Conquest 4K 1983

I simply can’t understand why this film has remained overlooked to this day. Without meaning to flatter my favorite director—Fulci—I can confidently say that this is one of his best films.
After directing several commercially successful horror films in a row, Lucio Fulci turned to the fantasy genre, which was financially lucrative at the time. In my opinion, the film “Conquest” is interesting first and foremost because its creators did not try to imitate the well-known “Conan the Barbarian” trilogy;
I have never seen a film of this caliber before. It resembles a mirage or a dream; such associations are evoked only by the paintings of Salvador Dalí.

The film was shot using a smudging filter, which gave it a slightly gothic tone, but surrealism clearly prevailed.

From a fairy-tale world of goodness and prosperity, the young warrior Ilias sets off for a land of violence and tyranny to free the people once and for all from the tyranny of Okron—an evil sorceress capable of summoning the sun every morning.

This simple and uncomplicated plot is presented in such an unusual surrealistic style that the entire film is permeated by a sense of the unreality of what is happening. Stone cliffs, the sunrise against the backdrop of coastal rocks, dark caves, and mist-shrouded swamps brilliantly create the atmosphere of a fairy-tale world, making you believe in its unreality.
Technically speaking, despite the low budget, the film is excellently made. The acting is also superb.

Sabrina Siani plays the role of Ocron, the tyrant of this fairy-tale world, with great skill and finesse. Her first appearance on screen, against the backdrop of dark cliffs and the rising sun, is mesmerizing. The mask on her face, dark at first, takes on a golden hue as the sun rises; her frozen face, devoid of emotion, is cold and gloomy.

Claudio Simonetti’s very heavy and oppressive music reveals him to be a truly brilliant composer. He skillfully guides the events on screen by changing the tempo, transforming the action into beautiful imagery—for which we owe him a huge debt of gratitude.

What is characteristic of Fulci’s films is their excessive violence. “Conquest” is no exception. This hallmark of the Italian maestro’s work does not make the film any worse.

In the brief period from 1983 to 1984, Lucio Fulci tried his hand at the fantasy genre (“Conquest”) and the sci-fi action genre (“Wars of 2072”). In both cases, the films, in my opinion, turned out very well, but unfortunately, he never returned to either of them.

Every Eurocult fan—and indeed, every film lover—should see “Conquest.” It is practically impossible to describe all the sensations, thoughts, and emotions that arise while watching it. It is the most amazing film I have ever seen. It is beyond any rating.