Conan the barbarian
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Conan the barbarian |
| Original title | Conan the Barbarian |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1982 |
| length | 126 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | John Milius |
| script | John Milius Oliver Stone |
| production |
Buzz Feitshan's Raffaella De Laurentiis |
| music | Basil Poledouris |
| camera | Duke Callaghan |
| cut | Carroll Timothy O'Meara |
| occupation | |
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| chronology | |
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Successor → |
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Conan the Barbarian is a counting to the genre of film Barbarians low-fantasy - film and genre classics from 1982 based on themes by Robert E. Howard , several short stories and a novel about since 1932 Conan the Cimmerian wrote. Howard designed his own setting for his stories, the Hyborian Age . The first performance in Germany was on August 25, 1982.
action
The film takes place in the fictional barbaric land of Hyboria. Conan, the son of a blacksmith , lives with his parents in a village with other settlers. As a child he experienced how he was attacked by the serpent cult leader Thulsa Doom, his captains Rexor and Thorgrim and his warriors in search of the "secret of steel". Conan's parents and the rest of his tribe are killed before his eyes, he and the other children are enslaved and taken to the far north. There they are forced to do hard labor and prepared for sale to a slave trader .
The hard work makes him strong and makes him grow into a giant. When he grows up he is sold and his new master lets him compete in gladiator duels. Conan wins many victories; he becomes aware that he is not an animal and he is also educated: he is taught sword fighting in attack and defense in the Far East; likewise reading and philosophy. Conan is finally released from slave service and from now on he travels the world.
On the run from wild dogs, he falls into a hidden cave that turns out to be the tomb of a warrior or king. He takes his broadsword from the skeletonized deceased sitting on his throne, cleans it, defends himself against the pack of dogs and moves on through the country.
He comes to a witch's dwelling and receives a reference to the snake cult of Thulsa Doom, as he is still obsessed with the desire for revenge. The next morning he discovers the chained thief Subotai, frees him and makes friends with him. Together they travel through the country, discover cities and learn more about the mysterious snake cult.
When they break into a tower belonging to the Thulsa Dooms snake cult within a larger city and want to steal its riches, they meet the warrior and thief Valeria, whose love Conan later wins. They observe a ceremony that is being held: Rexor is now the high priest of Thulsa Dooms and prepares a young girl with prayers for his voluntary sacrifice. While Valeria infiltrates the group of priestesses, Conan and Subotai climb deeper into the vault of the tower in search of its riches. They discover a large ruby and steal it. They unintentionally awaken a giant snake to guard it, and a fight ensues. The two defeat the giant snake and want to flee: At the exit Conan discovers a seal of the snake cult, which reminds him of the murder of his people, and takes it with him.
Suddenly getting rich, the heroes sink increasingly into luxury and decadence. While they are celebrating in a tavern, alcohol overcomes them and they fall asleep.
Unintentionally awakening again, Conan and his companions are led to the aged King Osric. His daughter is addicted to the cult of Thulsa Doom, which is why the king asks the trio to free his misguided daughter from the clutches of Thulsa Doom in exchange for a huge pile of red gems as a reward. The trio consults, and Valeria and Subotai come to the conclusion that Thulsa Doom is far too powerful to take on him.
Still obsessed with revenge, Conan wants to kill Thulsa Doom. He leaves his group early in the morning and goes in search of Thulsa Doom's headquarters, the "Mountain of Power". While searching, he meets the magician Akiro, who lives lonely on the plain at an abandoned grave and cult site of long-forgotten gods. There Conan learns more details about the cult and prepares to infiltrate the next day.
Disguised as a pilgrim with flowers and riding a camel, he sets out for the mountain of power. He ambushes a priest, takes his robe and enters the place of worship alone. When entering the narrow circle of Thulsa Doom, he is checked and gives the stolen seal from the snake tower (from which they stole the ruby) to a guard as an excuse. She becomes suspicious and Conan is suddenly caught, beaten up, tortured and taken to Thulsa Doom. There he is confronted with the theft and murder of the snake, which Conan uses as an opportunity to draw attention to the murder of his tribe. Thulsa Doom says that he was looking for the secret of steel back then, but that he realized that steel is only as powerful as the flesh that guides it. He proves this impressively by hypnotically dropping a young woman from the cliffs into the courtyard.
Ultimately, Conan is crucified on a tree and left to fend for himself. Close to death, Conan is saved by Subotai and brought back to the magician Akiro. He conjures up the spirits of the long-forgotten gods who save Conan's life because Valeria pledges her life to them for his.
Together with Valeria and Subotai, Conan invades Thulsa Doom's place of worship a second time to bring King Osric's daughter back to her father. Deep in the mountain of power they get into an orgy-like feast with human sacrifices, which are also eaten. Thulsa Doom watches over everything, at whose feet King Osric's daughter lies apathetically. Just before accessing the orgy, Thulsa Doom transforms into a snake and disappears through a hole next to the throne room. The companions and the princess can escape from the interior of the mountain after a long struggle; However, Valeria is fatally hit by a poisonous arrow in the form of an enchanted snake and dies.
At Akiro's old cult and burial site, Conan, Subotai and Akiro prepare for the upcoming battle, as Thulsa Doom is on the march with Rexor, Thorgrim and many warriors after they saw the oversized fire during the ceremonial cremation of the warrior Valeria. The next day, the battle breaks out, and Conan and his two companions face the superiority of around 15 opposing warriors. Thorgrim is fatally pierced by a stake with a trap set by Conan; Rexor fights deadly with Conan. Conan is almost killed in the process, but the Valkyrie-like appearance of Valeria saves his life, and Conan kills Rexor. He smashes his father's stolen sword and takes it back after all these years. In the end, Thulsa Doom tries to kill the daughter of King Osric with a poisoned arrow in the form of an enchanted snake. However, Subotai intercepts this with a shield.
Thulsa Doom escapes the fight, but is pursued by Conan to the place of worship (in the extended version of the film, however, with the help of the freed princess). During a mass ceremony, Conan ultimately beheaded Thulsa Doom and throws his severed head at the feet of the disaffected followers. These then leave the place of worship, which is burned down by Conan. In the extended version, Conan and the princess watch the place burn, and in the final scene Conan carries the princess through the desert, apparently back to her father.
background
The entire film was shot in Spain and shows stone and desert landscapes as well as snow-covered forests. While the huge front staircase of the snake temple was being erected in the mountainous area of Agua Dulce, the film team used backdrops for the city that had already been built in 1970 for the Western El Condor . Large parts of the film manage without dialogue and are instead accompanied by Basil Poledouris ' film music. Directed by John Milius , the screenplay was written by Oliver Stone . The budget was over $ 16 million.
The film made Arnold Schwarzenegger world famous as a film actor. In preparation for his role he took lessons in sword fighting and kendo for six months . This finally enabled him to play 90 percent of all scenes in the film without the use of doubles . While this would never have been possible in Hollywood for insurance and union reasons , the local legal freedom was used for the outdoor shots in Spain.
There are three cut versions of the film: the original cinema version , a four-minute longer "Extended Cut" and a "Producer's Cut".
music
The music, which has an important narrative function in the film , was written and produced by Basil Poledouris . Members of The Orchestra and Chorus di Santa Cecilia and The Radio Symphony of Rome performed under the baton of Basil Poledouris. The orchestration was done by Greig McRitchie. The music was recorded and mixed by Pedrego Savina and Frank Jones .
90 musicians were used, and a choir of 24 people sang, with the option of overdubbing exactly once .
In 1982 an LP with about 48 minutes playing time was released by Milan / MCA . From 1984 CDs with further editions in 1992, 1999 and 2003. Varése Sarabande brought out Conan the Barbarian with Conan the Destroyer from 1992, whereby the former was extended by about 20 minutes. These are out of print.
In 2010 a double CD was released via Prometheus Records, containing the complete film music re-recorded by the Prague Philharmonic and produced by James Fitzpatrick , including unpublished material .
In 2012 the original soundtrack was re-released by Intrada Records. The three CDs contain all of the original music, alternative pieces and the 1982 MCA soundtrack album.
synchronization
| role | actor | Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Conan | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Thomas Danneberg |
| Thulsa Doom | James Earl Jones | Edgar Ott |
| King Osric | Max von Sydow | Friedrich W. Building School |
| Valeria | Sandahl Bergman | Rita Engelmann |
| The witch | Cassandra Gava | Barbara Ratthey |
| Akiro "The Witcher" | Mako | Heinz-Theo branding |
| Subotai | Gerry Lopez | Wolfgang Condrus |
| Conan's father | William Smith | Joachim Cadenbach |
criticism
The lexicon of international films assessed the film as “a fantasy spectacle set in the distant past that incorporated various myths; technically at a high level, but full of violence, blood and human contempt ”. DVD headquarters, on the other hand, came to the conclusion: "Fantasy classic that will not only please fans of the genre". The big TV feature film, the film lexicon, judged: “Despite the colorful backdrops, wonderful landscape shots and the archaic, powerful music by Basil Poledouris, the film leaves an ambivalent impression. In many scenes he shows an unmasking, inhuman and fascist attitude that he doesn't even try to hide. "The Austrian daily Kurier commented Arnold Schwarzenegger's acting performance in this film in its September 3, 1982 issue with the words:" Yes , and our parade Austrian Arnold Schwarzenegger will probably not receive an Oscar either. His acting skills disappear behind his world-renowned muscle play ”. The Arbeiter-Zeitung judged similarly : "One must at least grant the world-famous Grazer the truly barbaric talent of never allowing the slightest expression to appear in the fight with knights, death and the devil".
The film received mixed reviews. The film review portal Rotten Tomatoes gives 66% positive reviews for the film and it has a Metascore of 43 out of 100 on Metacritic .
Awards
Sandahl Bergman received the last Golden Globe Award for Best Young Actress in 1983 and a Saturn Award . Arnold Schwarzenegger was nominated for the Golden Raspberry in the worst actor category that same year .
Aftermath
- The film was followed by a sequel two years later under the title Conan the Destroyer by Richard Fleischer .
- A screenplay written by John Milius King Conan , which was written as the official third part of the film series, has never been made into a film.
- In 1997 Ralf Möller took on the title role in the US television series of the same name, Conan, the Adventurer . After a season consisting of 22 episodes, the series was discontinued.
- The production companies Paradox Entertainment and Nu Image / Millennium Films produced a remake of Conan the Barbarian for the Lionsgate studio with Conan . The producers had a budget of around $ 100 million. The director was temporarily Xavier Gens ( Hitman ) acted. But then the German director Marcus Nispel was hired to direct. The first version of the script was written by Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer ( Sahara ) and is intended to follow the original by Robert E. Howard more closely than the earlier films. The film script King Conan by John Milius , which was once written as a further sequel to the original Conan films, was not considered for the remake. Dirk Blackman and Howard McCain developed a second version of the script. The 3D film was released in 2011. Jason Momoa played the leading role .
- In October 2012 Universal Studios announced that they wanted to make The Legend Of Conan, another film about Conan the Cimmerian , although production should be left to Frederik Malmberg again despite the financial debacle in 2011 . However, it should not be a sequel to Conan , but to Conan the Barbarian . For this reason, Arnold Schwarzenegger was supposed to take over the lead role of Conan again. Chris Morgan , who is also listed as the producer of the upcoming film, had devised the plot for this, which should take up the motifs of the previously unfilmed screenplay by John Milius with the title King Conan . The project is currently suspended.
literature
- Lyon Sprague de Camp , Lin Carter : Conan the Barbarian ( Conan the Barbarian) (book on the film), 1982, ISBN 3-453-30835-2
Web links
- Conan the Barbarian in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Conan the Barbarian atrotten tomatoes(English)
- Comparison of the cut versions US Blu-ray - UK Blu-ray , FSK 16 - FSK 16 new edition , FSK 16 new edition - Extended Edition , Kabel 1 from 12 - FSK 16 , BBFC 15 (Extended) - Uncut , RTL 2 morning - FSK 16 from Conan the barbarian at Schnittberichte.com
Individual evidence
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original dated November 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b -jg- in: The great TV feature film film lexicon . Digital library special volume (CD-ROM edition). Directmedia, Berlin 2006, ISBN 3-89853-036-1 , pp. 2436-2437.
- ↑ PRODUCER New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, NY] September 20, 1987: SMA65
- ↑ schnittberichte.com, accessed on July 30, 2017
- ↑ Conan the Barbarian - Basil Poledouris. Archived from the original on October 18, 2010 ; accessed on May 25, 2008 (English).
- ^ A b Christian Clemmensen: Conan the Barbarian. Retrieved May 25, 2008 .
- ↑ Jonathan Broxton: Conan the Barbarian. Movie Music UK, 1998, archived from the original on October 12, 2007 ; accessed on April 27, 2011 (English).
- ^ Conan the Barbarian (1981). www.basil-poledouris.com, 1997, archived from the original on February 6, 2015 ; accessed on May 25, 2008 (English).
- ↑ Michael Boldhaus: Conan the Barbarian (Prometheus new recording) (review). Cinemusic.de, December 26, 2010, accessed May 24, 2011 .
- ↑ Conan The Barbarian. Tadlow Music, 2010, accessed May 24, 2011 .
- ↑ Conan The Barbarian. Soundtrack.net, 2012, accessed January 4, 2013 .
- ↑ Conan the Barbarian in the German synchronous index , accessed on December 16, 2007
- ↑ Conan the Barbarian. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ↑ -jg- in: The great TV feature film film lexicon . Digital library special volume (CD-ROM edition). Directmedia, Berlin 2006, ISBN 3-89853-036-1 , pp. 2437-2438.
- ↑ Courier of September 3, 1982, p. 10.
- ↑ Freestyle wrestlers of primeval times , Arbeiter-Zeitung , September 3, 1982, page 9.
- ↑ Conan the Barbarian at Rotten Tomatoes (English)
- ↑ Conan the Barbarian at Metacritic (English)
- ↑ A BRIEF HISTORY of THE RAZZIE® AWARDS ( Memento of the original from May 14, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. .
- ↑ Xavier Gens to helmet "Conan the Barbarian" .
- ↑ Michael Fleming, Lionsgate leaps on "Conan" ( Memento of the original from January 15, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. .
- ↑ Michael Fleming, Millennium wins rights to "Conan" ( Memento of the original from January 24, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. .
- ↑ Ain't It Cool News: By Crom! 80.46 € million CONAN movie outta Lionsgate? .
- ↑ Jay A. Fernandez & Carolyn Giardina, " Conan unsheathed at Lionsgate," in: The Hollywood Reporter (online), August 13, 2008.
- ↑ Brandon Gray: 'Conan 3D,' '21 Jump Street, '' Bourne Legacy 'and Many More Stake Out Dates. October 29, 2010, accessed May 17, 2011 .
- ↑ "The Legend Of Conan": Continuation with Arnold Schwarzenegger put on hold , Filmstarts.de, April 7, 2017
