panguitch's Full Review: Conan the Barbarian by Original Soundtrack
I may not be the smartest man who ever lived, but when it comes to music I have some definite opinions. And while I’m far from being an expert, and would hesitate to call myself well-versed, I have some favorite movie scores. Last of the Mohicans, Braveheart, Excalibur, and now Lord of the Rings, and yes, even Star Wars. But far and away, what I consider the greatest body of music ever created for a motion picture is Basil Poledouris’s score for Conan the Barbarian.
I admit it. I played D&D. Probably still would if I wasn’t otherwise occupied. So I have a weakness for fantasy. And Conan is rife with nostalgic implications for me. But I’m no dummy. Conan actually does have merit as a film (see my review). And to appreciate the breakthrough and defining work of one of Hollywood’s greatest composers is not a unique position.
Basil Poledouris
I’ll avoid duplicating imdb.com’s database but Poledouris has some impressive credits. The Blue Lagoon may have been his first major work, but 1982’s Conan is still his trademark. Red Dawn, Robocop, The Hunt for Red October, Starship Troopers, Les Miserables, and Mickey Blue Eyes all bear his stamp.
Ironically, Poledouris earned degrees in film before deciding his calling was to compose and conduct. He and John Milius were friends at USC, and once Milius succeeded in convincing Dino De Laurentiis that Conan should have a symphonic score instead of a pop soundtrack, Milius enlisted Poledouris. Milius gave Poledouris a weighty assignment. The film needed to be saturated with music. To a large extent, the score would actually serve in place of dialogue and needed to convey information, emotion, tone and tension to a degree film scores aren’t usually expected to. To facilitate this accomplishment, Milius involved Poledouris on every aspect of the filmmaking, and they worked closely.
The actual performance is by members of The Orchestra and Chorus of Santa Cecilia and The Radio Symphony of Rome.
The Score
One challenge facing Poledouris was maintaining an authentic flavor. This was complicated since Conan is set thousands of years ago in a fantasy version of Central Asia. There’s no telling what music in such a context should sound like, but Poledouris’s work is convincing. Understandably he avoids certain modern expectations of harmony and pursues medieval themes.
Each piece has been crafted in correspondence to a scene from the film, yet continuity is maintained by the pursuit of two primary motifs which are associated respectively with Conan and his adversary Thulsa Doom.
Conan’s motif varies from an ensemble of French Horns and percussion to an engaging narrative of strings. The former are associated with dramatic moments, especially battle and moments of decision. The later come into play during scenes of character development. The play between the two leads us through Conan’s life and quest for vengeance.
Doom’s motif is dominated by choral arrangements, inspired by Orff’s “Carmina Burana” and the Gregorian “Dies Irae”. The religious overtones of such an approach lend great depth to the film and score and are entirely appropriate for Doom’s misanthropic Nietzscheanism. The mystic prophet who demonstrates the power of flesh over steel by commanding his followers to walk off cliffs is aptly served by such gloomy energy as this singing. Such arrangements have lately been popularized by both the recent Lord of the Rings and Star Wars movies, and I feel Poledouris deserves credit as a forerunner here. But I would love if anyone can enlighten me regarding other, similar, choral arrangements.
Anvil of Crom begins the score with a heavy percussive beat that’s soon joined by a melody of French Horns that is strong in its simplicity. This comes to be a theme for Conan, in the film at this point it serves during the opening credits and images of Conan’s parents forging a sword.
Riddle of Steel/Riders of Doom allows us to catch our breath while Conan’s father explicates the ‘Riddle of Steel’ to him as a child. Here the strings of Conan’s motif dominate. Soon, however, the idyll of Conan’s village is disrupted by the raid of Doom’s warriors. Conan’s theme rises to its energetic aspect and does combat with the voices of Doom. The interweaving is delicate and exciting. Perhaps the greatest single piece of the score.
Gift of Fury segues into Wheel of Pain and these two tracks are great examples of the important role the score plays in the movie. Conan does not speak during what serves as his adolescence. It is up to this music to help us interpret events. Despondence is not debilitating for the orphaned Cimmerian. Instead it turns to a fury which learns patience through slavery at the Wheel of Pain, depicted by a cyclic and repetitively grinding adaptation of his motif. Such tracks as these establish the personality of Conan and deserve credit for fleshing out the laconic hero.
Conan’s adventures begin with Atlantean Sword which is suffused with subtle wonder. In Theology/Civilization Conan teams up with the Mongol Subotai and the strings here become classically adventurous, even optimistic. Cymbals and chimes add lighter notes.
Wifeing bears the burden of expressing Conan’s love for Valeria. Here the horns unite with strings in a tenderness that portends of sadness. In Leaving/The Search Conan abandons his companions to pursue vengeance on his own and the music narrates his quest.
The Mountain of Power Procession is a decidedly grand march of ominous overtones. Here Conan observes the magnitude of Doom’s personal power and the masses loyal to him. The brass is pompous, the percussion resolute. Familiarity with the film reveals just how closely the score mirrors the action, as when the “Procession” is momentarily subdued when Conan is halted before continuing on.
Tree of Woe begins with an ethereal and eerie tone, eventually breaking into the ‘quest’ theme born in “Theology/Civilization”. Here that theme is perfected briefly, until Conan’s near-death experience and resurrection through Valeria’s impassioned sacrifice are depicted by Recovery’s mournful rendition, reminiscent both of “Wifeing” and of the adventure theme.
Conan returns with his companions to battle Doom’s minions in The Kitchen/The Orgy. Here the dangerous vocalizing of Doom’s motif comes up against the strings that lead Conan through his quest. Suddenly, stillness, and then Conan’s horns and strings supply the background noise to Doom’s orgy which the heroes observe while plotting their next move. This portion of the track is delightfully waltzable (word copyrighted by Panguitch), and a great change of pace for the score. Poledouris continues it through the next battle scenes, and the contrast of sound and imagery is dramatic, though also practical in illustrating that Doom is unaware of the battle. Showing his mastery, Poledouris eventually elevates it to include louder horns and drums. It becomes almost frenetic as the sex and the fighting merge into a single orgy.
Funeral Pyre is a lament for Valeria, and brings together everything of sorrow from earlier themes. The horns and strings mount in grief, before silencing and giving way to the anticipatory opening of Battle of the Mounds. Here Conan’s preparations for battle are grim, fraught with the continuing sadness of the previous track. But soon the strings take over with an equally grim mood that replaces sadness with determination. Doom’s chorale enters the scene weakly, defiant but overshadowed by the strength of Conan’s motif. When the tension between the two eventually escalates, an effective duel between Doom’s singers and Conan’s nimble strings erupts, punctuated by horns and percussion. The energy surpasses everything before as the film climaxes.
Death of Rexor relieves the tension, while providing some triumph through its culminating arrangements where the horns and cymbals dominate. There is relief as Doom and his motif retreat, this time sounding dejected because of their defeat. As Conan realizes his victory the strings that have accompanied him through his quest come to a resolution. When Conan pursues Doom to complete his revenge, the choral arrangement looses its threatening power, becoming airy and mystical. Orphans of Doom/The Awakening continues this bleeding of tension, the strings and voices abandoning their previous motifs to unite in the liberation of Doom’s followers and the depiction of Conan’s final contemplation of his life, ending with one last triumph of the full symphony.
Reactions and Recommendation
This score can really only be found online anymore, and I’ve only recently acquired it. It’s one of my favorite pieces of music. Its artistry is inarguable. The unity of its themes allows for relaxing listening, or suitably subtle background music to any activity, while the tension between its dominant motifs would be appropriate for an exhilarating drive on challenging mountain roads.
Really, I can’t say enough about it. And the added nostalgia it holds for me makes it priceless. I highly recommend it to anyone having a taste for symphonic arrangements with a dramatic flair. And I even go as far as to say it surpasses its nearest corollary: the adaptation of Wagner for the Excalibur score. Its magnificence is appropriate to its protagonist, and its subtlety will astound. It is the dialogue for the film, and embodies the depth and characterization of a fine script.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.