The Philosophical Themes in CONAN THE BARBARIAN Film

 

The central theme in Conan the Barbarian is the Riddle of Steel. At the start of the film, Conan's father tells his son to learn the secret of steel and to trust only it. Initially believing in the power of steel, Thulsa Doom raids Conan's village to steal the Master's sword. Subsequently, the story centers on Conan's quest to recover the weapon in which his father has told him to trust.

Weaponry fetish is a device long established in literature; Carl James Grindley, an assistant professor of English, said ancient works such as Homer's Iliad, the Old English poem Beowulf, and the 14th-century tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight pay detailed attention to the arsenal of their heroes.

Conan's breaking of his father's sword—"[fulfills] a snickering spectrum of Oedipal conjecture" and asserts Homer's view that "the sword does not make the hero, but the hero makes the sword." The film, as Whitlark says, "offers a fantasy of human power raised beyond mortal limits." Passman and other authors agree, stating the film suggests that human will and determination are in a Nietzschean sense stronger than physical might.

SOURCES

Wikipedia

 Carl James Grindley "The Hagiography of Steel: The Hero's Weapon and Its Place in Pop Culture" 2004 Source Wikipedia)

Another established literary trope found in the plot of Conan the Barbarian is the concept of death, followed by a journey into the underworld, and rebirth. Donald E. Palumbo, the Language and Humanities Chair at Lorain County Community College, noted that like most other sword-and-sorcery films, Conan used the motif of underground journeys to reinforce the themes of death and rebirth. According to him, the first scene to involve all three is after Conan's liberation: his flight from wild dogs sends him tumbling into a tomb where he finds a sword that lets him cut off his chains and stand with newfound power. 

In the later parts of the film, Conan experiences two underground journeys where death abounds: in the bowels of the Tower of Serpents where he has to fight a giant snake and in the depths of the Temple of Set where the cultists feast on human flesh while Doom transforms himself into a large serpent. Whereas Valeria dies and comes back from the dead (albeit briefly), Conan's ordeal from his crucifixion was symbolic. Although the barbarian's crucifixion might evoke Christian imagery, associations of the film with the religion are roundly rejected. 

Milius stated his film is full of pagan ideas, a sentiment supported by film critics such as Elley and Jack Kroll. George Aichele, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Religion at Adrian College, suggested the filmmaker's intent with the crucifixion scene was pure marketing: to tease the audience with religious connotations. He suggested, however, that Conan's story can be viewed as an analogy of Christ's life and vice versa. 

Nigel Andrews, a film critic, saw any connections to Christianity related more to the making of the film. The crucifixion is also reminiscent of Odin being nailed to Yggdrasil or the Titan Prometheus chained to the mountainside of the Caucasus.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

 Donald E  Palumbo  "The Underground Journey and the Death and Resurrection Theme in Recent Science Fiction and Fantasy Films" 1987

Derek Elley "Early Medieval: Norsemen, Saxons, and the Cid". The Epic Film: Myth and History." 1984

Nigel Andrews True Myths: The Life and Times of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Milius's concept of Conan the Barbarian as an opera was picked up by the critics; Elley and Huckvale saw connections to Wagner's operas. According to Huckvale, the film's opening sequence closely mirrors a sword forging scene in Siegfried. Conan's adventures and ordeals seem to be inspired by the trials of the opera's titular hero: witnessing his parents' deaths, growing up as a slave, and slaying a giant serpent—dragon. 

Furthermore, Schwarzenegger's appearance in the role of Conan evoked images of Siegfried, the role model of the "Aryan blonde beast", in the lecturer's mind. The notion of racial superiority, symbolized by this Aryan hero, was a criticism given by J. Hoberman and James Wolcott; they highlighted the film's Nietzschean epigraph and labeled its protagonist as Nietzsche's übermensch. Ebert was disturbed by the depiction of a "Nordic superman confronting a black", in which the "muscular blond" slices off the black man's head and "contemptuously [throws it] down the flight of stairs". 

His sentiment was shared by Adam Roberts, an Arthurian scholar, who also said Conan was an exemplar of the sword-and-sorcery films of the early 1980s that were permeated in various degrees with fascist ideology. 

According to Roberts, the films were following the ideas and aesthetics laid down in Leni Riefenstahl's directorial efforts for Nazi Germany. 

SOURCES:

Derek Elley "Early Medieval: Norsemen, Saxons, and the Cid". The Epic Film: Myth and History."

                     David Huckvale  "The Composing Machine: Wagner and Popular Culture" 1994

Thomas Jovanovski. "Übermensch on Parade". Aesthetic Transformations: Taking Nietzsche at His Word. 2008

For The Fallen

FOR THE FALLEN

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,

England mourns for her dead across the sea.

Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,

Fallen in the cause of the free. 

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal

Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.

There is music in the midst of desolation

And a glory that shines upon our tears. 

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,

Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,

They fell with their faces to the foe. 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them. 

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;

They sit no more at familiar tables at home;

They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;

They sleep beyond England's foam. 

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,

Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,

To the innermost heart of their own land they are known

As the stars are known to the Night; 

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,

Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,

As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,

To the end, to the end, they remain. 

LAURENCE BINYON

Ich Bereue Nichts!

"I do not defend myself against accusers to whom I deny the right to bring charges against me and my fellow-countrymen. I will not discuss accusations which concern things which are purely German matters and therefore of no concern to foreigners. I raise no protest against statements which are aimed at attacking my honor, the honor of the German people. I consider such slanderous attacks by the enemy as a proof of honor.

I was permitted to work for many years of my life under the greatest son whom my people has brought forth in its thousand-year history. Even if I could, I would not want to erase this period of time from my existence. I am happy to know that I have done my duty as a German, as a National Socialist, as a loyal follower of my Führer. I do not regret anything.

If I were to begin all over again, I would act just as I have acted, even if I knew that in the end I should meet a fiery death at the stake. No matter what human beings may do, I shall some day stand before the judgment seat of the Eternal. I shall answer to Him and I know He will judge me innocent."

RUDOLF WALTER RICHARD HESS

26th of April 1894 - 17th of August 1987

Advise From a Master : FRANK FRAZETTA

 

 Never-before-seen footage of the legendary illustrator, Frank Frazetta.

The Folkish Right To Bear Arms

 

“Rome remained free for four hundred years and Sparta eight hundred, although their citizens were armed all that time; but many other states that have been disarmed have lost their liberties in less than forty years.”

Nicolo Machiavelli - The Prince

Operation Hummingbird - The Answer to Traitors & Degenerates

 

BLOG'S COMMENT : 30th of June marks the beginning of Unternehmen Kolibri (English : Operation Hummingbird) that took place in the year 1934. It was the true National Socialist answer to the traitors, degenerates and other poisonous elements within the NSDAP that now was on the leadership of Germany.  Few weeks later Adolf Hitler, side by side with the new SA leader Viktor Lutze delivers the following speech at Nuremberg.

Unternehmen Kolibri must be remembered not only for the bravery of the dedicated National Socialists who saved the Party and Germany from falling into chaos and anarchy, but also as a reminder and historical example that oftenly in between comrades and fighters are parasites and opportunists that must crushed and ostracized from the very beginning.

Adolf Hitler – speech before the SA and the SS

Nürnberg, September 9, 1934

Men of the SA and SS!

For the fourth time in the history of the Party, the SA and the SS have assembled

here. Twelve months ago as a sign of having gained power in the State! Today, to

testify that this process was carried on and completed! Today, the power of the

German Reich lies in our hands. The National Socialist Movement is today the master of

Germany. In the twelve months lying behind us, we took possession over one position after

another. No one who is willing to open his eyes can believe that this regime can be eliminated

or that it would even consider stepping down of its own accord.

But these twelve months also comprised a period of hard work within the National

Socialist Movement itself. When I decided to convene another Party Congress after such a

short time in order to summon you, my comrades in the SA and SS, to this place, I did it for a

particular reason. A few months ago, a dark shadow was cast over the Movement. Many of

our opponents believed that they could see the day approaching on which the power of the

National Socialist Party would perhaps come to an end. I have summoned you to this place,

my comrades, in order to document three things:

1. the SA had as little to do with this shadow as any other institution in the Party;

2. in order to demonstrate to everyone that my relationship to you, my comrades, is the

same as it has been for fourteen years; and

3. in order to show our enemies that the Party stands firm and that its SA and its SS

stand firm as guarantors of the National Socialist Revolution.

They are all mistaken, those who believe that even a single crack has appeared in the

structure of our Movement. It is standing as solidly as this block here! And it will be broken

by nothing in Germany. If someone sins against the spirit and purpose of our Movement, if he

sins against the spirit of my SA, this shall not affect the SA, but those very persons who dared

to sin against it.

We have lined up for this roll call not only to demonstrate how indestructibly solid the

structure of the Movement and its organization is, but also to demonstrate how it continues to

be filled by the spirit of loyalty, of discipline and of obedience, and in order to assign 126

standards to the SA and 57 standards to the SS.

These new ensigns of the Movement will now join forces with the great columns of our

old standards. You will put them at your fore and follow them loyally as you have the old.

These ensigns will serve to remind you of what made you great. You will remember the

long years of difficult battles, of sacrifices, when it seemed almost impossible that we would

be able to conquer the State. And you will recall the great persistence during the time of

struggle which was required to wage this battle for Germany. You will learn from this the lesson that we must not allow what once enabled us to be victorious to desert us after the

victory, but must hold fast today even more than in the past to the virtues of old.

SA members and SA leaders have no choice but to be loyal, obedient, disciplined,

modest, and willing to sacrifice-for otherwise they are not men of the SA.

Holding fast to these virtues of old will not only make our power indestructible; it will

also mean that the resurrection of the German Volk will continue to have an effect far into the

future. For we are not simply a manifestation of months or years; what has come about in

these fifteen years shall live on for centuries.

Only a lunatic or a deliberate liar can claim that I or anyone else ever entertained the

thought of dissolving what we ourselves have built up in long years. My comrades, we now

stand firmly united for our Germany, and we must stand united for this Germany. 

We want to continue to strengthen the Movement in the years ahead of us by more strongly than before

consolidating the individual organizations and fusing them together to form a single whole.

Our flag shall truly fly over a single and unified Movement. That is our goal.

And if we work toward this goal, no one will dare to put up resistance or oppose this

organization, the most tremendous of its kind in German history.

Thus I assign to you the new ensigns in the conviction that I am placing them in the

most loyal hands in all of Germany.

In times past, you have proven your loyalty to me a thousand times over.

In times to come, this cannot and will not change.

Hence let me now welcome you as my old and loyal men of the SA and SS: Sieg Heil!

An Artist at The Bridge of Death....

 

KEN KELLY 

19 May 1946 - 3 june 2022

A DRAGON'S KISS 

by 

David Priol

While fantasy art has existed for centuries, it was really the birth of both fantasy comics and modern fantasy literature, which has seen this genre become an integral part of our modern culture. Fantasy art has also melded strongly with science fiction writing and Film/TV generated sci-fi to shape a genre, which now possesses more categories than any other art form. Indeed, this genre is only limited by the imaginations of the artists who both explore and constantly push the boundaries of the fantasy world. 

     One of the field’s foremost exponents is American artist, Ken Kelly. Beginning in the 70s (after a stint in the Marines) Ken’s art covers styles as divergent as rock legends, Kiss to Conan the Barbarian and Tarzan. Ken has created a legion of mythical characters drawn from the pages of the world’s finest fantasy writers, not to mention his own voracious imagination. You can also put Ken to the test by offering your own ideas and then watch Ken employ his imagination to create a one-of-kind work of art. A genuine workaholic, Ken often simultaneously labors over a half dozen different paintings, projects and ideas. Organized chaos would be an apt description for this artist, who probably puts as many hours into his art now as he did thirty years ago.

Ken began drawing as a toddler, tagging every blank surface in sight. Later, he would have an art teacher at school that taught him throughout Grade and High School. However, it was surely that Dylanesque twist of fate, which would eventually make painting his life’s work. With the untimely death of his father, Ken got to know his uncle, more closely. Until his father’s wake Ken had known little about Frank Frazetta, the artist, but in Ken’s own words, Frank “acknowledged me as an adult and asked me to show him what I could do art wise. And that’s what started it all.”

     This fine artist, whose own brilliant career had began back in the mid-40s, soon took Ken under his wing and helped to develop his talent over a five year period. Frank Frazetta was at the height of his career at the time he was helping Ken explore his latent talents. You can see Frank’s influence where he retouched the face on Vampirella #6 which happened to be Ken’s very first commission at Warren Publishing. Again, it was Frank who got Ken’s foot in at the door to work for Jim Warren. Ken worked at Warren for several years and while the pay was fairly abysmal, the chance to learn his tradecraft provided its own reward. At least, until projects like the famous KISS paintings finally encouraged Ken to go out on his own. The KISS assignment also went a long way to really establishing his name internationally. Ken described this project quite simply, “I had a ball!!!” Ken did three paintings for them, although the original Destroyer canvas remains unpublished.

     Of course, the four years Ken spent in the Marines (1965-68) traveling the globe and observing amazing places from China to the Mediterranean gave Ken many insights and experiences, which he could bring to the canvas. As it was, he also received preferred status during his enlistment and worked on various Service publications due to his ability at line art. These influences can be seen in various series like The Gatekeeper & Feline Warriors. One painting often takes a fortnight’s preparation followed by another fortnight of actual painting, and the attention to detail is nothing short of sublime, Death Grip being a case in point.

     Versatility is also a keyword in Ken Kelly’s CV. Not only has Ken completed more than 700 works, but also he has completed a Howard Calendar, published two art books and worked for the Mego (and various other companies) painting their Micronauts. Many people who are not familiar with Ken’s fantasy work will have often seen his Famous Monsters covers, with subjects like The Fly based upon that classic 50s film. When Ken creates a book cover, he usually reads the unpublished manuscript and creates a scene, which captures the essence of the story “without giving away the entire storyline.” At one stage, Ken was simultaneously creating covers for Horseclans, the DAW books and the Conan series. Of all these works, the Howard Calendar hurts the most as Ken succinctly puts it, “I really put my heart into them. When the release date got screwed up, it really hurt. I felt it for years.” 

     Today, you will find a number of Ken Kelly’s canvasses have found their way into museums, or come under the hammer at grand auction houses likes of Sotheby’s and Christies, as well as being exhibited at numerous private galleries across the globe.

  The Internet has seen a huge growth in fantasy art mainly because of the accessibility it provides for both artists and fans to interact. The Net also allows the public to view a thousand-fold styles, which now make up this startling genre without even having to leave the comfort of their computer room.  Where once fine art was restricted to the rich, the intellectuals or to those with access to galleries and expensive magazines, now anyone can view/study/appreciate/purchase art for the cost of a basic computer system. The work of Ken Kelly is a case in point. Anyone with access to the web can find Ken’s brilliant website: www.kenkellyart.com.  Ken’s site is a world within a world of fantastic heroes and equally fantastic scenes, where colour and fury, adventure and drama know no bounds.