Conan's father believed that the answer to the Riddle of Steel was the sword, only in your sword can you trust. Thulsa Doom believed that the answer to the Riddle of Steel was flesh, the hand that wields the sword. The scene at the end of the movie where Conan is holding the severed head of Thulsa in one hand and his fathers broken sword in the other showed them both to be wrong. The true answer to the Riddle of Steel was the unbreakable will of the warrior that commands both flesh and sword. Brilliant movie!
which is combined in a shoot showing thesis, antithesis on each side (Conan holding each on his hands right and left), and Conan as the synthesis of both in the middle.
Stu Saville That is deep. I’ve watched this movie a hundred times and this is the first time I said to myself that Conan’s father was wrong, the steel is nothing without the warrior wielding it. Then I saw your comment, very profound.
Damned you :) I have seen this film a thousand times but that has never struck me. A fantastic movie. Every time you watch it you get one notch wiser :)
Same. Great soundtrack as well. I used to hear it on the university radio channel for classic music at my desk two decades later. Good times and memories at 17.
Just the first 45 seconds of Nietzsche quotation and narration with a black screen, all by themselves, are better than most Hollywood blockbusters nowadays ...
That is so true when I do exercise in the gym especially pumping iron all I hear is Conan music from Conan the barbarian music to Conan the destroyer music it gets me pumped up
What's so great about this movie is that the more times you rewatch it more layers you find, for example, until now I realize the giants from Conan's father's tale are the Atlanteans, later when Conan entered the Atlantean tomb and found the sword, he remembered Crom, but actually, he remembered his father. Masterpiece storytelling with so little dialogue.
also, ,for the atlantean the sword is likely something like an ornamental dagger, ,maybe for his death. hence why the sword is so awkward to handle for most regular humans
This movie is a fucking masterpiece. It’s the most underrated epic ever made. Its written, directed and performed to perfection. The musical score is one of the most emotionally enthralling and transcending works to ever grace a film.
'Between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis, and the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of. And onto this, Conan, destined to wear the jeweled crown of Aquilonia upon a troubled brow. It is I, his chronicler, who alone can tell thee of his saga. Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!
There is something truly awe inspiring with the camera work, substance, music and narrative here that touches on magic. I have never seen such a powerful intro in all my movie days.
+Bruce Hood Almost all of our culture, books, movies, theaters, poetry. Almost all of it is about telling a story. In the 6 000 years of human civilization, this didn't change much and we are like people from the ancient times, sitting around a fire and listening to a wise old tribesman's story. It's all about the story and dialogues. Some movie makers forget that.
+Bruce John Wayne When my baby boy will go to school and the teacher ask him something about god or jesus, he will say "my god is crom, he is strong in his mountain, and my mission in life is find the riddle of the steel"
EVERYTHING about this movie is quality. Soundtrack, poetic script, masterful cinematography, efficient editing.. it gets right to the point and covers so much in so little time. Like a great poem.
This was so thrilling on opening night. When Poledouris' timpani start you could feel the audience being captured immediately. It's the fantasy equivalent of Star Wars' opening--the way us fans had hoped a fantasy movie COULD be, and here it was.
The written version is also great. Know, O prince, that between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and the years of the rise of the Sons of Aryas, there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars - Nemedia, Ophir, Brythunia, Hyperborea, Zamora with its dark-haired women and towers of spider-haunted mystery, Zingara with its chivalry, Koth that bordered on the pastoral lands of Shem, Stygia with its shadow-guarded tombs, Hyrkania whose riders wore steel and silk and gold. But the proudest kingdom of the world was Aquilonia, reigning supreme in the dreaming west. Hither came Conan the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet
@@prigual2901 Conan isn't supposed to take place in a fictional world per se, it's on a mythological Earth before any civilization known to anthropologists when Eurasia and Africa were still connected by land. The Vilayet Sea is the Caspian Sea, the River Styx in the Nile. Every kingdom in the Conan tales are all based on real places and their people the same.
This is one of the earliest movies i remember watching with my dad (probably not the best movie to show a kid but i loved it even then). He died a little over a month ago and ever since then i can't get this movie out of my head. Maybe this scene with Conan's dad imparting wisdom to him sparked a latent memory of my own father, but i will always think of dad when i watch this movie; and God willing whenever i watch it with my future children.
1 of the best opening scenes in all movie history. This movie is so under looked and under rated. Arnold's acting in this was perfect. He should have won a Grammy or something
There are famous poets whose works are still remembered by some, even though that art form is much diminished in popularity. But this opening monologue deserves remembering and celebration as much as any poetry I know. One of the greatest intros and opening scene ever.
For a while I always thought the score was by Jerry Goldsmith. It sounds just like the music from the opening credits of TOTAL RECALL. Also by Goldsmith.
+Jesse Chignon. Yes, I am aware that Conan is not a Viking, it sounds cooler to say Viking than to say Cimmerian. More people understand Vikings than using the term Cimmerian
patrick langdon thats a movie fool look read the books to get an actual discription of his clan. these people are more ancient than vikings according to "legends"
It also brought tears to my eyes as well. This is a movie I would never grow tired of watching. The whole entire movie is so operatic. Beautifully executed film,
It is when you see this opening from this classic movie that you realize how much of a travesty the recent Conan remake truly is. This version is light-years ahead of the remake.
Squid Jones The 80's produced quite a few sword and sorcery flicks, but only a handful became iconic. Some were extremely cheesy, such as the DeathStalker series, but most were pretty memorable overall.
Won’t forget when I made my weekly trip to the video store one Friday and my dad requested that I rent Conan the Barbarian for him. I had seen Conan the Destroyer and thought that was this and when we put on this opening, I was floored and I could immediately tell this was going to be NOTHING like the sequel.
It is true. I think mankind has lost sight of this. Guns are fine, but guns have moving parts that need maintenance and need ammo. But a good well-made blade? It will serve you well. The best advise my father gave me was to always have a blade at your side, be it a simple knife, machete, or even a sword. Conan's Da is right. This you can trust!
In fact, this movie was a philosophical movie.The protagonist discovers that the secret of steel is willpower, it is no accident that the movie begins with a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche. A fundamental concept of Nietzsche's philosophy is the concept of The Will to Power. From this concept the National Socialists later took over, you will all remember the propaganda film The Triumph of the Will of Riefenstahl.
Even if you don't believe in any supreme being, and think Little Conan's head is being filled with gobbledygook. One thing you have to admit is that his father is giving him overall solid advice. Don't rely on others to wipe your ass for you, and the the great mysteries of life are up to us to ponder over and discover for ourselves.
"One thing you have to admit is that his father is giving him overall solid advice." Or is he? Later in the movie, steel fails Conan on several occasions, but his friends save him. People can betray you, but without cooperation, you will be crushed by anyone who gets people together.
You missed the final message of the movie. Strength comes from neither steel nor flesh. It comes from one's own beliefs and convictions. Before the final battle, Conan asks Crom to grant him revenge, yes. But he doesn't expect Crom to answer his prayer, nor does he give a shit. In the end, he decides that he is going to defeat Thulsa Doom's warriors because he is will give it his all and not stop until they are all dead. As the battle rages on, Crom is impressed by Conan's brazenness and rewards him by allowing Valeia's spirit to descend from Valhalla to save him from a sneak attack. She then spouts her catchphrase before disappearing again. I could be wrong on this last part, but I don't recall Subotai being there with him in that battle. So he was alone that time.
Just 4 years before 1982 (1978) i named my son Conan because of my celtic heritage. I never new it was to be connected to the comic book or movie. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle the writer of the Shirlock Homes books, I was a big fan of. My wife liked the name "Ashley" MY son said "Thank god dad you named me Conan and not Ashley eeeuuww". LoL. This was great because when anyone says Conan everyone knows who they are talking about in our small town.
I miss Mako, the narrator. He was a brilliant Japanese actor. They're now planning to make a Legend of Conan movie according to IMDB. That should be seriously sweet unless they fuck it up. If they do it'll be called Conan: the geriatric years.
If Arnie comes back, it should be that of King Conan and be full of the bad ass manly 80s violence. Too bad Hollywood will inject it full of pansy 2016 feminism and replace 90% of the action with CGI. The 2011 one was already bad enough.
He's been in film/TV for over five decades. From "Laredo" in the 1960s to today. He's also very accomplished as an educator: he holds two masters degrees and has taught Russian language and history at the collegiate level.
@@alcd6333 That doesn't begin to tell everything he's accomplished. Speaks, I believe, six languages, though he's best at Russian, had a top secret security clearance with the CIA and NSA and rode along in spy planes over the Soviet Union, was a world class arm wrestler (I had heard he pisssed Schwarzenegger off because he beat him at arm wrestling on the Conan set), held and may still hold the world record for reverse curling his own body weight, the list goes on. Btw, he was in a crime drama series, though a short lived one, The Asphalt Jungle, before Laredo. I think of the scene where his character Falconetti gets beat up by Nick Nolte's character Tom Jordache in the Rich Man, Poor Man miniseries, and the scene where his character Jack Wilson gets bested in a fight by Clint Eastwood's character Philo Beddoe in Any Which Way You Can (and in spite of Beddoe having a broken arm). In real life I think "Big Bill" could've cleaned both Eastwood's and Nolte's clocks--at the same time and maybe even with his arm broke. If the Boogeyman checks his closet for Chuck Norris before he goes to bed, as the joke goes, Norris checks his closet for William Smith. Even now, at 86, I don't think I'd want to mess with him.
Her actions are purely instinctual, and merely as a mother for, technically speaking, she's ignorant of just whom it is that she's facing; back then Thulsa Doom's reputation was only just beginning its rise, at least in these wild lands. Had Conan's mother some prior knowledge of Doom, it's quite likely that she would have attempted to flee with her son, rather than "stand her ground".
The man playing Conan‘s father is William Smith, a career movie man, stuntman Martial arts, Master, bodybuilder, and he also played in the TV series, planet of the apes, and he was also in a Clint Eastwood‘s movie, any which way you can
Greatest movie ever made. I was born in 82. I wish I could have been old enough to experience this with an audience in a theater. It inspired me to become a blade smith.
That's the great William Smith who played Conan's Father. Guy's still going strong, and he's been in every type of movie since the 60's. But this might be one his best for me.
@@emanuel82 - Conan was a super woke movie. All of the stuff that anti-woke people hate is in this movie. Extreme Diversity, Strong woman, black leader/villain, open sex, and even a gay scene all that stuff that the anti-woke get all bent out of shape about today are in this move. This movie and Conan the Destroyer were woke movies.
@@jasonito23 Woke is not that you cant have diversity and strong women in movies. Its when you feel its put in place by political guidelines. I really dont feel that in Conan. Alien is another movie that could have been woke but its not. Its just a great movie.
We need more of these classic drama and aventure films. From world class movies like Ben Hur to cult action and adventure films like Conan. From masterpieces like Spartacus to modern classics like Braveheart and Gladiator. Those were the days. When movies were taken seriously and made with love
Great acting in this scene really feels genuine and the score really makes the hairs stand up ! Bravo Basil!! Never be another composer like him. Underrated film and even though Arnold doesn't' say much appreciate the story and the other great actors involved .
The Definition of Sword and Sorcery. There is no greater good nor evil. There is no great prophecy of how a lowly hero will save the world from looming darkness. It's all about how men and women seeks fame, fortune and glory through strength and cunning with steel in their hands and loyal companions by their side. Neither gods nor monsters will deny you what you your hearts desire. They may try... But they better not underestimate the spirit of Man.
Damn, this movie is awesome. I remember watching it as a kid. So many moments that have stuck with me: that music, the quotes, the battles, the part where he bites a vulture!? The snake arrow! And the decapitation at the end, of course! Awesome!
@@AmericanThunder One thing China has always made well is armaments. Case in point: the Type 56 (the Chinese AK), the most prevalent AK variant used by the Vietnamese during the Vietnam War.
Everything about this movie, the philosophy, soundtrack, cinematography, the sparse dialogue which evokes a contemplative mood did justice to the works of R.E.Howard. I hope it's released in 4K !
Conan's father believed in the sword as the riddle of steel. The military power. Thulsa believed once in that kind of power but after he conquered many people, religion was for him the riddle of steel. And then Conan overcome all that to believe in nothing but only himself. That is the real riddle of steel.
Incorrect. Conan's father had instructed him that he must learn the Riddle of Steel. If "the swordl" (i.e. which was made of steel) was the answer, then what was actually left for Conan to learn? Lol. Too many believe that, either, or both, Conan's father, and Thulsa Doom, didn't know the answer to the Riddle of Steel. Regarding Conan's father, he only said that one could trust in the sword, but not implying the sword was infallible in its design, only that it did not have a mind of its own which might contradict the will of its weilder. People and animals will not always fall in line with how we might want them to behave, because they have a will of their own. However, a sword is simply a tool; it obeys the weilders will without question. _That_ is the attribute of a sword Conan's father addresses by his statement, and has nothing to do with the swords durability. As far as Thulsa is concerned, he assumed Conan was near death, presumably because he was about to be crucified and die on the Tree of Woe, so he saw it as a mercy to give Conan the answer to the ROS. Thulsa tells him, "Look to the _desire in your heart_ ; I gave you this. Such a waste". Therefore, it was the desire in Conan's heart, his will to survive and improve himself, which was the answer to the Riddle. As I often state, the quote in the beginning of the film is often overlooked, as the answer to the Riddle, for the benefit of the moviegoer. The characters in the film, however, must learn this philosophy through their own experiences.
Read your social history. Ancient warrior societies had an almost religious, mystical belief in steel. It was by far the hardest of the metals. It could only be produced laboriously and in small quantities, using specialized techniques. That's why steel swords were reserved for Kings and the greatest warriors. And were highly prized. Steel swords became symbols for power and courage.
Nowdays it's all subminimal messages and effects. No music, no script, no talented actors , no nothing. Only junk. World begun to fall apart, as soon as the 80's ended and the 90s came. You can see it more clearly, at the next decade at the 00's where quantity has taken the place of quality. Man turned into a beast and Woman turned into a whore. People that rule the world, have done that damage, using the TV and the internet and also other tools and "weapons" to achieve that. God bless all people, and may He forgive us all, for following the Beast and not Him.
'Fire and wind come from the sky, from the gods of the sky, but Crom is your god. Crom, and he lives in the earth. Once giants lived in the earth, Conan, and in the darkness of chaos, they fooled Crom, and they took from him the enigma of steel. Crom was angered, and the earth shook, and fire and wind struck down these giants, and they threw their bodies into the waters. But in their rage, the gods forgot the secret of steel and left it on the battlefield, and we who found it. We are just men, not gods, not giants, just men. And the secret of steel has always carried with it a mystery. You must learn its riddle, Conan, you must learn its discipline, for no one, no one in this world can you trust, not men, not women, not beasts... This you can trust' [points to his sword]
![Conan the Barbarian - The Wheel Of Pain [HD]](/img/n.gif)
Conan's father believed that the answer to the Riddle of Steel was the sword, only in your sword can you trust.
Thulsa Doom believed that the answer to the Riddle of Steel was flesh, the hand that wields the sword.
The scene at the end of the movie where Conan is holding the severed head of Thulsa in one hand and his fathers broken sword in the other showed them both to be wrong.
The true answer to the Riddle of Steel was the unbreakable will of the warrior that commands both flesh and sword.
Brilliant movie!
which is combined in a shoot showing thesis, antithesis on each side (Conan holding each on his hands right and left), and Conan as the synthesis of both in the middle.
Stu Saville That is deep. I’ve watched this movie a hundred times and this is the first time I said to myself that Conan’s father was wrong, the steel is nothing without the warrior wielding it. Then I saw your comment, very profound.
Damned you :) I have seen this film a thousand times but that has never struck me. A fantastic movie. Every time you watch it you get one notch wiser :)
I'm gonna watch it again tomorrow with som beers ;)
its an occult secret one must master both sides of polarity to rise above them, as above so below.
One of the greatest movies ever made. Even the soundtrack is timeless
Basil Poledouris
Exactly. This soundtrack is ages ahead of all shit soundtracks for dark movies ever done. If ever was done.... :)
The older I get, the more I am convinced that this may be one of the best movies ever made.
And so underrated
It's not my favorite movie, but MY GOD it's a perfect movie ! From word one... you are immersed in the Hyborian Age !
I'm the same it's funny because when I was 8 I watched destroyer first and was convinced it was the better film
It explains the human experience...
Same. Great soundtrack as well. I used to hear it on the university radio channel for classic music at my desk two decades later. Good times and memories at 17.
Goosebumps. I grew up on this. Me and my mate built a kiln , got some car spring steel and made our own swords.
Minimum amount of spoken words,
Great cinematography,
The most memorable music score,
THAT is cinema.
"No one, no one in this world can you trust..Not men, not women, not beasts...This you can trust"...The best father-son talk in the history of cinema.
Bros before hos and steel before bros.
MasterJediDude Haha good one!
beatlecost definitely no woman you can trust.
Reminds me of my father.
beatlecost Well the sword sure didn't help his dad any so :/
Just the first 45 seconds of Nietzsche quotation and narration with a black screen, all by themselves, are better than most Hollywood blockbusters nowadays ...
+BlackTalon53 No doubt. Most movies today are so disgustingly bad these days that any scene in this movie makes it appear to be a masterpiece!
+BlackTalon53
another like
one of the best openings to a film for me :D
+BlackTalon53 fucking beautiful
Amen to that
+BlackTalon53 Good times... :)
The 80's had the best genre of quality movies and music hands down!!
Edward1975 agreed.
I agree.
Edward1975 amén
HELL YES-I say those words to everyone I know brother. 80s movies are unbeatable.
@The California Infowarrior Report Crom laughs at the 70s! Laughs from his mountain!
Goddamn the music is so great. I'm so sick of ambient shit nowadays, gimme epic motifs over forgettable noise any day!
Basil Poledouris. Brilliant.
Jerry Goldsmith, as well. Total Recall's theme and this share the same spirited horns. The modern ambient drone cannot compete.
@@tangogrrl Yep you can hear similar motifs in his Robocop score too.
That is so true when I do exercise in the gym especially pumping iron all I hear is Conan music from Conan the barbarian music to Conan the destroyer music it gets me pumped up
its fantastic
What's so great about this movie is that the more times you rewatch it more layers you find, for example, until now I realize the giants from Conan's father's tale are the Atlanteans, later when Conan entered the Atlantean tomb and found the sword, he remembered Crom, but actually, he remembered his father. Masterpiece storytelling with so little dialogue.
There's a commentary of the film on here with John milus and Arnold talking as the film is being played for the whole movie
also, ,for the atlantean the sword is likely something like an ornamental dagger, ,maybe for his death. hence why the sword is so awkward to handle for most regular humans
Nowadays the movie would have some narrator hitting us over the head and explaining all of this to us and there would be no discovery for the viewer.
As if the credit montage was not badass enough, it gets followed by one of the best monologues in film history. With the most epic film score.
One of the best narrative and musical starts to a film, ever.
Always has given me goosebumps.
Same here.
How amazing is William Smith in this scene?
"let me show you the days of high adventure!" Best fucking opening to a film ever.
"Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!"
At least get the quote right, dude. It's in the video.
@@batteredwarrior 6 years later, but damn, you must be a badass lol
yeah i'm like..."sounds good let's go"
Mako
@@TimberwolfCY 3 weeks later, wtf. its an internet comment. nobody making them is badass.
"Conan! What is best in life?" "To crush your enemies -- See them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women!"
"that is GOOD"
@@cazgoldie813 that is good
That was Genghis Khan's reply to his own question that he posed to his eldest son Jochi
@@mikhailkhan6752Yes, Robert E. Howard made use of it because it's based. The Cymmerians likely agreed with such sentiment.
Cold blooded serpent that Conan was wasn’t he! 🐍
This movie is a fucking masterpiece. It’s the most underrated epic ever made. Its written, directed and performed to perfection. The musical score is one of the most emotionally enthralling and transcending works to ever grace a film.
That speech is fucking pure wisdom.
So true.
I do not know why, but this opening brigs tears to my eyes. What a powerful opening!
For me, it's Nostalgia and the sorrow that the awesome Basil Poledouris, who created this score, had passed away
I miss the days when movies like this could make your chest hair grow
It's a father giving advice to his son
'Between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis, and the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of. And onto this, Conan, destined to wear the jeweled crown of Aquilonia upon a troubled brow. It is I, his chronicler, who alone can tell thee of his saga. Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!
AKU!!!
RIP MAKO
BOM BOM BOM BOMMMMMM
This is what I’d like to tell my friends when they ask me about my weekend, and not that I had some rabbit pie and a wank!
I have no idea why, I get teary eyed just THINKING of that quote in my head, hearing the narrator's voice of course.
Great movie! William Smith wrote the father to son speech himself. Amazing actor, arm wrestler and bodybuilder.
The film inspired me years ago to become a machinist, as they are really trying to unlock the secrets of steel.
I did not know that! Thanks for sharing! Smith himself was a real man’s man, a scholar, athlete, multi-lingual, and actor.
William Smith was also a Kenpo Karate master and boxer as well
WS was great in Red Dawn. Another John Milius film if I'm not mistaken.
A little bit sneaky beaky also.
The greatest opening sequences to any movie, ever. The most epic film of all time. Ever.
Ebic yes best movie no the best movie is The good bad and the ugly.
I stare at the ruins of my microwave oven, pondering the riddle of aluminum.
Crom laughs at your Riddle of Aluminum and casts you out of Valhalla!!!
@@johnturrentine749 i can't stop laughing, you cad!
@@johnturrentine749
roses are red
my name isn't Dave
I'm not good at poems
microwave
This is the funniest TH-cam comment I've read in years
Oh you who seek answers to riddles; never mind the riddle of aluminium, the riddle of microwaves is never to put steel inside them!
There is something truly awe inspiring with the camera work, substance, music and narrative here that touches on magic.
I have never seen such a powerful intro in all my movie days.
+Bruce Hood They made movies from the late 70's to the mid 80's in a way that can not be replicated today.
germanicelt I wonder why it cannot be replicated.
***** Yeah, they got no substance anymore, it's been replaced my CGI and i wonder why :/
+Bruce Hood Watch the 'newearth' series on YT and you'll soon see why this opening monologue is so evocative.
+Bruce Hood Almost all of our culture, books, movies, theaters, poetry. Almost all of it is about telling a story. In the 6 000 years of human civilization, this didn't change much and we are like people from the ancient times, sitting around a fire and listening to a wise old tribesman's story. It's all about the story and dialogues. Some movie makers forget that.
Every father should have this talk with his son
When I have a kid I will give him or her this talk word for word.
+Bruce John Wayne
When my baby boy will go to school and the teacher ask him something about god or jesus, he will say "my god is crom, he is strong in his mountain, and my mission in life is find the riddle of the steel"
Erick Calmet Yes, Crom should be god of men!
+Erick Calmet mo mood is u
+Margaret Lynch sorry i don't understand what you mean
EVERYTHING about this movie is quality. Soundtrack, poetic script, masterful cinematography, efficient editing.. it gets right to the point and covers so much in so little time. Like a great poem.
Opening on a Nietzsche quote has always stricken me, the makers truly loved the source material. Absolutely incredible piece of film.
This was so thrilling on opening night. When Poledouris' timpani start you could feel the audience being captured immediately. It's the fantasy equivalent of Star Wars' opening--the way us fans had hoped a fantasy movie COULD be, and here it was.
His speech is said with such earnesty and belief. Amazing acting. And as others have said one of the best openings to a movie ever!
Conan is so badass, he has Aku doing the opening narration for him!
the shogun of sorrow also did the ending monologue :D
Aku and Uncle Iroh
Ravenwolf Foxtrack AKUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TRUTH.
Ravenwolf Foxtrack apparently Tartakovsky wanted Mako precisely because of how he sounded in this movie.
The written version is also great.
Know, O prince, that between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and the years of the rise of the Sons of Aryas, there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars - Nemedia, Ophir, Brythunia, Hyperborea, Zamora with its dark-haired women and towers of spider-haunted mystery, Zingara with its chivalry, Koth that bordered on the pastoral lands of Shem, Stygia with its shadow-guarded tombs, Hyrkania whose riders wore steel and silk and gold. But the proudest kingdom of the world was Aquilonia, reigning supreme in the dreaming west. Hither came Conan the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet
peregrinatus you got it all. Always comes Evening
You actually bothered with the remake? Sorry but momoa is no shwarzenager
@@nicholasjarrell true ... he was a better Conan than Arnold ... (but the movie sucked hard tho :/)
it 's funny that all this names are real. Zamora is a beautiful city in Spain for example, yes many dark haired women there
@@prigual2901 Conan isn't supposed to take place in a fictional world per se, it's on a mythological Earth before any civilization known to anthropologists when Eurasia and Africa were still connected by land. The Vilayet Sea is the Caspian Sea, the River Styx in the Nile. Every kingdom in the Conan tales are all based on real places and their people the same.
This is one of the earliest movies i remember watching with my dad (probably not the best movie to show a kid but i loved it even then). He died a little over a month ago and ever since then i can't get this movie out of my head. Maybe this scene with Conan's dad imparting wisdom to him sparked a latent memory of my own father, but i will always think of dad when i watch this movie; and God willing whenever i watch it with my future children.
Same
Same here, mate... Only my father is stil alive ❤
"Crom willing"
free of charge, thank me later
That's not fur-skins they're wearing. That's natural testosteroned body hair from being in this movie.
Syphon Filter cimmerians conans people were naturaly hareless like native americans
Cimmerians aren't hairless, and neither are Natives.
Even the women-especially the women!
If you a grown man and never watched the original Conan......grow a pair
Nah it’s fur skins
The manliest movie ever made. Second manliest is Predator
ACMA61 good comparison my friend, but no way. This intro is the toughest.
Where does braveheart fit in?
@Happy Man ive seen parts of that but never the whole thing
@Happy Man Sam Minard is the hero of "Mountain Man" on which the movie is based. A Fantastic read, by the way!
Nope. Arnold is a pussy compared to Charles Bronson.
This intro just gives me goosebumps. Straight up one of the best movies of all time, i dont care what anyone says
1 of the best opening scenes in all movie history. This movie is so under looked and under rated. Arnold's acting in this was perfect. He should have won a Grammy or something
Oscar - movies; Emmy - TV; Grammy - music.
There are famous poets whose works are still remembered by some, even though that art form is much diminished in popularity. But this opening monologue deserves remembering and celebration as much as any poetry I know. One of the greatest intros and opening scene ever.
Such great music by Basil Poledouris.
@@яидудомой-к3г hanz zimmer is a plagiarist
For a while I always thought the score was by Jerry Goldsmith. It sounds just like the music from the opening credits of TOTAL RECALL. Also by Goldsmith.
Not Gods, not Giants....just Men.
+ Archangel the Stylish. The Second Amendment, Viking Style
Archangel the Stylish conan is not a viking
+Jesse Chignon. Yes, I am aware that Conan is not a Viking, it sounds cooler to say Viking than to say Cimmerian. More people understand Vikings than using the term Cimmerian
This sound very atheist :P
patrick langdon thats a movie fool look read the books to get an actual discription of his clan.
these people are more ancient than vikings according to "legends"
I'm not even a huge fan of this movie but the whole “enigma of steel” scene is brilliantly written and performed. Brings tears to my eyes.
It also brought tears to my eyes as well. This is a movie I would never grow tired of watching. The whole entire movie is so operatic. Beautifully executed film,
This movie is great and if you do not like it, then TO HELL WITH YOU!
I am very fond of both.
mrshow1 crom jr.
Get help , nerd.
Still one of the greatest movie openings of all time
The opening of this movie still gives me goosebumps.
Oh God, thank you for all involved in this production. Conan is straight up the best movie ever and Poldouris score is off the hook.
It is when you see this opening from this classic movie that you realize how much of a travesty the recent Conan remake truly is.
This version is light-years ahead of the remake.
In which direction?
@@VicariousReality7 In direction of perfection.
Agreed. I wish I never saw the new one lol
The remake is now available in the bargain bin at Walmart for $3.
Bryan Daniel lmao
Ah, the nostalgia! It doesn't get much better than this for me.
Love this movie.
Squid Jones Have you ever watched the film Beastmaster (1982)? If you haven't, then you should.
Vlad Tepes Yep I remember that one too.
Squid Jones The 80's produced quite a few sword and sorcery flicks, but only a handful became iconic. Some were extremely cheesy, such as the DeathStalker series, but most were pretty memorable overall.
Conan the Destroyer was terrible.
Won’t forget when I made my weekly trip to the video store one Friday and my dad requested that I rent Conan the Barbarian for him. I had seen Conan the Destroyer and thought that was this and when we put on this opening, I was floored and I could immediately tell this was going to be NOTHING like the sequel.
just listening to Akiro speak always gives me chills , Mako's voice is legendary
Let me tell you about the DAYS OF HIGH ADVENTURE!!! LOVE the opening and closing.
That line is so classic!
That last advice on trust always gives me goosebumps. Just fucking love it. Not just because of the poetry, but because its true.
It is true. I think mankind has lost sight of this. Guns are fine, but guns have moving parts that need maintenance and need ammo. But a good well-made blade? It will serve you well. The best advise my father gave me was to always have a blade at your side, be it a simple knife, machete, or even a sword. Conan's Da is right. This you can trust!
@@TheErikWulf You know that sword knife etc need maintenance? ;)
@@swietoslaw yes easier to maintain than a gun
@@TheErikWulf if you talking modern blades then yes but but older ones could get rusty very very easy, and beside gun are much much better
@@swietoslaw bombs are better then guns
This is what a father and son relationship should be
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit...
@@SuperGreatSphinx , that's a false religion.
Yep.
@@stevemclendsy3911 no, it isn't
@@joethekinghawk7514 ,yes,it is.
Absolutely the best opening to a movie ever. The blank screen, the voice, the story and the music, absolutely the best!
In fact, this movie was a philosophical movie.The protagonist discovers that the secret of steel is willpower, it is no accident that the movie begins with a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche. A fundamental concept of Nietzsche's philosophy is the concept of The Will to Power. From this concept the National Socialists later took over, you will all remember the propaganda film The Triumph of the Will of Riefenstahl.
Love this guy's performance in this scene. The way he tells this story to a young Conan always gives me goosebumps.
Even if you don't believe in any supreme being, and think Little Conan's head is being filled with gobbledygook. One thing you have to admit is that his father is giving him overall solid advice. Don't rely on others to wipe your ass for you, and the the great mysteries of life are up to us to ponder over and discover for ourselves.
+Apple Bee Andrew Carnegie learned that one and became one of the richest men in the world
Kurt Rustle Don't care! ^w^
"One thing you have to admit is that his father is giving him overall solid advice."
Or is he? Later in the movie, steel fails Conan on several occasions, but his friends save him. People can betray you, but without cooperation, you will be crushed by anyone who gets people together.
You missed the final message of the movie. Strength comes from neither steel nor flesh. It comes from one's own beliefs and convictions. Before the final battle, Conan asks Crom to grant him revenge, yes. But he doesn't expect Crom to answer his prayer, nor does he give a shit. In the end, he decides that he is going to defeat Thulsa Doom's warriors because he is will give it his all and not stop until they are all dead. As the battle rages on, Crom is impressed by Conan's brazenness and rewards him by allowing Valeia's spirit to descend from Valhalla to save him from a sneak attack. She then spouts her catchphrase before disappearing again. I could be wrong on this last part, but I don't recall Subotai being there with him in that battle. So he was alone that time.
@@misterguy2329 His fathers advice did ultimately fail. But it was enough to get him to a certain point.
The most powerful film intro of all time, to the most powerfully epic film of all time.
The best movie ever made. Basil was so proud of his work here. The last konsert he made before he died was Conan.
Agreed.
Just 4 years before 1982 (1978) i named my son Conan because of my celtic heritage. I never new it was to be connected to the comic book or movie. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle the writer of the Shirlock Homes books, I was a big fan of.
My wife liked the name "Ashley"
MY son said "Thank god dad you named me Conan and not Ashley eeeuuww". LoL. This was great because when anyone says Conan everyone knows who they are talking about in our small town.
I miss Mako, the narrator. He was a brilliant Japanese actor. They're now planning to make a Legend of Conan movie according to IMDB. That should be seriously sweet unless they fuck it up. If they do it'll be called Conan: the geriatric years.
They will fuk it up
It's spelled fuck.
If Arnie comes back, it should be that of King Conan and be full of the bad ass manly 80s violence. Too bad Hollywood will inject it full of pansy 2016 feminism and replace 90% of the action with CGI. The 2011 one was already bad enough.
This opening scene with William Smith (playing Conan's father) made me a fan of him. I would love to see him in more roles such as this.
He's been in film/TV for over five decades. From "Laredo" in the 1960s to today. He's also very accomplished as an educator: he holds two masters degrees and has taught Russian language and history at the collegiate level.
@@alcd6333 Damn! What a dude.
Don't forget Red Dawn, and the TV show, Rich Man,Poor Man. Great bad guy.
@@alcd6333 That doesn't begin to tell everything he's accomplished. Speaks, I believe, six languages, though he's best at Russian, had a top secret security clearance with the CIA and NSA and rode along in spy planes over the Soviet Union, was a world class arm wrestler (I had heard he pisssed Schwarzenegger off because he beat him at arm wrestling on the Conan set), held and may still hold the world record for reverse curling his own body weight, the list goes on. Btw, he was in a crime drama series, though a short lived one, The Asphalt Jungle, before Laredo. I think of the scene where his character Falconetti gets beat up by Nick Nolte's character Tom Jordache in the Rich Man, Poor Man miniseries, and the scene where his character Jack Wilson gets bested in a fight by Clint Eastwood's character Philo Beddoe in Any Which Way You Can (and in spite of Beddoe having a broken arm). In real life I think "Big Bill" could've cleaned both Eastwood's and Nolte's clocks--at the same time and maybe even with his arm broke. If the Boogeyman checks his closet for Chuck Norris before he goes to bed, as the joke goes, Norris checks his closet for William Smith. Even now, at 86, I don't think I'd want to mess with him.
@@robertmartinez1645 Falconetti, one of the most scary bad guys. I hated that guy for years. Just goes to show what an amazing talent this man had.
I love how Conan's mother stands her ground against Thulsa..
A woman of pride.
She said nothing cause she couldn't actually speak English.
A good mother will willing give her life for their offspring. It is true for many breeds of animals and is also true for quality humans.
Her actions are purely instinctual, and merely as a mother for, technically speaking, she's ignorant of just whom it is that she's facing; back then Thulsa Doom's reputation was only just beginning its rise, at least in these wild lands. Had Conan's mother some prior knowledge of Doom, it's quite likely that she would have attempted to flee with her son, rather than "stand her ground".
The man playing Conan‘s father is William Smith, a career movie man, stuntman Martial arts, Master, bodybuilder, and he also played in the TV series, planet of the apes, and he was also in a Clint Eastwood‘s movie, any which way you can
Best Conan movie ever, including amazing music for this movie too.
9 people do not know the secret of steel. Crom will cast them out of Valhalla and laugh at them.
Ryan England Now it's 12. Time to contemplate on the Tree of Woe.
Crom does not laugh. He roars & wails at his foes & for his friends.
My God is the everlasting sky, Crom lives beneath him. The four winds gave 4 thumbs down.
@@emptyhand777 ha ha crom laughs at your four wind
206 weaklings have been crushed by Conan, been driven before him, and their women lamented their lost virginity.
Greatest movie ever made. I was born in 82. I wish I could have been old enough to experience this with an audience in a theater. It inspired me to become a blade smith.
One of the greatest opening sequences in the history of film and a criminally underrated movie altogether.
The soundtrack to this movie is such a masterpiece.
That's the great William Smith who played Conan's Father. Guy's still going strong, and he's been in every type of movie since the 60's. But this might be one his best for me.
This you can trust.
But only for rugs. Only for like, rugs and shit, seriously
"For no one, no one in this world can you trust. Not men, not women, not beasts... did I say women already?"
lmao...i see what you did there
This was the last film my father and his four sons saw together. Two are now gone, but the memory remains.
That score, it gives me goose-bumps every time!
That's the best opening music I've ever grown to adore. It also reminds me of braveheart. I get so pumped every time I hear it.
Best movie ever made.
IKR?
True
Nope... T-2, this is 2nd
Chris Wright nope. T-1 is better
I fucking love this movie. It’s amongst the most under appreciated things ever.
Fucking man's movie.
I am a girl & this was one of my favourite comic books back in the sixties
A gay porn starring “Girth Brooks” and another one titled, “Ball Park Franks” was a great Fucking Man’s movie 🍿
Anti-woke
@@emanuel82 - Conan was a super woke movie. All of the stuff that anti-woke people hate is in this movie.
Extreme Diversity, Strong woman, black leader/villain, open sex, and even a gay scene all that stuff that the anti-woke get all bent out of shape about today are in this move. This movie and Conan the Destroyer were woke movies.
@@jasonito23 Woke is not that you cant have diversity and strong women in movies. Its when you feel its put in place by political guidelines. I really dont feel that in Conan. Alien is another movie that could have been woke but its not. Its just a great movie.
Ladies and gents you are witnessing history, movies will never EVER be as powerful as this anymore!!!
We need more of these classic drama and aventure films. From world class movies like Ben Hur to cult action and adventure films like Conan. From masterpieces like Spartacus to modern classics like Braveheart and Gladiator. Those were the days. When movies were taken seriously and made with love
Great acting in this scene really feels genuine and the score really makes the hairs stand up ! Bravo Basil!! Never be another composer like him. Underrated film and even though Arnold doesn't' say much appreciate the story and the other great actors involved .
The Definition of Sword and Sorcery. There is no greater good nor evil. There is no great prophecy of how a lowly hero will save the world from looming darkness. It's all about how men and women seeks fame, fortune and glory through strength and cunning with steel in their hands and loyal companions by their side.
Neither gods nor monsters will deny you what you your hearts desire. They may try... But they better not underestimate the spirit of Man.
You must learn the Riddle of Steel, Conan.
So good.
Just watched this today in Netflix
I just watched the new Conan, and the opening is almost exactly the same.
Except it shows maps where this shows just black.
This is best in life...
I'm very curious about the new Conan project with Arnold reprising the role but as an older (possibly Aquilonian Monarch?) Conan.
When the monologue ends with the words "high adventure!" and that heavy brass note hits... you know
Best intro to a movie ever..
Damn, this movie is awesome. I remember watching it as a kid. So many moments that have stuck with me: that music, the quotes, the battles, the part where he bites a vulture!? The snake arrow! And the decapitation at the end, of course! Awesome!
"This you can trust"
Unless its made in China
That's why I always buy Cimmerian when I'm shopping for steel.
@@robertlombardo8437 You often shop for steel?
Depends on what you mean. Do you mean China now or China during the Hyborian age?
@@judsongaiden9878 Either.
@@AmericanThunder One thing China has always made well is armaments. Case in point: the Type 56 (the Chinese AK), the most prevalent AK variant used by the Vietnamese during the Vietnam War.
When that horn kicks in you realise the power of music
Everything about this movie, the philosophy, soundtrack, cinematography, the sparse dialogue which evokes
a contemplative mood did justice to the works of R.E.Howard. I hope it's released in 4K !
Damn, I grew a full beard just hearing this intro, EPIC!
Conan's father believed in the sword as the riddle of steel. The military power.
Thulsa believed once in that kind of power but after he conquered many people, religion was for him the riddle of steel.
And then Conan overcome all that to believe in nothing but only himself. That is the real riddle of steel.
Incorrect.
Conan's father had instructed him that he must learn the Riddle of Steel. If "the swordl" (i.e. which was made of steel) was the answer, then what was actually left for Conan to learn? Lol.
Too many believe that, either, or both, Conan's father, and Thulsa Doom, didn't know the answer to the Riddle of Steel.
Regarding Conan's father, he only said that one could trust in the sword, but not implying the sword was infallible in its design, only that it did not have a mind of its own which might contradict the will of its weilder. People and animals will not always fall in line with how we might want them to behave, because they have a will of their own. However, a sword is simply a tool; it obeys the weilders will without question. _That_ is the attribute of a sword Conan's father addresses by his statement, and has nothing to do with the swords durability.
As far as Thulsa is concerned, he assumed Conan was near death, presumably because he was about to be crucified and die on the Tree of Woe, so he saw it as a mercy to give Conan the answer to the ROS. Thulsa tells him, "Look to the _desire in your heart_ ; I gave you this. Such a waste". Therefore, it was the desire in Conan's heart, his will to survive and improve himself, which was the answer to the Riddle.
As I often state, the quote in the beginning of the film is often overlooked, as the answer to the Riddle, for the benefit of the moviegoer. The characters in the film, however, must learn this philosophy through their own experiences.
@@Embrachu thank you
Opening scene : 2:30 The most EPIC scene in the history of cinema by far!!... goosebumps
Agreed. Why its so profound? Unknown.
Because God exists and God want father and sons to understand the mystery of everything. Romans 8 vs 24 to 28 kjv.
In my old gaming group we always opened our sessions with this intro
Veritech Girl mighty!
We play our games son the soundtrack... It is the best.
nah, homeaux pretending to be a girl for attention, even worse.
Sounds like a good group to be in!
+Bruce Kirk, you into the fat chicks then? To each his own, I won’t judge you, though you’re mother might
This whole movie was just great story telling.
Read your social history. Ancient warrior societies had an almost religious, mystical belief in steel. It was by far the hardest of the metals. It could only be produced laboriously and in small quantities, using specialized techniques. That's why steel swords were reserved for Kings and the greatest warriors. And were highly prized. Steel swords became symbols for power and courage.
They dont make openings like that anymore ^^
Nowdays it's all subminimal messages and effects. No music, no script, no talented actors , no nothing. Only junk. World begun to fall apart, as soon as the 80's ended and the 90s came. You can see it more clearly, at the next decade at the 00's where quantity has taken the place of quality. Man turned into a beast and Woman turned into a whore. People that rule the world, have done that damage, using the TV and the internet and also other tools and "weapons" to achieve that. God bless all people, and may He forgive us all, for following the Beast and not Him.
The most badass opening to a movie ever!
'Fire and wind come from the sky, from the gods of the sky, but Crom is your god. Crom, and he lives in the earth. Once giants lived in the earth, Conan, and in the darkness of chaos, they fooled Crom, and they took from him the enigma of steel. Crom was angered, and the earth shook, and fire and wind struck down these giants, and they threw their bodies into the waters. But in their rage, the gods forgot the secret of steel and left it on the battlefield, and we who found it. We are just men, not gods, not giants, just men. And the secret of steel has always carried with it a mystery. You must learn its riddle, Conan, you must learn its discipline, for no one, no one in this world can you trust, not men, not women, not beasts... This you can trust' [points to his sword]
My dad made me watch this, and explained to me why a good blade is something you can trust in.
Stu Saville, well said! I was 10 yrs old when I first seen Conan! “The unbreakable will of the warrior” Amazing!
Movies like this are sorely missed
I get goosebumps EVERY time I see this scene, and hear the music.
Greatest film soundtrack ever.
I love how they synced the beginning of the music with the pouring of the molten steel. This music is pure testosterone!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testosterone
The epic music, as well as William Smith's energetic delivery of the dialogue, really sets the tone for the film.
Music behind this film awesome 😎 films like this will never be repeated !!💪