Conan's master let him go. Why? - Conan the Barbarian (1982) Discussion

[–] WolfWindDreamer 11 years ago

He felt sorry for him. He wanted to have Conan to have a life outside of the gladitorial arena

We shoulda rented a car.
We have my pony.
Your pony is an old nag.

Powwow Highway

reply

[–] scifi1980 11 years ago

Another possibility is Conan became too good of a fighter that being virtually unbeatable, he had no more challenges so he wasn't bringing in any more money for his master, so out of respect, he was set free. Or if it was like Roman customs where if you fight long enough and earn enough victories, you can win your freedom.

reply

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] GreatWhiteApeofBarsoom 11 years ago

"It has been surmised that my master had become like a wild animal that had been kept too long..."

Requiescat in pace, Krystle Papile. I'll always miss you.

reply

[–] Sharky08 10 years ago

^ This is the answer.

reply

[–] OmegaWolf747 11 years ago

I always thought he let Conan go, kinda to repay him. "You made me a rich man, so here's your freedom."

---
House. My room. Can't walk. My medal. My father. Father, don't!

reply

[–] AfroGeek 10 years ago

Agreed. And, after answering that question correctly he saw him as too good to just live as a gladiator.

Amy: I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!

reply

[–] wilft1 10 years ago

I always had thought he was drunk when he let conan go.

then woke up the next morning thinking "da *beep* did I do last night? where's conan?"

People tend to look at you differently when you stuff a voodoo doll full of laxitives

reply

[–] transmentalist 9 years ago

I always had thought he was drunk when he let conan go.

then woke up the next morning thinking "da *beep* did I do last night? where's conan?"

Thanks for ruining my keyboard

reply

[–] kramsey20 10 years ago

I always wondered if that guy was the same kid who shackled Conan to the grindstone in the first place.

reply

[–] tenantennae 10 years ago

I think he probably was. Don't see the kid's character listed anywhere though. For a movie with such a large cast, the cast listing is bare bones.

PERHAPS, BUT WHATEVER!

reply

[–] kramsey20 10 years ago

The kid had no lines and was only in the movie for a few seconds.

reply

[–] tenantennae 10 years ago

Actors have gotten credit for less

reply

[–] kramsey20 10 years ago

I like to think that it was the same character (credited as Red Hair, played by Luis Barboo). The age difference seems to match up. Conan was something like 8, that kid in question looked to be about 14, give or take a year or two.

reply

[–] tenantennae 10 years ago

His father probably owned the local Wheel of Pain, and hoped to one day pass on the business to his son. However, Red Hair had other ideas, and decided to pursue a career in Gladiator Management. He had struck out in the business, and returned home to move back in with mom and dad, when he saw his meal ticket pushing the Wheel of Pain...and the rest is history.

reply

[–] hatebreed 9 years ago

I dont think so. The master was way older than Conan. The kids had more or less the same age. But hey it's a good theory.

reply

[–] team56th 10 years ago

Just came to the board to ask this... But despite all the answers I'm convinced that it's not out of gratitude or something.

My theory is that the master got scared of him at one point. Conan is strong, smart, earns so much money and glory for him, so much so that now he might try to outsmart and overpower him. Hence the "caged too long" part; the beast might have grown too big and before it gets uncontrollable, master tells the beast to leave.

reply

[–] urrutiap 10 years ago

Also things that made the Master let Conan go

-conan' s speech about conquering enemies etc. One track mind Conan

- master wanted Conan to little life other than as a slave warrior

- master was getting old to be slave owner etc as nd wouldn't be surprised if the Master has done it before letting his slave fighters go

reply

[–] Norse_Sage 10 years ago

conan' s speech about conquering enemies etc. One track mind Conan

Those words didn't come from Conan, he simply echoed what his trainer had told him, because said trainer would beat him like the worthless slave he was if he didn't.

Didn't you see that? This was a practiced line, recited.
Conan was a gladiator, his only enemies were other slave gladiators. He might have crushed them, but he never drove them before him, no did he hear the lamentation of any women.

His proto mongol trainer on the other hand ... he would have driven his enemies (probably helpless farmers not unlike Conan's family) before him, killed the men and enjoyed the cries of the women. And then thought Conan the line so the trainers proto-Mongol friends would get a good laugh at Conan's expense.

Tesla was robbed!

reply

[–] MarxNSparks 9 years ago

Great points you made! The way the line was said, it did sound like a recitation. Conan was their trained monkey to a certain extent.

reply

[–] booya83 9 years ago

Conan was a slave but as the narrator said he was taught to speak, read, and write. He also was exposed to all the great literature of the time. So I think the answer to what is best in life were his own thoughts and not trained.

As far as the ginger slave owner letting Conan go I feel it was due to the respect he had gained for Conan. Conan was a better man than him and he knew it. That is why him getting drunk and being upset when he did free Conan.

At least that's my take on what happened. This film is a masterpiece and doesn't get enough credit. I think it's because of the other two stinkers that followed this one.

reply

[–] Navaros 10 years ago

Hence the "caged too long" part;

But that part is not referring to the feelings of Conan's master.

Your idea is very good, that Conan's master might have let him go because he knew Conan was probably going to assassinate him soon...but that rationale is not in the film. If that was the reason, they needed to say so in the film.

reply

[–] Norse_Sage 10 years ago

My theory is that the master got scared of him at one point. Conan is strong, smart, earns so much money and glory for him, so much so that now he might try to outsmart and overpower him. Hence the "caged too long" part; the beast might have grown too big and before it gets uncontrollable, master tells the beast to leave.

No, that is total BS. Don't know how you could possible take that from it.

Conan might be strong and a good earner for his owner, but smart? Not so much. Yeah, sure he learned how to read, but he didn't learn how to think.

His mind was dull, and freedom was the furthest thing from his mind. At no point do we see him plan or even dream of escape, on the contrary, he seems quite content where he is. That's what they mean by "caged too long", he is beyond given up and has become the perfect housetrained slave.

Uncontrollable? He'll do anything he is asked, as long as it is put too him in simple enough terms. He isn't going to outsmart or outpower anyone, note that his owner without thinking twice walks up to him and frees him. Conan stands obediently in his place, confused why his shackles are no longer there. His owner had to actually to chase him away.

This is why fans of the original literary Conan more often than not HATE the Milius movie, for the complete butchery of the Conan character. This is Conan in name only.

Oh, and the motivation of his owner for letting him go?
Guilt, pure and simple.

Tesla was robbed!

reply

[–] KthulhuX 9 years ago

Exactly. Milius' Conan is a sluggish dullard, content to sit in slavery for a decade or so.

Milius' Conan parrots out some recited nonsense about the lamentations of women. Howard's Conan has the following to say about the meaning of life:

I know not, nor do I care. Let me live deep while I live; let me know the rich juices of red meat and stinging wine on my palate, the hot embrace of white arms, the mad exultation of battle when the blue blades flame and crimson, and I am content. Let teachers and priests and philosophers brood over questions of reality and illusion. I know this: if life is illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content.

reply