Gladiator salute in "Harakiri" (1962)

Interesting, looks like Wolverine there too.

* I just managed to find the CONAN THE GLADIATOR figurine by NECA at the local Toys R Us yesterday.

Which one, the first one or the furry version?

Series 2 version, one with this fur attire. Rather surprised to find this locally.

Great film though. I have a good three shelves of Japanese films on my DVD rack. I love the ambiance of the old black and white films. They have such presence, and when taken hand in hand with the political and economical situations that were changing at the time these films were made, one can really get a sense of post war mentality. Especially when you compare them with pre-war and wartime films.

It seems strange to think that so much can be reflected in historic set films, but the stories and characters really do reflect the people's mental and emotional burdens of the time. (time of filming that is, not time of storyline)

Totally agree. And it's something i'm actually very interested in, to tell the truth.

In a very explicit example, the other day I was reading some article about "Godzilla" and all the great symbolism it had, and the huge differences in comparison with "King Kong": while Kong is an imported item to capitalize which ends terribly wrong (crack of the 29?), Godzilla is an offensive to Japan (atomic bomb).

It would be highly interesting to examine CTB under that light.

An interesting example I just found:

Hippism in the 60's, claiming for life in community, with absolute peace and love and so, found its dark opposite with the figure of Charles Manson who not only assassinated but also had plans to destroy the entire western civilization. He represented the darkest side of hippism and related it with dirty murders, crazyness and conspiracy plans.

Manson was the "proof" hippies could be "bad".

Now... ALL THAT was Thulsa-Doom and his cult.


The figure of Manson served to erradicate Hippism right after being born. It's shadow perdured during the 80's as the movie shows. It's not a surprise Milius never sympathized with Hippism (at least as a movement, though he and his surfer pals were strongly anti-system and actually very proto-punk). Milius always liked some cultural movements of the West coast like the music of THE DOORS (though is truth the Doors never were kind of "happy hippies")