Movies about Sword and sorcery
Film goes through phases. Sometime, digital animation rules. Then we get a heaping helping of gross out comedies. A gimmick like 3D can come along and set the standard for a while only to make way for something even more stunt-like. The cyclical nature of cinema can be sparked by the times (the post-modern movement of the ’70s) or the arrival of a game changing concept (the sci-fi blockbuster bonanza post-Hvězdné války). In Italy, at the end of the ’50s, filmmakers were looking for a way out of the gloomy authenticity of neo-realism. They wanted more entertainment value and less social commentary. Enter the peplum, the sword and sandal epics that saw stars like Steve Reeves reinvent their image as mighty gladiatorial warriors.
With the success of the genre came an entire new realm of action and adventure. Filmmakers around the world embraced the concept and then decided to expand its elements. They found new and often exciting ways to reinvent it for their own needs, looking to both the distant past and the far off future. Thus, we had variations such as the historical period piece, the barely costumed cautionary tale, and of course, the sci-fi influenced sword and sorcery take. Over the last four decades there have been dozens of attempts to take the material out of its comic book/pulp fiction orientation and turn it into something magical. For the most part, they are often considered nothing more than bumbling b-movies.
The most recent example (a remake of the noted Arnold Schwarzenegger Conan vehicle from the ’80s, now out on DVD and Blu-ray) argues for both the good and the bad within the archetypes. For the most part, many of these movies fail upward. Still, there are several examples of their overall artistic bent. Thus we have a considered list of the 10 Best Sword and Sorcery Films of All Time. While few are masterworks, most make the investment well worth the traveling back in time, including a pen and ink product aided by an illustrator who almost singlehandedly redefined the concept:
#10 – Fire and Ice (dir: Ralph Bakshi)
While it is less of a classic and more of a oddity, this Ralph Bakshi/Frank Frazetta collaboration definitely delivers what it promises. It’s a bloody, bodice ripping revision of the entire fantasy ideal. With its basic story and arch approach (it was created using the live action to animation technique known as rotoscoping), it plays more like a misfire and less like a brawn and broadsword achievement. Yet the stuck in the ’70s, FM radio appeal of the project cannot be denied. Frazetta finery may have adorned the sides of a sizable number of Me Decade vans, but he had a pure eye for such material. Bakshi then did his best to make it come to life.
#9 – Conquest (dir: Lucio Fulci)
Lucio Fulci’s jump into the post-peplum furor remains a splendidly disjointed mess, an unstuck in time reinvention of the sword and sorcery saga crafted into a montage of mostly meaningless images that still somehow add up to pure cinematic cheese. Mixing animal-skinned heroes with anthropomorphic archery skills into a strange simmering swamp of zombies, Chewbacca like dogmen, pasty-faced cave dwellers, topless temple tantalizing, as well as far too many sequences of senseless landscapes, Fulci creates his own private universe. He then garnishes the whole thing with a great deal of foggy camera work to turn the ephemeral into the borderline unwatchable. Oddly, it all works.
#8 – Dragonslayer (dir: Matthew Robbins)
By the beginning of the ’80s, Disney’s live action fare was floundering. Known more for disasters like Super táta a Gus, the studio wanted to navigate more mature cinematic waters. Working with Paramount (which distributed the film in the US), the House of Mouse gave actor turned writer/director Matthew Robbins the greenlight to make his brick and mortar version of the Middle Ages. Utilizing cutting edge technology (the dragon sequences were realized through a combination of physical F/X and detailed camera trickery) and staying true to his antithetical approach, the results reinvigorated the studio, paving the way for the introduction of Touchstone’s more mature output.
#7 – Wizards (dir: Ralph Bakshi)
Whenever fans wonder why Ralph Bakshi dropped his urban hipster heroism (in films like Fritz kočka a Silný provoz) to speculate of certain far out fictional visions, Wizards is the answer. Long a passion for the controversial animator, it was his chance to rebound after the disastrous miscalculation of Coonskin. Considered racist and culturally insensitive by many outside the medium, Bakshi relied on this allegorical tale of technology vs. nature to reestablish his cartooning credentials. It worked, pushing him in the direction of the most famous fantasy series of all – Pán prstenů. There, he would pave the way for a certain live action take on the material.
#6 – Conan the Barbarian 2011 (dir: Marcus Nispel)
If all you are looking for is a solid action, Marcus Nispel’s reimagining of the pulp character will serve your needs nicely. Insanely, but nicely. Working from a committee script long in development, takes a simple story and then goes from gory gonzo set-piece to gory gonzo set-piece piling on the violence. There are sword battles and fist fights, sand zombies and predatory pirates. From sinister sea monsters to a sharp toothed humanoid lizard man army, this is speculative fiction by way of perverse peplum. As veins are drained and heads role, we become transfixed by what Nispel is doing, and how he has chosen to magnify the mayhem.
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#5 – Excalibur (dir: John Boorman)
Perhaps the original sword and sorcery tale, the legend of King Arthur has everything the genre mandates – magicians, royal discord, battles, enchanted birthrights, and that classic collection of round table knights. Still, it took Englishman John Boorman to dig beneath the pomp and circumstance to find the grime and lust in this tale of Britain’s beginnings. Visually sumptuous – perhaps too much so – the filmmaker attempted to merge history with the histrionics of the storied myth. The results remain as authentic as a film like this can manage, a stirring and often stunning visualization of one nation’s unknown heritage.
#4 – Legend (dir: Ridley Scott)
For Rob Bottin’s fantastic fantasy make-up alone, this movie deserves its spot in the countdown. Tim Curry, the sweet transvestite refugee from Rocky Horror Picture Show, is buried in a devil get-up so sophisticated and realistic that, even today, fans are still mystified as to how said look was actually accomplished. The F/X literally defy easy identification. As for the rest of the film, it’s the same basic balance between good and evil, with Tom Cruise helping Mia Sara save the unicorns from the foul forces of the underworld. It’s much darker and more deliberate than it sounds, thanks in part to Ridley Scott’s lush and eerie visuals.
#3 – #1 – The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (dir: Peter Jackson)
It remains a stunning achievement for any filmmaker, a finishing move that any cinematic combatant would be proud of. That Peter Jackson is treking through Tolkien land yet again for another two films in the overall Hobbit mythos means audiences and admirers have even more to chew on and champion. There is no denying the scope and epic nature of what the New Zealand artist accomplished here. Lovers of the books long believed that no one could do them justice, not visually or narratively. By combining his strengths with long stretches outside his comfort zone, Jackson justified New World’s decision to gamble. Dozens of Oscars and billions of dollars later, the payoff resulted in three motion picture masterpieces…with more to come, hopefully.
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12 Best Sword And Sorcery Movies Of All Time
Despite being a popular staple of the literary world for years, the Sword and Sorcery genre has had mixed success at the box office.
Despite being a popular staple of the literary world for years, the Sword and Sorcery genre of movies has had mixed success at the box office. From time to time it’s in vogue but often it’s overlooked in favor of science fiction, despite their many similarities. The ‘80s were a particularly successful time for Sword and Sorcery epics, spurred on by the success of Barbar Conan and the elements of the genre used in the original Hvězdné války trilogie.
While most Sword and Sorcery movies are fantasy, not all fantasy movies are Sword and Sorcery. It’s a subgenre within a subgenre, and not always an easy one to define. The key characteristics are brave warriors, mysterious wizards, epic themes, damsels in distress, powerful creatures, and, most often, the fate of a kingdom.
Přes Gods of Egypt falling flat at the box office, we’ll take a look at the 12 Best Sword And Sorcery Movies Of All Time, many of which also faltered at the box office before becoming cult classics.
It goes without saying, there are MAJOR spoilers ahead as we explore the most epic of movie genres.
12. Souboj Titánů (1981)
Loosely based on the stories of Perseus from Greek mythology, Souboj Titánů was a modest success upon its release in 1981. Fresh on the heels of the success of Hvězdné války, studios were keen to capitalize on the themes of ordinary young men with hidden destinies, fated to save princesses. Perseus’s quest, aided by divine weaponry, sees him unite with brave warriors to defend the city of Joppa by slaying the gorgon Medusa and using her head to destroy the last of the Titans, a giant sea beast called The Kraken.
Unlike the ground-breaking effects of Star Wars, Clash of the Titans favored the stop-motion effects of Ray Harryhausen, which were made famous in Jason and the Argonauts.
While not a massive success on release, the film has gone on to achieve cult-status over the years for it’s fun nature. Due to it lacking the bloody nature of something like Conan, Clash of the Titans was a generation’s first step into fantasy and Sword and Sorcery epics. It also introduced the pantheon of Gods from Greek Mythology to modern audiences. If nothing else, the line “release the Kraken” is one of the most quotable lines of the ‘80s. You can forget the 2010 remake, however, it’s not nearly as fun.
11. Kull the Conqueror (1997)
Originally intended to be the third part of the Conan trilogie, Kull Dobyvatel was in development hell for many years. After Schwarzenegger refused to return, having turned his back on Sword and Sorcery after the failure of Rudá Sonja, the title character was changed to Robert E. Howard’s other barbarian character, Kull.
While the film is easily the weakest on this list, and far from successful, it does provide the audience with at least some closure to the story of Conan (albeit with a different name). Should Schwarzenegger return to the often touted Král Conan projekt, Kull Dobyvatel may just be forgotten about.
10. Nesmrtelní (2011)
loosely based on the Greek myths of Theseus and the Minotaur and the Titanomachy, Nesmrtelní was released during a brief revival of the genre following the success of the Souboj Titánů remake. Why this movie makes the cut over that one, is that it offers the audience a fresher perspective.
Zjevně ovlivněn 300, Nesmrtelní is stylish in the extreme and invokes renaissance styles in its overall look. While the story is a little weak, the visuals make up for it and deliver a fun and exciting, if slightly forgettable foray into the genre.
9. Red Sonja (1985)
While being adapted from the same source material as Barbar Conan a v hlavní roli Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rudá Sonja technically isn’t part of a Conan trilogy; despite often being associated with it. Schwarzenegger doesn’t play Conan, but is in fact Lord Kaldor, a noble warrior and not the brutal barbarian from the Conan movies.
Rudá Sonja (Bridget Nielsen) was less faithful in its adaptation of Howard’s novels that Conan, and the direction was considered aimless and sloppy. It was a bomb upon release, but like many others, garnered a small following on home video.
Rudá Sonja does have some redeeming features however. The central character of Sonja, while miscast, breaks stereotypes as it puts a woman on equal footing as a hero. While Valeria in Conan had been a capable warrior, Sonja is a highly skilled sword master and fights as the equal to Schwarzenegger’s Kaldor.
8. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)
Opravdu Hvězdné války svého dne. 7. Voyage of Sinbad was ground-breaking for its visual effects and exciting storyline. It is a rare movie that holds a 100% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, but in this case it’s an understatement.
The first of a trilogy, the film actually follows a story closer to the events from the book The Fifth Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor and introduces several themes of the genre such as giant beasts being fought by magic and mortal men with swords.
The effects were, and arguably still are, breath-taking. The scenes involving the sailors fighting animated skeletons are a series high point. The skeleton scenes were so popular that they were recreated and expanded in 1963’s Jason and the Argonauts. The effects took the legendary Ray Harryhausen eleven months to complete, and were the industry standard for over twenty years until the introduction of the Dysktraflex camera in 1977.
While largely forgotten by most modern audiences, 7. Voyage of Sinbad was introduced into the United States’ Library of Congress film registry in 2008, ensuring its place in history. While there have been repeated calls for a remake, it holds a position akin to The Godfather, Jaws, a Hvězdné války as a movie that you simply cannot remake.
7. Conan the Destroyer (1984)
While less successful than its predecessor, Conan ničitel is a great film in its own right. It doesn’t set out to merely remake the original, nor does it forget where it came from in order to have a fresh voice. It’s respectful to what’s gone on before, yet manages to find a fresh voice.
Playing down the violence of the first movie in order to secure a PG rating (PG-13 didn’t come into effect until later that year) gave the film a different tone, but even the more humorous moments don’t result in a camp feel. The film also sees a tonal change to embrace the more fantastic elements of the source materials, with the monster Dagoth being more in line with the genre than the cult from the first movie.
6. The Beastmaster (1982)
Šelma is fairly generic in its premise. An evil high priest is given a prophesy that he will be defeated by the unborn child of his enemy so seeks to kill him first. He fails, and the child grows up to fulfil the prophesy. The neat twist was that the main character Dar, the «Beastmaster» of the title, can communicate with animals due to the unusual nature of his birth. He uses this power in his quest, making him more than the typical barbarian associated with the genre.
Šelma barely turned a profit upon its release in 1982, but became a cult hit due to being played on HBO with a high degree of regularity throughout the ‘80s. The film was shown so often on HBO that comedian Dennis Miller joked that HBO stood for «Hey, Beastmaster’s On.» While it almost became a joke, The Beastmaster’s enduring cult popularity led to two sequels following the further adventures of the lead character Dar.
5. Krull (1983)
Krull has managed to polarize audiences since its initial release, with some praising its visuals and attempts to do more with the genre and others criticizing it for a lack of emotional depth. What makes Krull stand out from the rest of the pack is that it blends traditional Sword and Sorcery with elements from Sci Fi. The main antagonists are stated as coming from elsewhere in the galaxy as opposed to a far off land. The storyline, following the prophecy “a girl of ancient name that shall become queen, that she shall choose a king, and that together they shall rule their world, and that their son shall rule the galaxy” is pretty standard Sword and Sorcery fare.
Even with a huge budget, for the time, Krull failed to find an audience and was a box office flop. It has gone on to achieve a degree of cult-status over the years and is a regular on cable TV.
4. Willow (1988)
More of a straight up fantasy/fairy tale, Vrba obsahuje prvky obou Hobbit a Princezna nevěsta. Co dělá Vrba a Sword and Sorcery film are the traditional themes of prophecy and a reluctant hero taking up arms against a tyrannical ruler. It’s the personal journey of Willow and Madmartigan, and their battles against Bavmorda’s forces that keep the story from venturing into a wider fantasy.
Vrba wasn’t a great success on release, despite having George Lucas’s name attached to the project. Much criticism was leveled at Ron Howard’s direction, with many critics feeling that he was at the time too inexperienced to handle an effects-laden project. Like many films on this list, Willow became a cult hit due to home video and DVD releases, and it remains a family favorite for many.
3. Barbar Conan (1982)
Barbar Conan follows the story of a young Cimmerian who seeks vengeance against the cult leader who slew his family years before. Along the way, he encounters witches, kings and an assortment of warriors as he becomes a gladiator, a thief, and eventually a mercenary tasked with rescuing a princess.
Na papíře, Barbar Conan shouldn’t have worked at all. It starred the still largely untested Arnold Schwarzenegger and was based on an epic fantasy novel series that was deeply serious. Not only did it work, it became a classic and one of the definitive roles of Schwarzenegger’s career.
Largely due to John Milius’s direction, Conan succeeds where others have failed. It dared to take itself seriously. Not lured by commercialization, it was bloody and brutal and refused to be camp. Along with Milius’s direction, the score by Basil Poledouris received immense praise and remains one of the most revered film scores of all time.
2. Trilogie Pán prstenů (2001-2003)
This is another series that was often considered «unfilmable» according to conventional wisdom, yet succeeded beyond the wildest dreams of the studios. Pán prstenů had been in development hell for decades before New Line finally gave Peter Jackson, a largely untested New Zealand filmmaker, the keys to Middle Earth.
While clearly a fantasy, Pán prstenů has one hobbit-sized foot in the Sword and Sorcery genre. While lacking the typical barbarian-type men, the humans are depicted as more medieval and sophisticated than is typical of the genre. The inclusion of elves, wizards and magical beings being matched by mortal blades place it close enough to the genre to maintain its place in this list.
Like Conan před ním, Pán prstenů succeeds due to its director being faithful to the source material and presenting it in a serious manner. It’s not self-deprecating and makes no apologies for itself. It sets out to be nothing short of an epic, casting serious actors over established stars, and lets the story and the visuals lead the way.
1. Jason a Argonauti (1963)
Jason and the Argonauts is an independently made 1963 American-British fantasy film directed by Don Chaffey, and starring Todd Armstrong and Nancy Kovack. One of the definitive movies of the genre, it features the most memorable example of the now defunct stop-motion technique for visual effects: the famous skeleton battle.
Beyond a mere cult-classic, Jason and the Argonauts stands as an epic piece of action cinema. When Ray Harryhausen was presented with a lifetime achievement award at the 1992 Academy Awards, Tom Hanks remarked «Some people say Casablanca or Citizen Kane. I say Jason and the Argonauts is the greatest film ever made.»
Epic, glorious, and spectacular even 50 years on, Jason and the Argonauts is often cited as an inspiration for modern masterpieces such as Pán prstenů trilogy. Its importance cannot be overstated.
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