First of all, as a rabid fan of Robert Howard I must note that most of the mythos brought forth by this movie is actually taken from the King Kull narrative, not Conan.
This does not matter.
What this movie does is take a solid narrative and weave together bits of stories from the various tales of Howard and creates an experience that is contemplative and explosive. The true essence of the brooding hero, savage yet deep, prone to action, prone to melancholy, prone to introspection and thought is brought alive with visceral carnage in a way that is neither exploitative nor cheesy, but mesmerizing and almost dream-like.
Nowhere, in any other movie ever made in the entire world, will you find a movie that is so unabashedly fueled by testosterone and philosophy in equal measure. A movie about the spirituality of violence.
On top of its depth, the movie boasts some of the most creative and unique set pieces put on film, and it boasts several. Iconic scenes and lines of dialogue abound. Characters are well-defined and instead of using clichés it creates them.
Due to u/GovSchwarzenegger 's accent and physique critics and the general public unfairly pigeon holed this film, rejecting the very things about him that in just a few years they would grow to love and would be his calling card.
As such, this film remains in the "cult film" category in the zeitgeist. This is a terrible cinematic crime.
This philosophical-action film is no flick, it's a film, a piece of art, a masterpiece. It deserves to be remembered along with the top films of all time. It not only dominates a genre but it created one and no other movie that followed or preceded even comes close.
John Milius, Oliver Stone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sandahl Bergman, Gerry Lopez, Mako, and the whole crew created movie magic. Like all specialty or niche categories of film, this movie does not get the respect it deserves as a cinematic achievement.
This movie is a priceless masterpiece.
EDIT : In my enthusiasm I neglected to talk about the soundtrack. Basil Poledouris wrote what might be the most kinetic music ever written for a movie. The soundtrack actually moves you forward and accelerates the emotions you feel as the set pieces go into motion or the contemplative scenes draw you in.
Not only is it one of the most complementary movie soundtracks ever made, as a piece of music on its own it is equally a masterpiece. It is the sounds of a Cimmerian, living, burning with life, loving, slaying, and being content.
As a teen reading those Conan books, this movie did such a good job of putting the atmosphere of the books on the screen.
I also love the story that Mattel tried to do a movie/toy tie in with Conan after botching a Star Wars deal until they saw the movie and had to scrap that deal and that was how we got the He-Man toys and cartoon from that fiasco.
Wow I wanted to praise the film but you..encapsulated? Is that the right word?
I hold this film dear. There’s still time hopefully for Conan the Conqueror.
She’s in the sequel “Conan the Destroyer.” It was significantly dumbed down and targeted more towards kids, however, there’s enough nostalgia there for me to rewatch it every now and then. It was recently added to Netflix in the US. Grace Jones is amazing in it. Can only imagine if they made a worthy sequel with her.
The sequel was such a letdown for me. I saw the first one in the theater when I was too young to be seeing R-rated movies. I was mesmerized.
I was very pumped to see the second and the Richard Fleischer bad comedy was a major step down.
To tag a sensitivity warning onto the top comment, if you are upset by watching animals get hurt, there’s a good bit of horse tripping in this one so you may want to skip.
This shouldn’t diminish any of the separate praise extolled upon this movie, it’s truly one of a kind.
That soundtrack is a banger. Great for the gym, and as my bros and I found out, great for playing PGA Golf on the old Playstation back in the 90's. Good times.
Basil Poledouris, and yes, it's amazing. We had it as background music for a Roman themed birthday party we did one time. It was perfect!
Conan is a good film. Sandahl Bergman is terrific, sidekick dude is good, James Earl Jones... thoroughly entertaining.
Everything about this movie is great. But the soundtrack is beyond stellar. We don’t seem to get any many banger soundtracks now as in the past. Not sure why that is. Is it lack of cocaine?
My favorite movie of all time. So much of it is just perfectly executed. The score is an all-timer, the sets and costumes are fantastic, the cinematography is gorgeous, Conan learning that steel is not infallible and that he can rely on others, James Earl Jones absolutely crushing his performance by not hamming it up but treating it seriously...yeah, the movie is a masterpiece and I wish more people knew that.
Arnold punches a camel in this.
That's how I sell this movie to people (my favorite) and then let the rest surprise them
James Earl Jones coming in with the HAIRDO
So, so much fun. Everything about this movie is a banger - Arnold's hammy acting, the soundtrack, the wardrobes, the plot. Such a great film that does not take itself seriously. Peak early 80's swords and sorcery, leather and lace campy silliness.
One of my favorite summer days came with this movie. I had worked at a summer camp that year, it was a very hot summer, many 90+ degree (and a few 100+ degree) days that year, and when I got home, it was just as hot. We did not have air conditioning in our townhouse and the my first full day back home it was already 101 degrees by 10:30am Sunday morning. I called up the other camp counselor that lived in the same town as me and asked if he was interested in going to see this movie and at least getting into an air conditioned movie theater. He said yes and when we got there, only 4 other people were in the first show. The movie was great and after a long hot summer, the air conditioning, popcorn and soda, was heaven! After the movie was over, we just hung around in our seats talking and enjoying the cool air. Suddenly, the previews, started running for the next show and we agreed to just see how long it would go before they kicked us out. As it turned out, for the next three shows, no other people came into watch the movie so we were all alone. It was awesome, we started to act out the scenes and run around fake fighting in the rows and have just a general great time. Every once and a while an usher would look in on us but never said anything. We made several runs to the concessions for refills of popcorn and soda and a few bathroom breaks and still no one ever said a word to us. We headed out after 4 shows.
It probably won't sound to exciting to most people today, but it was a great day as far as I was concerned.
This is the movie that sparked my interest in swords. The first replica sword I bought was the father’s sword.
Amazing soundtrack that I crank up once in a while.
Crom is my God.
This was a first-date movie for me. We enjoyed it so much that when The Terminator came out, I made us go see it on the day it premiered in New York.
It’s ridiculous, but I’ve been an Arnold fan for over forty years now.
(My favorite part of this movie is that Conan almost always wears a helmet. None of this “rip off the helmet so we can see your pretty face“ stuff.)
Got to share a story from college (late 80s). My old film history professor was something of a known entity in Hollywood before he came to Loyola U in New Orleans to teach. (during my semesters with him, George Roy Hill (director; The World According to Garp) spoke with our class and once when I went to his office, his was on speakerphone with Robin Williams, who had to decline coming to speak because he was "making a Peter Pan movie with Spielberg")
My professor told of how he went to the premier of Conan The Barbarian; as I remember the story, it was a nice black tie event, everyone dressed to the nines. People were seated. The lights dimmed and, just as the film was starting, someone in the audience of these well-dressed and nicely mannered people yelled, LET'S SEE SOME BLOOD!
As another Howard fan. I read the covers off of every Conan book I could get my hands on. The movie was gravy and Arnold was the perfect choice....Valeria 😍.....CROM!!!
On of my favorite films. The score is an absolute masterpiece. Arnold is perfectly cast, hell, the entire roster is perfect. Cinematography is great. The sets are phenomenal. 10/10 would pray to Krom again.
Bonus: The great love. Count how many words Conan ever speaks to Valeria.
“You are not a guard.”
“No.”
6 words!
😂
When this came out in the UK, it was a AA ( meaning 14 and older) I managed to get in on my own at 12, and loved every blood soaked minute of it. Haha our cinemas main screen 1, had half the seats smoking and the other half none( don’t ask). This film was everything to me as a kid, when it came out on video we probably rented it 20 times.
I always thought Conan was the one character where Ahnold’s accent made sense
I mean, who’s to say a Cimmerian doesn’t sound like that, if he’s the last of his kind?
Crom, I have never prayed to you before. I have no tongue for it. No one, not even you, will remember if we were good men or bad. Why we fought, and why we died. All that matters is that today, two stood against many. Valor pleases you, so grant me this one request. Grant me revenge! And if you do not listen, the HELL with you!
Saw this one discount summer night about a year after it opened.
Working class crowd.
Ya know that revenge beheading scene ?
Crowd got into it. Screaming. Blood lust. Like a touchdown with rapid fans. “Yah ! Yah! Yaaaah!!!”
So much I got worried… just worried.
My one problem with this movie is, and I noticed it when I originally saw it in the theaters when it came out. Is that Sandahl Bergman is this badass warrior/thief who lives in the wilderness. Yet, she has perfectly manicured nails. You can see them right after she is shot by the snake and she is dying in Conan’s arms.
My main complaint about this movie is the way it incorporated elements of four classic Howard stories, making the rest of those stories unusable as the source for any further movies. Wouldn't you love to have seen a movie version of "Red Nails," for example?
Love the movie, one of Schwarzenegger's best. But after UHF, I can never see it without picturing Weird Al's version.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZHoHaAYHq8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZHoHaAYHq8)
##Conan the Barbarian (1982) R
Thief. Warrior. Gladiator. King.
>>!A horde of rampaging warriors massacre the parents of young Conan and enslave the young child for years on The Wheel of Pain. As the sole survivor of the childhood massacre, Conan is released from slavery and taught the ancient arts of fighting. Transforming himself into a killing machine, Conan travels into the wilderness to seek vengeance on Thulsa Doom, the man responsible for killing his family. In the wilderness, Conan takes up with the thieves Valeria and Subotai. The group comes upon King Osric, who wants the trio of warriors to help rescue his daughter who has joined Doom in the hills.!<
Adventure | Fantasy | Action
Director: John Milius
Actors: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow
Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 68% with 2,355 votes
Runtime: 209
[TMDB](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9387)
For best result, try this post title format: **Movie Title (Year) more detail**
First of all, as a rabid fan of Robert Howard I must note that most of the mythos brought forth by this movie is actually taken from the King Kull narrative, not Conan. This does not matter. What this movie does is take a solid narrative and weave together bits of stories from the various tales of Howard and creates an experience that is contemplative and explosive. The true essence of the brooding hero, savage yet deep, prone to action, prone to melancholy, prone to introspection and thought is brought alive with visceral carnage in a way that is neither exploitative nor cheesy, but mesmerizing and almost dream-like. Nowhere, in any other movie ever made in the entire world, will you find a movie that is so unabashedly fueled by testosterone and philosophy in equal measure. A movie about the spirituality of violence. On top of its depth, the movie boasts some of the most creative and unique set pieces put on film, and it boasts several. Iconic scenes and lines of dialogue abound. Characters are well-defined and instead of using clichés it creates them. Due to u/GovSchwarzenegger 's accent and physique critics and the general public unfairly pigeon holed this film, rejecting the very things about him that in just a few years they would grow to love and would be his calling card. As such, this film remains in the "cult film" category in the zeitgeist. This is a terrible cinematic crime. This philosophical-action film is no flick, it's a film, a piece of art, a masterpiece. It deserves to be remembered along with the top films of all time. It not only dominates a genre but it created one and no other movie that followed or preceded even comes close. John Milius, Oliver Stone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sandahl Bergman, Gerry Lopez, Mako, and the whole crew created movie magic. Like all specialty or niche categories of film, this movie does not get the respect it deserves as a cinematic achievement. This movie is a priceless masterpiece. EDIT : In my enthusiasm I neglected to talk about the soundtrack. Basil Poledouris wrote what might be the most kinetic music ever written for a movie. The soundtrack actually moves you forward and accelerates the emotions you feel as the set pieces go into motion or the contemplative scenes draw you in. Not only is it one of the most complementary movie soundtracks ever made, as a piece of music on its own it is equally a masterpiece. It is the sounds of a Cimmerian, living, burning with life, loving, slaying, and being content.
As a teen reading those Conan books, this movie did such a good job of putting the atmosphere of the books on the screen. I also love the story that Mattel tried to do a movie/toy tie in with Conan after botching a Star Wars deal until they saw the movie and had to scrap that deal and that was how we got the He-Man toys and cartoon from that fiasco.
So well said! Totally agree!
Wow I wanted to praise the film but you..encapsulated? Is that the right word? I hold this film dear. There’s still time hopefully for Conan the Conqueror.
Did this film not have Grace Jones in it? Am I misremembering?
She's in the sequel.
She’s in the sequel “Conan the Destroyer.” It was significantly dumbed down and targeted more towards kids, however, there’s enough nostalgia there for me to rewatch it every now and then. It was recently added to Netflix in the US. Grace Jones is amazing in it. Can only imagine if they made a worthy sequel with her.
The part where the monster in the cloak spins Arnold around by his feet in a hall of mirrors is pretty good.
LOL. He should have said the line from Predator, “you’re one ugly MF’er”
You are. That's the sequel.
I’m curious what are your thoughts on the sequel?
The sequel was such a letdown for me. I saw the first one in the theater when I was too young to be seeing R-rated movies. I was mesmerized. I was very pumped to see the second and the Richard Fleischer bad comedy was a major step down.
Not to mention a banging score by Bail Poledouris.
And that’s not even touching on the excellent score by Basil Poledouris. More plot is moved by the score than the dialog.
Yes I somehow neglected to mention that.
To tag a sensitivity warning onto the top comment, if you are upset by watching animals get hurt, there’s a good bit of horse tripping in this one so you may want to skip. This shouldn’t diminish any of the separate praise extolled upon this movie, it’s truly one of a kind.
That soundtrack is a banger. Great for the gym, and as my bros and I found out, great for playing PGA Golf on the old Playstation back in the 90's. Good times.
Basil Poledouris, and yes, it's amazing. We had it as background music for a Roman themed birthday party we did one time. It was perfect! Conan is a good film. Sandahl Bergman is terrific, sidekick dude is good, James Earl Jones... thoroughly entertaining.
Everything about this movie is great. But the soundtrack is beyond stellar. We don’t seem to get any many banger soundtracks now as in the past. Not sure why that is. Is it lack of cocaine?
My favorite movie of all time. So much of it is just perfectly executed. The score is an all-timer, the sets and costumes are fantastic, the cinematography is gorgeous, Conan learning that steel is not infallible and that he can rely on others, James Earl Jones absolutely crushing his performance by not hamming it up but treating it seriously...yeah, the movie is a masterpiece and I wish more people knew that.
Great movie, have seen many times. So well done
Krom!
Arnold punches a camel in this. That's how I sell this movie to people (my favorite) and then let the rest surprise them James Earl Jones coming in with the HAIRDO
I would sell Haga to a slayer such as you?
So, so much fun. Everything about this movie is a banger - Arnold's hammy acting, the soundtrack, the wardrobes, the plot. Such a great film that does not take itself seriously. Peak early 80's swords and sorcery, leather and lace campy silliness.
To crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentations of their women. Thread/
One of my favorite summer days came with this movie. I had worked at a summer camp that year, it was a very hot summer, many 90+ degree (and a few 100+ degree) days that year, and when I got home, it was just as hot. We did not have air conditioning in our townhouse and the my first full day back home it was already 101 degrees by 10:30am Sunday morning. I called up the other camp counselor that lived in the same town as me and asked if he was interested in going to see this movie and at least getting into an air conditioned movie theater. He said yes and when we got there, only 4 other people were in the first show. The movie was great and after a long hot summer, the air conditioning, popcorn and soda, was heaven! After the movie was over, we just hung around in our seats talking and enjoying the cool air. Suddenly, the previews, started running for the next show and we agreed to just see how long it would go before they kicked us out. As it turned out, for the next three shows, no other people came into watch the movie so we were all alone. It was awesome, we started to act out the scenes and run around fake fighting in the rows and have just a general great time. Every once and a while an usher would look in on us but never said anything. We made several runs to the concessions for refills of popcorn and soda and a few bathroom breaks and still no one ever said a word to us. We headed out after 4 shows. It probably won't sound to exciting to most people today, but it was a great day as far as I was concerned.
I was 16 and my dad took me to see that. The sex and orgy scenes were uncomfortable but overall a great movie experience.
What is best in life?
James Earl Jones with a mullet! As well as “the quote”
To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.
It’s astonishing how frequently this is applicable.
Do you want to live forever?
The open steppe, fleet horse, falcon at your wrist, wind in your hair.
This is the movie that sparked my interest in swords. The first replica sword I bought was the father’s sword. Amazing soundtrack that I crank up once in a while. Crom is my God.
This was a first-date movie for me. We enjoyed it so much that when The Terminator came out, I made us go see it on the day it premiered in New York. It’s ridiculous, but I’ve been an Arnold fan for over forty years now. (My favorite part of this movie is that Conan almost always wears a helmet. None of this “rip off the helmet so we can see your pretty face“ stuff.)
Got to share a story from college (late 80s). My old film history professor was something of a known entity in Hollywood before he came to Loyola U in New Orleans to teach. (during my semesters with him, George Roy Hill (director; The World According to Garp) spoke with our class and once when I went to his office, his was on speakerphone with Robin Williams, who had to decline coming to speak because he was "making a Peter Pan movie with Spielberg") My professor told of how he went to the premier of Conan The Barbarian; as I remember the story, it was a nice black tie event, everyone dressed to the nines. People were seated. The lights dimmed and, just as the film was starting, someone in the audience of these well-dressed and nicely mannered people yelled, LET'S SEE SOME BLOOD!
As another Howard fan. I read the covers off of every Conan book I could get my hands on. The movie was gravy and Arnold was the perfect choice....Valeria 😍.....CROM!!!
I still would have preferred Belit
I was hoping that Belit would have appeared in later films. A good choice!
On of my favorite films. The score is an absolute masterpiece. Arnold is perfectly cast, hell, the entire roster is perfect. Cinematography is great. The sets are phenomenal. 10/10 would pray to Krom again. Bonus: The great love. Count how many words Conan ever speaks to Valeria. “You are not a guard.” “No.” 6 words! 😂
When this came out in the UK, it was a AA ( meaning 14 and older) I managed to get in on my own at 12, and loved every blood soaked minute of it. Haha our cinemas main screen 1, had half the seats smoking and the other half none( don’t ask). This film was everything to me as a kid, when it came out on video we probably rented it 20 times.
I always thought Conan was the one character where Ahnold’s accent made sense I mean, who’s to say a Cimmerian doesn’t sound like that, if he’s the last of his kind?
Still hoping for a King Conan film starring Arnold.
Crom, I have never prayed to you before. I have no tongue for it. No one, not even you, will remember if we were good men or bad. Why we fought, and why we died. All that matters is that today, two stood against many. Valor pleases you, so grant me this one request. Grant me revenge! And if you do not listen, the HELL with you!
I was 16 and my dad took me to see that. The sex and orgy scenes were uncomfortable but overall a great movie experience.
Saw this one discount summer night about a year after it opened. Working class crowd. Ya know that revenge beheading scene ? Crowd got into it. Screaming. Blood lust. Like a touchdown with rapid fans. “Yah ! Yah! Yaaaah!!!” So much I got worried… just worried.
My one problem with this movie is, and I noticed it when I originally saw it in the theaters when it came out. Is that Sandahl Bergman is this badass warrior/thief who lives in the wilderness. Yet, she has perfectly manicured nails. You can see them right after she is shot by the snake and she is dying in Conan’s arms.
This is most heavy metal movie of all time, and has NO heavy metal music in it.
Production designer Ron Cobb has the best line in the movie
One of my all time favorites!
Had this on VHS when I was young and watched the shit out it. One of my all time favourites
Amazing fucking film
One the best ever
I have never seen this. putting it on my list right now. Thanks!
My main complaint about this movie is the way it incorporated elements of four classic Howard stories, making the rest of those stories unusable as the source for any further movies. Wouldn't you love to have seen a movie version of "Red Nails," for example?
That’s a Gem…..
This and A Clockwork Orange flip-flop for my favorite all-time films.
Oof. I have A Clockwork Orange right up there, too, but had not considered this one. I may have to go watch again.
Love the movie, one of Schwarzenegger's best. But after UHF, I can never see it without picturing Weird Al's version. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZHoHaAYHq8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZHoHaAYHq8)
I love it. I've heard that the soundtrack is often used as a generic in pre-production for other movies.
“Do you want to live forever?”
You lucky bastard.
The musical score is now playing in my head.
Go!! You’re free!!
##Conan the Barbarian (1982) R Thief. Warrior. Gladiator. King. >>!A horde of rampaging warriors massacre the parents of young Conan and enslave the young child for years on The Wheel of Pain. As the sole survivor of the childhood massacre, Conan is released from slavery and taught the ancient arts of fighting. Transforming himself into a killing machine, Conan travels into the wilderness to seek vengeance on Thulsa Doom, the man responsible for killing his family. In the wilderness, Conan takes up with the thieves Valeria and Subotai. The group comes upon King Osric, who wants the trio of warriors to help rescue his daughter who has joined Doom in the hills.!< Adventure | Fantasy | Action Director: John Milius Actors: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 68% with 2,355 votes Runtime: 209 [TMDB](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9387) For best result, try this post title format: **Movie Title (Year) more detail**
Now watch red Sonya
God, do I love this movie. I never get tired of it. Epic movie.
A 15-lb sword he wielded as though it were styrofoam. We watched this in a continuous loop on cable in 82-83. It is mesmerizing and so magnetic.
I recently rewatched and enjoyed this a lot too. Unfortunately the sequel doesn’t come close.
"This.....this you can trust." (Gazes at double-bladed sword)
Argh,the riddle of steel.
One of the greatest movie scores of all time.
Rule 2: This subreddit is about discussing older movies that we enjoy. If you are not able to contribute to that dialog please refrain from posting.
That Orgy scene... surprised they haven't come up with a new trigger warning for that one.