The Arena (1974) - What did I just watch?

I've never even heard of 1974's 'The Arena' and I had no idea what I was sitting down to watch.  So my mind was officially 'blown' by a film that was about as far from 2023's cinematic output as you could possibly get.  Let's just say that there wasn't a computer generated skybeam and army of faceless alien soldiers in sight.

I think it's safe to say that 'The Arena' wouldn't be made today.  Or, if it was, it would be very different.  It's set in the era of the Roman Empire where four women from across the globe were all enslaved by the Romans and taken back to Rome to work as slaves to gladiators in an arena.

I'm guessing 'politically correct' wouldn't be a phrase used to describe this movie.  It's pretty brutal in places and actually shows just how much of a 'raw deal' women - and especially enslaved women - got during the time period.  And yet it's weirdly 'progressive' when the women actually get their shot at fighting in the arena.  And, despite being laughed at to begin with, they soon get their revenge in typically grisly fashion.

I didn't recognise any of the stars, but it wasn't until I sat down to review it did I realise one of the two leads was none other than 'Jackie Brown' herself, Pam Grier.  Both she and the other (blonde) lead certainly have the physical presence to carry the film, even if certain scenes do seem a little clunky in terms of the dialogue and the fight scenes are hardly on a par with 'The Matrix.'

Yes, it's a little far-fetched and will probably never be taken seriously due to its (probably unnecessary!) nudity, but it's certainly worth a watch, simply because it's a product of a bygone cinematic age.

7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that