With his third feature, She is Conann, French experimental director Bertrand Mandico (After Blue, The Wild Boys), returns with a gender-swapped take on Robert E. Howard’s “Conan the Barbarian” that soaks the sword of its transgressive blade with enough blood and boldness to slice through the screen and capture the shocked hearts of audiences. After witnessing the death of her mother at the hands of Sanja (Julia Riedler), young Conann is thrust into a life of brutal barbarianism. Accompanied by a half-human, half-dog named Rainer (Elina Löwensohn), we follow her through different eras and different lives, always ending in violence. This aint your daddy’s Conan. Feminine, queer, and filled to the brim with an intoxicating beauty, Mandico’s audacious interpretation of Howard’s character leaves most of what we know about Conan at the door made of human bones. Anyone hoping for something similar to the Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle, Conan the Barbarian (1982), will be sorely disappointed. Conann does witness the gory slaying of her mother. She does seek revenge. But that is only the first third of the story, and even then, everything about Mandico’s film is different. She is Conann tears up the traditional format of a sword and sorcery action epic and spits on it. Where the 1982 original was a simple if not entertaining romp with scope and scale, this version takes a more complex approach, ripping open Conann’s chest to observe the mess of organs inside and see if there might be a soul in there somewhere. Rather than an abundance of sweaty sword fights and battles with giant snakes, She is Conann is more concerned with an introspective exploration of the title character and the lust for brutality that drives her. Hopping through different periods and various versions of Conann—all played with exceptional performances by a diverse group of actresses who each bring something different to the table—this is a contemplative story in which Mandico brings beauty and bloodshed crashing together. Every set, every costume, is simply stunning, crafted with the utmost care and attention to detail, then coupled with extreme gore that puts us in Conann’s world, where violence is beautiful. Think you have an iron-clad stomach? She is Conann puts that claim to the test and then some. The practical effects here are so well-realized and sickening, that one moment towards the end had me thanking the film gods that it was shot in black and white…until it wasn’t. Where She is Conann may lose some is in Mandico’s preference for metaphor over plot. Told as a series of tragic and gruesome vignettes, the story isn’t always easy to follow and may alienate those craving a meatier premise. But don’t take that as meaning there isn’t plenty here to feast on for both your eyes and soul. Poetic. Surreal. She is Conann plays like a strange dream, at once breathtaking and horrific. The filmmaker incorporates few wide shots, giving the film an up close and personal as well as stage-y vibe that drags the audience deep down beneath the flesh of the characters. That won’t be for everyone, but the combination of engaging performances and dazzling visuals do more than enough to keep willing viewers chained to their seats, wide-eyed as if they’re witnessing the power of Crom himself. Through this lurid tale, Mandico transforms violence into art and art into violence until you can’t tell which is which. By the end, we are all Conann. Bold. Beautiful. Bloody as hell. She is Conann revels in the raw power of violence while painting Conan not as a hero, but a tragic character consumed by death and devastation. Sparkling beauty and stomach-churning depravity meet again and again throughout, enemies becoming lovers becoming one as Mandico forces the audience to confront the barbarianism of life while also acknowledging the way in which pain drives art. It is cruel. It is complex. It is buzzing with a style that gushes from the screen like blood from a slashed throat. More than anything, it is a spectacular vision of death from a filmmaker unrestrained by the confines of reality. An arthouse twist on a classic character, it may be too strange or perplexing for those seeking a more traditional sword and sorcery epic, but those willing to go along for the ride will find themselves on a breathtaking journey decorated with the corpses of Conann’s insatiable lust for violence. She is Conann arrives in theaters February 2nd from Altered Innocence. By Matt Konopka
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