Deep-Cut Review: Conan The Barbarian Review
“Conan, what is best in life? To crush your enemies, see them fall before you, and hear the lamentations of the women.” This iconic line was my first introduction to the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian. A friend asked me, “What is best in life?” and expected this response. At the time, I hadn’t seen the film, but the line intrigued me so much that I sought out the movie to understand its context. What I discovered was a truly epic 80s action film, featuring a remarkable cast, including Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan and, most notably, James Earl Jones as the villain Thulsa Doom. I chose to honor the film with a review in response to Jones's recent passing.
The film begins with a young Conan living with his father, who tells him about their god, Krom and how he stole the riddle of steel and brought it to mankind. His father demonstrates this as he holds up his sword, showcasing the strength of steel. Later, we see Conan on the outskirts of the city as a group of bandits, bearing an insignia of two serpent heads facing each other over a sun, attack. Conan returns to his camp to find his father dead. His mother then tries to protect him but she is killed by Thulsa Doom which leads to Conan's enslavement.
Twenty years later, Conan has grown tall and strong from two decades of forced labor and becomes a popular gladiator, eventually earning his freedom from the man who had pulled him from manual labor and into the arena. With his newfound freedom, Conan sets out on a quest to find and kill Thulsa Doom to avenge his family as well as uncover the riddle of steel.
We really don’t see films like this anymore, between the score and the grand scale of the sets to the intensity of the performances, and of course the rampant violence and nudity, you just wouldn’t see anything like this produced in Hollywood today. The sheer spectacle of this film really sells the high-action fantasy of it, and while Arnold’s acting is pretty cheesy throughout the film, the other performers really help carry it. I found James Earl Jones to be particularly incredible as the villain. However that is not to say that this film in general is not a host to cheesy 80’s cliches. Cheesiness aside, Conan the Barbarian remains a tremendous film in my eyes, and in the wake of James Earl Jones's passing, it's a great film to watch as part of his incredible body of work.
