The acting in this movie is really good.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

This movie takes place in the days of ancient Rome with people from various places outside of the empire being taken captive by the Romans and sold into slavery. One particular place they are taken is the city of Brundusium where the local coliseum is filled to capacity in anticipation of the gladiatorial games they take place on a regular basis. Although not initially intended for this barbaric sport, several female slaves are forced to participate due in large part to the insatiable blood lust of the restless crowd. Of these female slaves there are three main figures with different viewpoints. The first, named "Bodicia" (Margaret Markov) wants all of the females to band together and resist providing entertainment to the crowd. The second, "Mamawi" (Pam Grier) doesn't want to fight but is willing to kill in order to stay alive. The third, "Livia" (Marie Louise) is a Roman citizen and actually approves of the sport but would rather watch it from a distance. In any case, all of them are essentially powerless but none of them consider that fact to be a permanent condition. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a basic women-in-prison film which consisted of the typical elements of that specific sub-genre but was transposed to an ancient Roman setting. Both Pam Grier and Margaret Markov put in solid performances with Marie Louise being the most attractive while the character of "Deidre" (Lucretia Love) was the most annoying. At least in my opinion. Be that as it may, I found this to be an okay film for the most part and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

Exploitation film legend Roger Corman had had great success with his women in prison pictures ("The Big Doll House", "The Big Bird Cage", etc.) and was looking for a fresh spin to put on the formula. It was his head of development Frances Doel who came up with the idea to transplant it to ancient Rome, and the screenplay was written by John William Corrington and Joyce Hooper Corrington, whose other credits include "The Omega Man", "Boxcar Bertha", "Battle for the Planet of the Apes", and Corman's own "Von Richthofen and Brown". The result is an engagingly trashy variation on the classic gladiator film. Stars Margaret Markov and Pam Grier had previously been paired in "Black Mama, White Mama", and they re-team in a story about a disparate group of women, taken from their homes around the globe by the Romans, thrown together, and graduating from slaves to full blown gladiator women. As befitting Corman's style, there is undeniable exploitation here - the attractive female cast go full frontal for us in one memorable and enticing scene - yet at the same time it's also empowerment, featuring strong female characters who ultimately are going to stand up for themselves and rebel against their sleazy male captors. Debuting director Steve Carver, who went on to direct "Big Bad Mama", "Capone", and "Fast Charlie... the Moonbeam Rider" for Corman, keeps this well staged, visually impressive movie humming along nicely. The widescreen cinematography is courtesy of Aristide Massaccesi, better known as Joe D'Amato, and the credited editor (on American prints) is Joe Dante, another of Corman's many successful alumni (the movie was actually cut in Italy; Dante merely did a final bit of trimming). Francesco De Masi supplies the wonderful, rousing music. And former actor Mark Damon, who went on to marry co-star Markov, is the producer. What makes "The Arena" so enjoyable is the fact that the actresses are so fun to watch. The cast also includes cult performers Paul Muller (as Lucilius) and Rosalba Neri (as Cornelia), who can be seen together in "Lady Frankenstein" as well. The final 20 minutes or so feature a great deal of action, and the movie begins with a bang as well, with an efficient, straightforward story with moments both comical and dramatic. It definitely comes recommended. Seven out of 10.

This an interesting mixture of two very different kinds of exploitation film. On one hand, it's basically a Roger Corman women-in-prison film (complete with lots of showers, catfights, and a big bust-out at the end)featuring WIP regulars Pam Greir and Margaret Markhof. On the other hand, it is an Italian "peplum" that was reputedly largely directed by its Italian cinematographer Joe D'Amato and which also stars the luscious Italian actress Rosalba Neri (aka Sarah Bay) as the villianess making her return to the peplum dramas that had made her (semi)famous in the 1960's.As a Corman film it's not too bad. It has his usual trademark of faux feminism and gratuitous female nudity (by Grier, Markhof, and some of the other slave/prisoners)and it's very formulaic right down to the death of likable innocent(s) and the revenge plot at the end. Unfortunately, it's also a little too tame--it's certainly nowhere near as sleazy as what we've come to expect from the notorious Joe D. I was also personally disappointed at how much they wasted Neri. Not only does she not get naked (a lesbian scene with her and Grier or Markhof would certainly have been memorable), but as a villain she comes off kind of bland--not nearly what she showed she's capable of in films like "Amuck", "Top Sensation", and "Lady Frankenstein".I guess whether you like this or not will depend on whether you're more of a Corman and Grier fan (in which case it's pretty OK) or whether you're a D'Amato and Neri fan (in which case you'll probably be a little disappointed).

I wish there were more actresses out there like Pam Grier. A very pretty face, a wonderful body, a tough attitude and surprisingly mature acting for a woman who was, when this "Arena" was made, only 24 years old. And Margaret Markov, her co-star here, is not far behind in any of those categories. The biggest virtue of this film are those two characters - strong, well-defined, acted with conviction. Others have compared the "Arena" with Roger Corman's WIP flicks, but the treatment of the subjects here is much more thoughtful and non-exploitative. As for the actual fight scenes, considering that most of these women probably had not touched a sword before in their lives, they did a fairly good job. Too bad the DVD is full-screen, which damages the compositions severely. (**1/2)