Roger Corman's tough, engrossing, skillfully executed proto-feminist $1.98 drive-in version of "Spartacus," an early New World Pictures production reuniting the dynamic distaff duo of Pam Grier and Margaret Markov, who previously formed a sparky, highly charged rat-a-tat-tat chemistry together in Eddie Romero's excellent Filipino "The Defiant Ones" variant "Black Mama, White Mama." Ancient Rome, Italty: Desperate for a little variety and bored with your standard mano a mano gladiatorial combat, the gross, idle, decadent rich captors of a culturally diverse assortment of slaves decide to let their much abused female servants engage in vicious one winner per battle to the death gladiator fights. The female fighters, who include the gutsy Mamawi (the one and only Pam Grier, in typically ferocious fit'n'physical fighting mode), the compassionate Bodicia (beauteous, blue-eyed unsung favorite firebrand blonde Margaret Markov), and the flighty Diedre (lovely redhead cupcake Lucretia Love), understandably disgusted with the foul, ignoble, dehumanizing treatment they receive from their odious oppressors, stage a violent, rousing climactic revolt in which men and women alike savagely fight for their freedom.
Ably directed by Steve Carver (who also helmed the bang-up Depression-era corker "Big Bad Mama" for Corman), with quick pacing, snappy editing, a pungent, convincing period atmosphere, a tightly constructed narrative that thunders along with tremendous drive, and a fine, brooding score by Francesco De Masi, "The Arena" really makes the cut as top-of-the-line high concept 70's exploitation cinema at its most quirky and inspired. The solid, unusually intelligent script by John William and Joyce Carol Corrington (who previously wrote the funky end-of-the-world sci-fi/action hoot "The Omega Man") poses an extremely challenging and provocative moral question: Would you willingly kill another person in order to stay alive? And how much abuse would you endure before finally deciding that enough's enough? Furthermore, the truly terrific B-movie twosome of Pam and Margaret make for strong, smart and sympathetic heroines whose desire for independence is both genuinely admirable and even inspirational. Sara Bey, a striking brunette actress who's most fondly remembered as the titular perverted character in "Lady Frankenstein," makes for an eminently hateful villainess as the bitchy, overbearing, cold-hearted wealthy wench Cordelia. The gladiatorial combat scenes seriously cook: they're brutal, sweaty and bloody, the kind of splendidly staged down'n'dirty swords and battle axes a swinging fights that are quite exciting in a fiercely visceral, kick-you-in-the-guts sort of way (Pam in particular wields a mean trident). A genuine oddity from the Glorious Golden Era of the Grindhouse, "The Arena" partially succeeds on the basis of its sheer strangeness alone and largely because it's simply a very well-done consummate pro job all around.
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