43 Years Later, This Iconic Movie Line Still Captivates Us! What’s the Best in Life?

Let’s cut to the chase: “Conan the Barbarian” is THE film that brought Heroic Fantasy, particularly the ‘Sword & Sorcery’ subgenre, to the general public. Even 43 years after its release, it’s clear that Arnold Schwarzenegger was destined to play the role of the man who would one day “become king by his own hand.”

No one other than John Milius could capture the spirit and soul of the universe created by Robert E. Howard with such precision, even though the filmmaker imparted a very personal vision of the superhuman myth onto our favorite Arnie.

Glossing over the forgettable 2011 version out of kindness, everything in Milius’s masterpiece is spot on: the violence and brutality of the world; the quality of the acting, led by a brilliant James Earl Jones as the villain Thulsa Doom. A mythical score by Basil Poledouris, featuring one of the most fabulous film openings. A fantastic sense of rhythm and epic scale… In short, a marvel.

This genre masterpiece naturally led to a slew of more or less endearing knockoffs, trying to ride the coattails of this glorious forerunner, which is not about to be toppled from its pedestal, and never will be.

“Life and death… he cared little for them”

The world of Conan, set in the Hyborian Age, a time created by author Robert E. Howard between 20,000 and 9,500 years BC, already had a flair for drama. Sold into slavery after witnessing the massacre of his parents, young Conan is chained for years to the Wheel of Pain. Becoming a powerhouse, he is purchased by a gladiator master to become his breadwinner. There, in an arena more akin to a pit, he faces his opponents in death matches. The rule is simple: kill or be killed…

“He no longer feared anything. Life and death… he cared little for them. All that mattered was that the crowd was there to cheer him on with cries of joy and fury…” remarks the narrator in a voiceover, accompanying a montage of Conan’s relentless battles.

He naturally brings joy and especially fortune to his owner. “We have won again, I am pleased. But what is best in life?” the owner asks the crowd. “The great steppe, a fast steed, falcons at your wrist, and the wind in your hair,” replies a guest. “Wrong! Conan, what is best in life?” And Conan delivers this absolutely iconic line, which never gets old: “To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women.”

It’s even better in pictures!

Want to revisit this gem? The film is available on VOD, as well as on DVD / Blu-ray. Speaking of which, we’d love to see the equivalent of the fabulous 4K edition released by the British publisher Arrow Films, loaded with extras, arrive in our region…