The Centaur

Creator: Ray Harryhausen

Film: The Golden Voyage of Sinbad 1973

Centaur Video Clip

The Centaur is one of the most impressive and imposing characters in “Golden Voyage”.  His icy gaze, emanating from his single staring eye, is framed by a menacing ogre’s face and a shock of wild, wiry dark hair. His massive body is almost that of a giant, towering over his potential victims. The Centaur’s torso resembles the body of a fit young man, athletic and lean. His lower half is that of a huge workhorse, much like a Clydesdale, with a thick muscular structure, dense brown hair and a swishing tail. When Haroun shatters Kali by pushing her off a high edge within the temple, the third golden tablet which was hidden inside her is now revealed. Koura takes the tablet from Sinbad. He greedily declares that the tablets, once thrown into the Fountain of Destiny, will grant him “youth, a shield of darkness, and a crown of untold riches”.  It is clear that the young Haroun’s action has angered Kali’s followers, the green men. Koura entices the men to kill Sinbad, but before the sword strikes, Margiana raises her hands – displaying the tattooed eye on her right palm. She is the Chosen One of “the god of the single eye”. Margiana is seized and lowered into a darkened pit. Before escaping the pit, one of the green men blows a horn in the direction of a tunnel. Echoing hoofbeats are heard from the depths of the tunnel, then emerges the Centaur. To Margiana’s horror, he approaches her, snatches her up in his hands and disappears down the tunnel. Above the pit, the Grand Vizier removes his golden mask, revealing his face to the green men. Panic ensues, allowing Sinbad and his men to enter the pit and slip into the tunnel amidst a shower of spears. They encounter a dank inner cavern and search for Margiana. Meanwhile, Koura has located the Fountain of Destiny. He stumbles to his knees before reaching its edge. Sinbad finds Margiana, and together they discover Koura at the fountain, praying. He faces them and has now regained his youth. The Centaur enters the fountain chamber, and Koura commands him to kill Sinbad. The Centaur wields a wooden club, which quickly smashes in two. The situation looks impossible for Sinbad, when a sudden shriek distracts the Centaur. In walks the Griffin – a winged beast with a body of a lion. They attempt to best one another, and at first the Griffin overcomes the Centaur, biting and flapping its wings. Koura tries to subdue the Griffin by swiping at his leg, wounding him. The Centaur strangles the Griffin, which falls dead, then resumes his pursuit of Sinbad’s men. Sinbad jumps on his back, stabbing the Centaur on his shoulder. The angry Centaur bucks Sinbad from his back, but collapses from his mortal wound.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Centaur Facts

from Ray Harryhausen

 

• The actual model of the Centaur was about 13 inches high and had ocelot fur on its legs and a small doll's eye in its forehead.

• When Sinbad drives his sword to the Centaur's neck a process called Shadow Boxing was used, John Philip Law played out the scene by himself pin-pointing where the sword would stop and then the Centaur's "neck" was added at that particular spot.

• Just thinking up the idea of a cyclopean centaur is a long way from reality, and Ray spent considerable time designing the creature, trying to achieve a believable half-man half-horse, but at the same time making him look aggressive.

• Ray confesses that when he was animating the centaur, he had in mind an opera tenor in his final death throes.

 

Credit: An Animated Life

By Tony Dalton