. Also, "Queen of the Black Coast" could be fantastic, though potentially problematic to make faithfully in the modern day - not impossible, but a challenge. Or what about "Hour of the Dragon" - a trilogy perhaps?
It should also be noted that the adage "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" is itself an oversimplification because it would in fact be more accurate to say "What doesn't kill you, the _Recovery from_ will make you stronger." Not too long ago, I came across a post on Tumblr that explained the truth of the adage by likening it to a bookshelf being glued back together. Wood glue has be given time to set before you can put anything on the broken shelves because if you try to use them too early, they will just collapse as if they had never been fixed at all. Whatever had broken those shelves in the first place was not the thing that made them stronger. It was being fixed that made them stronger.
Not oversimplified at all... The 'recovery' is simply the clear implication and actual point of the original quote. That is the understanding that is intentionally meant to be drawn from it, it doesn't need to be spelled out. Becoming stronger from something that impacts you negatively yet does not end your being IS literally recovery. It's just simple implication. Not sure how you missed this but yeah.
Excellent reflection on an amazing film. You summed up the philosophy of John Milius very well. If you haven't already, please watch the Milius/Arnold commentary on Conan. Its very good. Cheers.
I rewatched this for the first time since my childhood viewing and was genuinely shocked at how disturbing certain moments of this film are. The whole cult thing is unsettling and then there’s the cannibalism and the cooked body parts coming out of the big pot… maybe on the old CRT TVs I couldn’t make out what the bits were but I was genuinely uncomfortable and surprised I’d seen it as a child.
Great video, but your interpretation of his rise to King is an idealized one. In the books by Robert E. Howard, he becomes King by his own hand. He takes it by partnering with disaffected royals and he kills a weak King for his crown. He was never elevated with consent of followers. His rule of Aquilonia was plagued by intrigues and assassination attempts that make him long for the freedom and simplicity of a barbarians life. So he didn't win followers by honor and respect who then made him their King based on admiration. He took what he desired based on the exercise of his will via his strength.
Not a lot of dialogue, but what was there was both memorable and worth remembering. The speeches given by Jones and Von Sydow in particular sound as if they should have been written in antiquity by a much more important author. Arnold himself began a long standing tradition of memorable one liners that were expected in all of his subsequent films. Later Conan films ranged from goofy to forgettable. More dialogue does not always translate into better dialogue. It takes more than just a moronic body builder to embody Conan. Arnold's accent, even though it was European, gave him a far more exotic tone than anything Jason Mamoa left behind in his version, and he was able to say a lot more without speaking. Sometimes talking more can if anything give away bad writing and stupidity as was the case with Mamoa's version of Aquaman. To be fair, these days a lot of stupidity is deliberate.
Great review. I'm not sure how many people watch this and understand what the themes are. It often seems people can't get past, Arnold, with a sword, killing people. John Milius's next film, Red Dawn is similar. Too what any other director would have turned into some 80's action schlock and made something with deeper themes that went over people's head.
Would another director have given the antagonist of an "Americans fighting to reclaim the homeland" movie the main character arc of the film? That the climax of the movie turns on? I'm not so sure.
@@digitaljanus One of the themes of Red Dawn was that neither side was in the right. Humanity and Inhumanity was displayed on both sides. Robert's character arc was a study in how war turns people into psychopaths. And the only reason the partisans could give for being in the right was "because we live here." Film had nothing to do with anti-communism, but people will see what they want to see. If anything it was an anti-cold war film.
It is a great movie, but regarding Conan lore, it is all ... ugh, I can barely watch it! Thoth-Amon(let's use his real name) is also such a fascinating character. One rarely sees such a great duality as Conan Thoth in the same movie. And, if you ask me, it is true. Without Thoth's actions and words, Conan would be nothing.
Conan might not have become who he eventually became, but that's hardly 'nothing.' And there's a level of intentionality necessary to claim credit for something which is entirely lacking.
15:48 Wrong. Conan is not elevated by others who value the virtues he embodies and thusly convinced of his greatness. He is not made king by others. The movies and novels BOTH state this. Just as stated in the novels & Mako's narration, "he became king by his own hand." in other words he elevated himself by killing the previous king. He is a tyrant in the classical and very literal sense. To have others elevate him is the OPPOSITE of this, and antithetical to everything he actually strives for. He quite literally rejects this in the next movie (Conan The Destroyer) when the Princess turned Queen (who he rescued) offers him her hand in marriage, stating that his kingdom lies elsewhere waiting for him to take it.
No. I'm sorry. A child hiding from a raid is NOT a refusal to call to action. Not EVERYTHING fits nor has to fit Joseph Campbell's reductionist storytelling railroad.
Again. Screw RUclips bots. Glad we got to see the cut content
I've always loved how this film cast three athletes as its leads, and three stage-trained thespians in the key supporting roles. Schwarzenegger, Sandahl, and Lopez bring so much genuine physicality to their roles, not just the action but the slapstick bits too. While Jones, Mako, and Von Sydow bring such commanding gravitas to their monologues. Artistry, just like you said Chuck.
There was a time when physicality could be a performance all on its own. We've definitely lost that..
"THAT is strength. THAT is power. The strength and power of flesh." This was no throwaway line, no simple bloviation by the villain. It was a specific lesson Thulsa Doom shared with Conan.
I particularly enjoyed how little dialogue the film had. So much was conveyed by the expressions of the actors.
I enjoyed _The 13th Warrior_ for the same reason. So much was communicated merely by their expressions and actions, no words needed.
One interesting take I saw specifically for the movie was regarding how the Riddle of Steel is portrayed in it. At the start, Conan is told the only thing one can truly trust is the sword in one's hand. On the other side of things, you have the cult, who is trusting the will of others to the point of self-destruction. At the end of the film, with sword in one hand and a severed head in the the other, it's implied the true riddle of steel is a form of temperance or balance of these features, basically the heart of a man.
That gets in stabbing range of the take I ascribe to, which is that the Riddle of Steel is solved by understanding that good steel and a good sword aren't just handed to mankind -- you have to understand them. If you want swords to exist, you need someone who knows how to make one -- and that gives the swordmaker a power in the world. It's like Chuck said, that everything Conan gains is internal to himself, teaching him to endure, to fight, to think, to read, and so on. The philosophy of the movie is that it is only what you experience and learn and integrate into your own self that gives you strength. Thulsa Doom was someone who had skills -- amazing, even magical, skills -- but who treated everything and everyone as external and less important than his own greatness. Conan knew what he himself really was, and what mattered to him, and he met the world on its terms -- full of evils, but also full of worthy things to be sought and protected -- instead of imaginary terms such as what Thulsa Doom tricked his cult, and himself, into believing.
I was under the impression it was the Nietzchean concept of will to power as that was the answer to the riddle of steel.
@@3Havoc It's absolutely connected. You have to know how to do things to do them, and you have to be willing to do the things to change the world. So it's not the same thing as Nietzsche's will to power, but a connected concept. The Nietzschean "Superman" knows how to do things, and has the will to complete the actions taht will change the world. For example, to keep coming back after a snake cult leader until the cult is gone from the world takes both skills and a _lot_ of mental endurance.
I always saw it as the antithesis of what Conan’s father told him: steel (in the form of his father’s sword) fails him, but he could put his trust in men and women and beasts.
On top of that, the Sword, the only thing he could trust, literally fails him, while men and women, the things he COULDN'T trust save him.
Besides SW a new hope, Conan the barbarian were my favorite films when I was a child. I would watch them when I was 6 - 10 years old in 1986 - 1990. My dad had them recorded on VHS and I would watch these films all the time. One thing I realized is that you can watch Conan the barbarian muted and still 100% understand what is happening and route for the main character. But of course you’d never want to do that as the Conan soundtrack is literally the greatest film soundtrack ever made in human history. I honestly just listen to it on it’s own every year! I even have it in a playlist folder in my RUclips channel.
This is one of the best summations of Conan I’ve ever heard and of course it was done here. Well done Chuck, it’s a crime what YT makes your job harder.
It's an absolute travesty that Conan 2 sucked so bad and became the same shlock that all the Conan rip offs were
like a literal crime. the kind of crime where the only thing keeping the people responsible out of prison is corrupt judges, and presumably organized crime protects said judges from disbarment somehow.
@@KairuHakubi like.. what?
@@aegisgfx please rephrase the question
@@KairuHakubi why are you talking about corrupt judges? I have no idea how what you said makes any sense in terms of a movie like Conan
The 1982 movie still really stands apart for how it depicts a lost history sword and sorcery tale. No similar movie feels quite like it, let alone the other Conan films. Despite coming out in 1982 it's very much a 70's film with its naturalism and auteur freedom to do something new. Conan The Destroyer was, alas, a thoroughly 80's film.
Fully agreed. The sequel was trashy.
One of the greatest films ever made. Thank you, John Milius.
My dad and I watched this film often. He would often cite the scene where Conan's mother meets eyes with Doom. With eyes alone, they seem to exchange an understanding that the child will live, if the mother allows herself to die. Then her head falls. Dark scene.
Yes it's a masterpiece, dismissed by those blinded by preconceptions.
A couple years ago I heard rumors that a King Conan film might happen with Arnold. I'm still hoping. It would be glorious!
It got cancelled when his new Terminator movie didn't do well at the box office.
He should’ve done it years ago
So many stories could be set in the Hyborian Age. I'd enjoy films or a show set there whether they included Arnold or not.
The books always focused on Conan, but there were many other heroes and adversaries who played parts.
Who would not want to sail with Belit and her crew?
When people ask about my favourite films, I always put this in the top three, and make the point that it is so utterly underrated as "a cheesy fantasy movie with a dumb bullock of a lead actor".
The soundtrack, world-building, action, cinematography, theme and direction were all fantastic. That most of the film is non-verbal, except for shakespearian monologues just sells it even more. I think Arnold has around ten lines of dialogue the whole movie (outside of philosophy with Subatai). The rest is physicality.
The father has a speech about the gods and the source of man's strength, then we have almost no dialogue until Conan and Subatai discuss religion, then the next major dialogue is the king reflecting on achieving wealth but losing a child, then the lover gives a speech about how love is the most valuable thing in life, then the next dialogue is the villain giving a philosophy of power, then the lover gives another speech about sacrifice, then the last speech is the villain telling the hero how He had shaped the hero through his pain and vengeance.
I love the dialogue in this film. And delivered so adeptly against the non-verbal scenes. These people are not dumb savages, but have ancient wisdom lost to the ages.
Stormlight Archives has my favorite response to that whole "I made you strong!" line from some asshole who made the character's life hell then tries to claim they owe them for it. "Ten spears go out battle, nine of them shatter. Did that war forge the one that remained? No... it merely revealed the spear the would not break."
Oh yeah - Cave Dwellers. Was just thinking about "Princess Hubcap" for my weekly MST3k movie night.
One of my favorites. When we got cable tv somewhere around 82-83. I watched this countless times along with Star Trek 2.
The Riddle of steel is in your grasp. Crom is pleased.
Fantastic breakdown. Likely the best done on Conan. SFDebris once again never fails to impress and amaze in his thoroughly researched and thoughtful analysis, and tactful use of language to convey his breakdown. Bravo.
As always, an excellent analysis. Thank you.
The best movie of Arnold. Been a fan since 1975 when he was in Birmingham, I am in the last scene of that movie.
Oliver Harper be damned! This is one of the best entertainment/movie discussion channels. Keep it going.
One of my fav soundtracks
Though movie conan has such a contrary background to Howard's Conan, born on a battlefield and raised within the Cimmerian tribe and already a powerful warrior and fighter by the time he leaves them to seek his adventure, the movie manages to keep the core of Conan's personality and essence intact.
Yup. It was so well done few hard-core Conan fans find fault.
Howard's Conan was far smarter than the movie Conan.
@@aelfredrex8354 the movie Conan was just starting out.
10:08 Thank you for that observation. I've recently started playing a barbarian in a DnD campaign, and she's not the stereotype of dim-witted savage. She thinks, plans, and she's brutally patient. Your remark helped me articulate a philosophical point about her existence. She has detached/disengaged from the laws (written and unwritten) of society, and has had to embrace a more natural law governed by her existence, because she is unable to re-integrate after events in her backstory. She's a barbarian because she has realized and rejected the artifice of imposed law, and lives by a code that flows from within her sense of self. + edit + 12:16 my appreciation for mentioning this. I only had it once, and I am permanently dealing with muscle fatigue + neurological issue as a result.
I remember watching this movie in the 80s and I loved it despite all the negative reviews. It is a great movie! And now it's a classic.
I also share the same sentiment towards the viewing of the movie. Although I did watch it when I was a kid, i barely remember anything other than Arnold at the wheel. It wasn't until rewatching it online did I get to experience what I've come to appreciate from the later movies of the previous century, a level of craftsmanship that has gone from many movies of today. It's not that it's a lost art or that movies of the past where higher forms of art but rather that you can tell that there was a considerable level of effort and thought put into all aspects of a movie, even if the final result was not a terribly great movie or worthwhile story. But still, the attempt to put all effort into the project, even if it's an adaptation for the purpose of brand expansion, still makes the movie solid in that regard. I think that today it has advanced to a point like comics in the 90s where the business end of things have produced much fluff ala assembly line that takes away from a worthwhile experience. Like have all kinds of flavors but it all taste like a bland knock off brand.
Thank you for articulating what makes this film so great.
Oh man! Cave Dwellers! I've watched the MST3K of that sooo many times. How awesome would it have been if Ator actually did have a tank made of coconuts waiting for him in the courtyard?
...and thank you so much for an explanation for those baffling title and credits scenes!
Thong! The fish is ready!
Sometimes it's nice to be reminded why you're still a popular reviewer. these deep-ass dives into themes n junk really do good stuff in my brain.
Also, in the Director's Cut of the film, it turns out that Osric's daughter helps Conan sneak into Thulsa Doom's fortress. And after Conan kills Doom, she bows down to worship Conan. But Conan pulls her to her feet (essentially rejecting her worship), but then invites her to travel with him.
It is also interesting that this cult and the one it was inspired by are both run by men named Jones.
First of all, this just popped into my feed and I could not be more delighted. You were literally the first video reviewer I ever followed, and did so for a few years when you were just starting out with adding DS9 content, followed you to your site, watched Madoka because of your review (watched your first installation, then the series, then the rest; thanks so much for that). I love how you went in depth on Conan, which for me is a childhood classic.
The only place we differ is in the interpretation of Conan as king. I believe that him becoming king was in a way proving Thulsa Doom right. The position of such power was willed by the people - and even if killed, there would be another to take his place. Even when he was publicly beheaded (in a scene that evokes Aztec symbology), another king rose to the same position, with the same power. But perhaps that's just me loving the Shakespearean pathos of James Earl Jones.
16+ minute video with no mention of the great Basil Poledouris' soundtrack 🤔
👍
He spoke about the sountrack in the companion video.
love your take on the hero's journey in the film
A great movie my former childhood friend introduced me to when we were like 10. I didn't like it back then, and he liked it because " _Hurr durr big cool muscle man that talks about killing!_ ". As we grew up, I think he never grew beyond that mentality, but to me this movie had a change in my mind from " _Dumb Barbarian movie_ " to " _Excellent Swords & Sandals movie with fantastic music and much deeper than I saw as a kid._ "
I love that quote!
" _I've had the best things in Life. Now I want something better: The touch of a lover, the companionship of a friend, and the freedom to walk this world unburdened._ "
"I am your Father..."
"No, no. That's not true. That's impossible!"
I like the the extended version better. It adds a little something extra. People say that it changes the movie, but I think that it's an acceptable change that makes sense to me (at least).
Go with God and Be Safe from Evil. 😎 👍
I love the aesthetics of the costumes in this movie. They look primitive/Iron Age, but also detailed and stylized.
Although not one of my favourite movies of all time, it's one that I enjoy watching and admire as a film. I've also watched your three parter. You have a great way of breaking things down but you also have a very creative sense of humour for your more comical takes. You do both sides of your channel very well.
I want to see them make a film actually using one of Howard's stories, like "A Witch Shall Be Born" or "Black Colossus", both with good plots and battle scenes that could make for a full movie.
I think "Black Colossus" could have great potential. Also, "Queen of the Black Coast" could be fantastic, though potentially problematic to make faithfully in the modern day - not impossible, but a challenge. Or what about "Hour of the Dragon" - a trilogy perhaps?
HOLY CRAP?! you didn't see conan until NOW? I was completely pop culture starved and I STILL grew up on the conan movies!
It should also be noted that the adage "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" is itself an oversimplification because it would in fact be more accurate to say "What doesn't kill you, the _Recovery from_ will make you stronger."
Not too long ago, I came across a post on Tumblr that explained the truth of the adage by likening it to a bookshelf being glued back together.
Wood glue has be given time to set before you can put anything on the broken shelves because if you try to use them too early, they will just collapse as if they had never been fixed at all.
Whatever had broken those shelves in the first place was not the thing that made them stronger. It was being fixed that made them stronger.
Not oversimplified at all... The 'recovery' is simply the clear implication and actual point of the original quote. That is the understanding that is intentionally meant to be drawn from it, it doesn't need to be spelled out. Becoming stronger from something that impacts you negatively yet does not end your being IS literally recovery.
It's just simple implication. Not sure how you missed this but yeah.
Amazing analysis, so many brilliant ideas!
Excellent reflection on an amazing film. You summed up the philosophy of John Milius very well. If you haven't already, please watch the Milius/Arnold commentary on Conan. Its very good. Cheers.
I rewatched this for the first time since my childhood viewing and was genuinely shocked at how disturbing certain moments of this film are. The whole cult thing is unsettling and then there’s the cannibalism and the cooked body parts coming out of the big pot… maybe on the old CRT TVs I couldn’t make out what the bits were but I was genuinely uncomfortable and surprised I’d seen it as a child.
That talk about our hero healing the cultists make me imagine him as Conan the Physician. 👨⚕
Great analysis.
Wow, you mention that the villain played by James Earl Jones is revealed as the Hero's father, and there was no joke in there?
Well, claimed to be his father, but I think it was figurative. His actions made Conan who and what he is now, a sort of second birth.
It was in the the videos on his other channel
Great break down. I appreciate it. 👍
Great video, but your interpretation of his rise to King is an idealized one. In the books by Robert E. Howard, he becomes King by his own hand. He takes it by partnering with disaffected royals and he kills a weak King for his crown. He was never elevated with consent of followers. His rule of Aquilonia was plagued by intrigues and assassination attempts that make him long for the freedom and simplicity of a barbarians life.
So he didn't win followers by honor and respect who then made him their King based on admiration. He took what he desired based on the exercise of his will via his strength.
This just made realize that kingdom of haven is a blatant adaptation of the heores Journey. A few story choices make so much more sense now...
Conan great movie
A good analysis, although it must be pointed out that Doom killed Conan's mother with steel.
What? That is not the ruins of Atlantis!! I'm relatively sure it is at most a colony of Atlantis!
Not a lot of dialogue, but what was there was both memorable and worth remembering. The speeches given by Jones and Von Sydow in particular sound as if they should have been written in antiquity by a much more important author. Arnold himself began a long standing tradition of memorable one liners that were expected in all of his subsequent films. Later Conan films ranged from goofy to forgettable. More dialogue does not always translate into better dialogue. It takes more than just a moronic body builder to embody Conan. Arnold's accent, even though it was European, gave him a far more exotic tone than anything Jason Mamoa left behind in his version, and he was able to say a lot more without speaking. Sometimes talking more can if anything give away bad writing and stupidity as was the case with Mamoa's version of Aquaman. To be fair, these days a lot of stupidity is deliberate.
Arnold's a better actor than he gets credit for. It's the accent and cadence of his speech that makes people underestimate him.
Great review.
I'm not sure how many people watch this and understand what the themes are. It often seems people can't get past, Arnold, with a sword, killing people.
John Milius's next film, Red Dawn is similar. Too what any other director would have turned into some 80's action schlock and made something with deeper themes that went over people's head.
Would another director have given the antagonist of an "Americans fighting to reclaim the homeland" movie the main character arc of the film? That the climax of the movie turns on? I'm not so sure.
@@digitaljanus One of the themes of Red Dawn was that neither side was in the right. Humanity and Inhumanity was displayed on both sides. Robert's character arc was a study in how war turns people into psychopaths. And the only reason the partisans could give for being in the right was "because we live here."
Film had nothing to do with anti-communism, but people will see what they want to see. If anything it was an anti-cold war film.
Can you do the Gargoyles comic books that are Canon to the main continuity as the Animated Series.
My Conan clone is about a Martian colonist who after the failed invasion of Earth, goes on adventures outside the solar system.
I love your videos
I was wondering if you could re-upload your Mothra review if not it’s fine I would really like to see it
It is a great movie, but regarding Conan lore, it is all ... ugh, I can barely watch it! Thoth-Amon(let's use his real name) is also such a fascinating character. One rarely sees such a great duality as Conan Thoth in the same movie. And, if you ask me, it is true. Without Thoth's actions and words, Conan would be nothing.
Yeah I get a good chuckle when people who have only ever watched the movie start talking about Conan like they know all about him.
@@robo5013 Know what would be awesome? A Humble Conan Book Bundle.
Conan might not have become who he eventually became, but that's hardly 'nothing.' And there's a level of intentionality necessary to claim credit for something which is entirely lacking.
Wow thats unexpected
NYC TAXES is the reason the Knicks haven't won a championship since 1973
God i hate how youtube searching for copyrighted content. It deserves to collapse and be replaced with something at least a tiny bit better.
At the end do you think they were going to light themselves on fire or go light the cities on fire ?
It's weird that the bots give you this much trouble but resction videos of someone watching an uncut movie or whatever in a window is just fine.
thanks
we the people
I had a re-watch of both of Arnolds Conan movies, and while my opinion of the sequel has improved, it still lacks the substance of this movie.
Nice . 🙂
1:14 Don't forget that Conan came to know the pleasures of women...for he was bred to the finest stock.
Did you ever notice that Conan and Apocalypse Now have nearly identical endings
John Milius wrote Apocalypse Now.
@@SupremeGreatGrandmaster I know
Jim jones and Jonestown had a lot to do with
it was a tomb of an Atlantean not Atlantas
One of the few examples of non-degenerate cinema. Milius was too good for them.
I despised the movie's story and costumes but the other production values and music were impressive.
15:48 Wrong. Conan is not elevated by others who value the virtues he embodies and thusly convinced of his greatness. He is not made king by others. The movies and novels BOTH state this. Just as stated in the novels & Mako's narration, "he became king by his own hand." in other words he elevated himself by killing the previous king. He is a tyrant in the classical and very literal sense. To have others elevate him is the OPPOSITE of this, and antithetical to everything he actually strives for. He quite literally rejects this in the next movie (Conan The Destroyer) when the Princess turned Queen (who he rescued) offers him her hand in marriage, stating that his kingdom lies elsewhere waiting for him to take it.
great job! PS. covid didn't permanently injure people as much as the vaccine did
Conan to me was comparable to fist full of dollars.
You can put it on mute and it's still an amazing movie...
Makes me depressed seeing what we get
Proves to be the ruins of Atlantis? You make a lot of strange assumptions here my friend.
No. I'm sorry. A child hiding from a raid is NOT a refusal to call to action. Not EVERYTHING fits nor has to fit Joseph Campbell's reductionist storytelling railroad.
1st time a black man actually portrayed an egyptian as it's supposed to be.
The sequel was trash.