 | |
| This movie poster, by the way, is illustrated by Frank Frazetta, a noted fantasy artist who illustrated many of the Conan stories. It kicks so much ass I don't even believe it. |
- Director: John Milius
- Screenwriters: John Milius & Oliver Stone (wow!)
- Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Sandahl Bergman, Ben Davidson, Mako
I love the mythical "Hyborian Age" that the Conan stories take place in as well, full of shape changing demons, grizzled barbarians and intense violence. It's a world unlike any other. Naturally, with the author having such a high pedigree, I had high expectations for the "Conan the Barbarian" film. I had heard much about it but never really had the chance to watch it until, on a whim, I purchased it from Dimple Records and watched it one night with friends.
Concerning the plot, it "borrows" scenes and elements from Howard's stories without adapting any one story, so a lot of the character's backstories are changed. Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a young Cimmerian boy who is stolen away and made into a slave after his family's tribe is murdered and ransacked. Many years later, he escapes and meets several friends who help guide him to his family's killer, the mad Snake Man cultist named Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones). Can Conan vanquish the man who stole his life and bring peace to his existence?
Yes, he can, with lots and lots of bloody murder. I had forgotten that this film was rated "R", and for an early-80s', non-slasher film, holy hell, it lives up to that pedigree. Conan practically kills the entire country, and there is lots of big, bright, wet bloodspray, it's beautiful. I was really happy to find out that they carried over this hard, gritty tone from the stories, sparing no violence or sex. It may not contribute much to the plot, but it does wonders for the overall tone.
Plus, the fight scenes are incredibly well-choreographed. Conan leaps off of walls and performs elaborate sword spins, just mowing down everyone in sight. The gore effects are also incredibly good for the time, my favorite sequence being when Conan decapitates a giant snake. It doesn't do any pussy cutting away, and it actually takes Conan several hits to decapitate it. It's incredibly ballsy, especially since we're talking about animal killing here, which is generally frowned upon in films.
While the plot itself is paper-thin, there's just something about the atmosphere and the high production values of the whole film that draws me in. The film employs many huge, ornate set pieces, and there is little dialogue in the film. Often it simply involves Conan traveling somewhere, fighting someone, or taking in the landscape, and it's very hypnotic. Of particular note is a fantastic scene where Conan's lover, Valeria, tries to ward off demons from his supposedly dead body.
The film's atmosphere is also gritty, but not like the "Clash of the Titans" reboot, where it disengages us from the fantasy in favor of the grittiness. In this instance the grittiness actually enhances the film, because the fantastic elements are nicely balanced with the grittiness, and it's all very believably presented, especially considering the source material.
However, one of the things that bothers me about the film is it's aforementioned plot. While it borrows the general feel and scenes of some of Robert E. Howard's stories, none of it is particularly compelling. Which is incredibly disappointing, because Howard could spin some damn fine tales, full of intense prose and deep, intriguing characters.
Because the plot of the film is so paper thin, the characters don't have much to them, and Arnold Schwarzenegger's "performance" (if you want to call it that) simply makes Conan look like a brutish, unintelligent ape, which is a far cry from the literary Conan, and it doesn't make the character particularly intriguing, which is sad because he's the centerpiece of the film.
The rest of the actors do fine. They're not particularly good, but they deliver their lines in that early-80s, articulate fantasy vibe, which I find endearing in a cheesy sort of way. There are some noted actors in it though, like Mako in all his hammy glory as The Wizard, and Max von Sydow, who has a very brief cameo as King Osric.
James Earl Jones though... man, he steals every scene that he's in. He doesn't even say much, really, but he doesn't need to. He has incredibly piercing, steely blue eyes (which I think are effects, but if not, holy shit) that draw you into his gaze, almost hypnotizing you to do his will. He's so icy and cold, nonchalantly slicing people's heads off. He also has a great monologue toward the end about fearing the dark. Oh, and he turns into a giant snake for some reason. But who cares, it's FUCKING COOL.
Supplementing the beautiful visuals and dark, fantastic atmosphere is the brilliant score by Basil Poledouris. Reportedly Dino DeLaurentiis (the producer) wanted a pop score, but director John Milius advised against it, and I'm damn glad that he did. The score is bombastic and sweeping, with a particularly fantastic cue inspired by Prokofiev's "The Battle on the Ice" from his score for "Alexander Nevsky". It plays a huge part in establishing the atmosphere of the film, giving it life.
There really isn't much reason to see this film if you're one of those "normal" people. But if you're a kind of geeky fantasy nerd like myself, you'll probably be plenty surprised by "Conan". While there isn't much of a plot, I can't help but feel that there is something about the movie that draws it above a simple B-grade fantasy film. It's got great production values, for one thing. It's beautifully shot and scored. It's gritty, violent and sexual. It has some fantastic atmosphere and some great acting from James Earl Jones... I can't explain why, but I love it, even though it doesn't stick to the canon of the short stories. If you're into this kind of stuff, check it out.
No comments:
Post a Comment