Whenever I watch a modern-day film about some epic event in the ancient world, I can’t help but think about Robert E. Howard. Stay with me here folks.
First of all, I must address the 1982 CONAN THE BARBARIAN film which made a star of Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s not a bad film, it’s just that it’s not a Robert E. Howard film. Oh, director John Milius gets some things right but overall, it’s more about Milius than it is about the work of REH. Show me someone who proudly proclaims that CONAN THE BARBARIAN is their all-time favorite movie and I’ll show you someone who has never read one word of Robert E. Howards’ works.
Okay, so the CONAN movie fell short in capturing the essence of Howard’s work, but there have been some films since then which, in my opinion, managed to stage some sequences that made me think of Howard’s stories.
There’s a great battle sequence in Mel Gibson’s BRAVEHEART (1995) that looks like something Howard would have created. Likewise, a forest battle in Ridley Scott’s GLADIATOR (2000) rings true with the essence of Howard.
And I can now add to that short list, Wolfgang Peterson’s TROY (2004) which I watched yesterday afternoon. It’s an epic retelling of the legendary siege of Troy by the Spartans who are led by the super warrior, Achilles (Brad Pitt). There is some terrific battle sequences between armies armed only with spears, swords and bows and arrows. Achilles is the mightiest of the bunch. He seems to be everywhere on the battlefield at once, with his flashing blade and uncanny combat sense.
Now granted, these films all have something that didn’t exist in 1982 and that’s CGI. All three of these films make use of digital imagery on a grand scale. But when I watch these films, I cannot help but think that if someone, someday, decides to make a true to the source material big budget epic Conan film, it can and should look like these films.
But what about TROY you ask? It’s a very good movie combining ferocious battle sequences, a one-on-one fight to the death, a thunderous score by James Horner, and themes of loyalty, honor, love and immortality. It’s all handsomely produced and exciting to watch. A special treat is seeing legendary movie stars Julie Christie and Peter O’Toole in supporting roles.
TROY brings the stories we read in school to viivd life in a very entetratinig film. And even if it’s not remotely connected to REH and Conan, in my fanboy mind, there’s a definite kinship.
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