BEHIND VFX

Behind the Scenes: Conan the Barbarian (1982) 
Thulsa Doom: “Purging is at last at hand. Day of Doom is here. All that is evil, all their allies; your parents, your leaders, those who would call themselves your judges; those who have lied and corrupted the Earth, they shall all be cleansed.” 

This is part one of five making of (1982) “Conan the Barbarian” with in-depth interviews from Aronld Schwarzenegger, co-writer Olive Stone, writer/director John Milius, associated producer Edward Summer, executive producer Edward R. Pressman, producer Dino De Laurentiis and production designer Ron Cobb.

“Conan the Barbarian” is a 1982 fantasy film. It is based on the stories by author Robert E. Howard, a pulp fiction writer of the 1930s, about the adventures of the eponymous character in a fictional pre-historic world of dark magic and savagery. The film adaptation was written and directed by John Milius, and produced by Raffaella De Laurentiis and Buzz Feitshans. Basil Poledouris provided the music. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, and tells the story of a young barbarian who seeks vengeance for the death of his parents. The target of his hatred is Thulsa Doom, the leader of a snake cult.

Ideas for a film about Conan were proposed as early as 1970. A concerted effort by Edward R. Pressman and Edward Summer to produce the film started in 1975. It took them two years to obtain the film rights, after which they recruited Schwarzenegger for the lead role and Oliver Stone to draft a script. Pressman lacked capital for the endeavor, and in 1979, after having his proposals for investments rejected by the major studios, he sold the project to Raffaella’s father, Dino. Milius was appointed as director and he rewrote Stone’s script. The final screenplay integrated scenes from Howard’s stories and from films such as Kwaidan and Seven Samurai.

Filming took place in Spain over five months, in the regions around Madrid and Almería. The sets, designed by Ron Cobb, were based on Dark Age cultures and Frank Frazetta’s paintings of Conan. Milius eschewed optical effects, preferring to realize his ideas with mechanical constructs and optical illusions. Schwarzenegger performed most of his own stunts and two types of swords, costing $10,000 each, were forged for his character. The editing process took over a year and several violent scenes were cut.

Conan grossed more than $68 million at box-offices around the world, though the revenue fell short of the level that would qualify the film as a blockbuster. Academics and critics interpreted the film as advancing the themes of fascism or individualism, with the fascist angle featured in most of the criticisms of the film. Critics also panned Schwarzenegger’s acting and the film’s violent scenes. Despite the criticisms, Conan was popular with young male audiences, and the film brought Schwarzenegger worldwide recognition. 

“Conan the Barbarian” (1982) based on character created by Robert E. Howard, story written by Edward Summer, creenplay written by John Milius and Oliver Stone, directed by John Milius and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Sandahl Bergman, Ben Davidson, Gerry Lopez, Mako, William Smith and Max von Sydow. permalink


WATCH NOW or BUY AT AMAZON

Privacy117