Can Conan the Barbarian Teach Us A Lesson in Analytics?
Yes, but maybe not the lesson you hoped for…
If your a man between 35–55, you can probably deliver that quote by heart. You likely watched Conan the Barbarian on more than a handful of occasions. And you probably remember it as a major part of your childhood. During a recent party, drink in hand (and tossing axes), I was reminded just how fondly so many men remember this film.
There are many things from our youth that we remember fondly. Often times, our memories are more positive than reality ever was. Sometimes, just the opposite is true. This is an interesting phenomenon of the human experience. It is a behavioral anomaly and a cognitive bias. One that upon revisit, likely applies to Conan the Barbarian. I know… stay with me.
In fairness, Conan the Barbarian is nearly four decades old. The special effects and CGI can certainly be forgiven. But 1982 was not exactly at a loss for great movies, especially not in the genre of science fiction & fantasy. Both Star Wars and Alien had come years earlier. In light of those sorts of benchmarks, this really wasn’t a great movie. I know… you remember it otherwise. You are only human.
The nature of a voice…
Conan is not exactly chock full of dialogue. There may actually be more grunts and groans in this movie than real words. The largest exception is the narrative of Akiro (played by Mako). The man’s voice just draws you in, as any fans of Samurai Jack or Avatar: The Last Airbender can attest. It may be the best aspect of this movie.
Here again (or should I say hear again?) human response can be biased greatly by characteristics that defy data. Maybe one day, artificial intelligence will assess and quantify the human voices, identifying those that others find engaging and compelling. For now, that is the nature of art and the genius of a great voice actor.
While we are talking about great voice actors, we should mention James Earl Jones (Thulsa Doom). Again, I apologize, but this was not exactly one of those roles the academy was fawning over. For a man with such an infamous voice, he spent an awful lot of screen time staring.
Here again, this movie defies expectation. No one would have anticipated quite this role for the man behind Darth Vader. Thulsa Doom had all the same ingredients to his character as Darth Vader and yet, was almost completely different. It is behavioral science to the core.
Conan The Barbarian is a perspective twisting, somewhat awkward, and yet clearly cult-classic movie. It is on paper, in memory, and in actuality a movie that would challenge any artificial intelligence to understand. It is both more and less than the sum of its parts. It is both simple (plot-wise) and complex (in how it is remembered). It is incredibly human and thus quite bias.
Conan the Barbarian teaches us a lesson in analytics. One that states that context matters, that human behavior is rarely plotted with a straight line (it more resembles a bunch of snakes), and that memory rarely serves as a great recording of true history. Perception is an aspect of reality, but one that challenges typical analytic processes.
Feel free to remember Conan fondly. You’re only human. Just know perception, memory, and reality are not always equal. At least, no more than Thulsa Doom & Darth Vader.
Thanks for reading. For more lessons from Arnold consider:
