The guards throw Conan in front of Doom so he can explain himself. Conan is quickly discovered and overpowered by the guards. However, Conan seeks revenge on Thulsa Doom and travels alone for this quest of vengeance.Ĭonan arrives at the temple of Doom by the name Mountain of Power. Conan befriends different characters he encounters in the movie. Adversity, stress and loss can cause the mind to become stronger over time thus, these are elements in life that are necessary for personal development.Ĭonan becomes a gladiator and is released from slavery in the end. It is easy to conclude that physical work strengthens the body with muscles however, the movie attempts to demonstrate that the same is true for the mind. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a professional bodybuilder, played the role of Conan in adulthood. Conan looks like a bodybuilder with fearless intensity. This is Conan's station, a life of struggle.įinally, the movie demonstrates the results of adversity over many years: Conan is now an adult with enormous physical strength. However, Conan is able to fight adversity and pressure year after year. The movie indicates that most of the children behind the mill die one by one over time they are not able to survive the adversity. The movie shows a timelapse of Conan and the other children working behind the mill over several years. The Wheel of Pain could be a metaphor for struggle and adversity in life. The mill has several wooden arms and moves as a wheel. The children of the village are taken as slaves and put into physical labor.Ĭonan and the other children are forced to push the arms of a giant mill. He personally takes over the sword of Conan's father. With his army, Doom conquers Conan's village by killing every adult in the village, including Conan's father and mother. One day, the psychopathic character Thulsa Doom arrives at their village. The idea that you can only trust steel is thus planted in Conan from a young age, and ultimately directs his character development. In my opinion, steel is a metaphor for brute force. Thus, his father explains to Conan that all men, women and beasts of this world cannot be trusted his father points to his sword and concludes that steel is the only reliable friend that you have. Conan's father is a barbarian, and he believes he has answered the riddle. The movie opens with a young Conan being taught by his father about the riddle of steel. The movie opens with Nietzsche's famous quote: " That which does not kill us makes us stronger." The story in the movie attempts to cast light on a deeper aspect of this quote. Written by Urfan Ul Hassan - January 2022 The Riddle of Steel: what's strongest - flesh or steel? A reflection on the "Riddle of Steel" from Conan the Barbarian (1982)
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |