The Arena (1974) Synopsis

Time marks in brackets are from the MGM/UA Home Video (1993) as 'Naked Warriors' - MGM; when different, New Horizons Home Video (1999) - NHHV is indicated.Bodicia (MARGARET MARKOV), priestess of the Great Goddess, wearing a white dress and the hew crown of the tree worshipers, has a slender, well defined body, pale skin, and silver blond hair down to her waist, and her beautiful face brightens with light blue eyes. She is in her homeland, Brittany, performing the initiation ceremony of a young boy, with streaks of red dye across his forehead, cheeks and chin. They are surrounded by his family and tribe, in the middle of a serene wood of large trees. (02:00 - end of title credits)The peaceful rite is disrupted by an attack of Roman soldiers, who quickly and mercilessly, slay men and women who are not quick enough in escaping. Bodicia runs away, leading the boy, trying to protect him, but as he falls, she stays behind for him, and his cornered by four soldiers. Unarmed, she attempts to fight back with a wood pole and her bare hands, is beaten to the ground, and about to die speared through by a soldier, when an officer says, "She's a nice piece. Save her for the market." The soldiers handcuff her. She's enslaved, , but not her spirit. (04:10)Mamawi (PAM GRIER) is a beautiful, big breasted young princess, with an Afro-hairstyle and sculptural body she moves in a rhythmic dance to attract her lover, to the music of two drums and one flute, under the palm trees of her free Nubia. Instead of being taken by the man swirling with her to the music, she is taken by the Roman invaders. The soldiers kill her man and two musicians with certain arrow shots, and her big brown eyes open wide in shock, as she sees the last of her faithful men die in agony, his stomach open by a Roman gladius, while two men hold his arms apart. Her thoughts of peace ended then, but the soldiers are too many, they overpower her on the ground. She looks up in defiance at the officer who presses her down, with his sandal on her breast. (06:40; NHHV 05:40)The soldiers take the prisoners to the town of Brundisium, and Bodicia, Mamawi and two other girls, stand on a wood platform at the main street. The slave merchant is shouting to the crowd: "Four women, each a man's delight!... Young, and not so young... strong, and not so strong... Some have talents on their head (touches Bodicia's tresses with his whip), some have talents here (touches Mamawi's crotch inserting the whip under her short panther fur skirt) Time for bids on the Nubian." The crowd seems to be interested, but a mannered blond man gets out of a travelling chair, and offers forty Egyptian cesterces of gold for the whole lot. The slave merchant sees the crowd is discouraged by such a high price, and declares, "They're yours! Handle them with care!" The effeminate Priscium (SID LAWRENCE) comments, "I won't handle them at all." He bought the girls for his master, Timarchus (DANIEL VARGAS), proprietor of the town's gladiatorial arena. The women are forced to march on foot to Timarchus's household. There, the women are instructed that their jobs will be to serve and entertain both the spectators and participants of Timarchus' gladiator extravaganzas. (07:00)"Cornelia! Take care of these creatures," says Priscium on arrival. Haughty black haired Cornelia (SARA BAY alias ROSALBA NERY) is Timarchus housekeeper, who is not happy to have those new girls at her charge. "We have enough kitchen help!" She asks the girls' names, and tries to suppress the girls' defiance, namely Bodicia's, and she slaps her hard. The Winekeeper (SALVATORE BACCARO) is a plump man, with a big, black hairdo and beard; he is doing kitchen work and does not participate in the reception of the newcomers. .The women introduce themselves...Deidre of the North (LUCRETIA LOVE), a frail looking, curly reddish brunette; Livia daughter of Scipion (MARIE LOUISE), a very beautiful and haughty blonde, who's reminded that "No one cares who your father was, or you wouldn't be here!" Then, Bodicia of Brittany, and Mamawi (who will later declare she's from Nubia).Cornelia asks the women "to get out of those filthy rags, strip!", to which again Bodicia rebels, "I'll not!" Marcus (VASSILI KARAMENSIS aka VIC KARIS aka VIC CARIUS aka MARCOS VICCARIO?), a virile gladiator with black curly hair, in a red loincloth, laughs at Cornelia: "Hi, Cornelia! Can't you control your silly geese?" The matron turns to him, and his blonde companion, Wulfstan (IVAN GASPER), in a green loincloth, and demands: "Would you like to pluck them for me?" "Can we expect them for dinner tonight?" asks Wulfstan, assuming the custom of gladiators being entitled to sleep with girls the night before an arena fight. "Ah, we haven't cleaned them yet," answers Cornelia. The two young men come forward, and rip the women's clothes. The more reluctant ones are Bodicia, whom Marcus must wrestle to the ground, profiting to rub his body against her nude breasts; and Deidre, who suffers the same fate under Wulfstan. The male gladiators were about to rape the girls if Cornelia didn't stop them, sending them away, and leaving the girls to be brutally washed by two kitchen helpers. (10:20)The next morning. The women are receiving new instructions on the patio adjacent to the arena, while the sounds of fighting, and the crowd, are heard over the walls. (Both video editions lack the arena duel between Marcus and Wulfstan, a fight to which the crowd remains aloof, even when Marcus runs Wulfstan through with the sword. Since these were inserted between the women's dialogue, so did the dialogue disappear, but for the last sentence.) "Our patrons expect good service!" Two kitchen maids are plucking a chicken, and washing the blood into a bucket full of hot water. (Missing in both versions: the quick transition to the arena, where Wulfstan falls onto his back, groaning, with Marcus' sword sticking up from his belly.)Timarchus' gladiator spectacles are not as popular as they used to be. It appears that the people of Brundisium have grown bored with the redundancy of two men fighting to the death. Timarchus is leaving the arena with his friends Lucilius (PAUL MÜLLER), Lucan (ANTHONY VERNON), and Rufinius (DICK PALMER). Rufinius says it was a miserable act again, and the lanista laments the difficulty to find good gladiators those days. "What can I do - find another Spartacus?" wails Timarchus. The question is rhetoric, and Lucilius reacts promptly: "Gods forbid! I lost a small fortune in that revolt." Rufinius insists the crowd is fed up with the games as they are. Timarchus agrees: "I need something new, something... really exciting!"The four new girl servants enter the arena to clean the arena's mess, and Bodicia sees Wulfstan, one of the men she had seen the day before, who's dying a slow death from Marcus' sword. She caresses his head as he expires, and Marcus approaches her, pulls his sword free: "One of us had to die. It is the rule!" Bodicia shouts at him, "Who's rule?" Marcus retorts, "The rule of the arena. We are gladiators!" Bodicia stands up, and shouts back at him, "Slaves!... That's what you are!..." Meanwhile, others are pulling Wulfstan's corpse out of the arena. (12:20; NHHV 12:50)That evening, Timarchus is offering an orgy to his friends. Food and drink are aplenty, the women and the men lay on comfortable seats and cushions, fondling each others, and eating. Aemilius (CHRISTOPHER OAKES), an effeminate young man, keeps close to Priscium. (A man fondles a standing nude female servant. - NHHV only.) A couple of black musicians are playing, and now he presents his surprise for the evening: a big bird cage made of gold is carried into the large room by four male slaves. (The cage enters from the right side; in NHHV the scene is filmed from different angles.) Mamawi comes out, in a blue silk bra and her crotch and back ornate with feathers of tropical birds, followed by Bodicia, in a simple white tunic. Mamawi's luscious body can't resist the rhythm of the drums, even touching her crotch lightly as her hips roll all by themselves. Bodicia watches disapprovingly, employed as wine servant. A burly man, already drunk, fondles Bodicia, and she slaps him. Lucilius can't stand the sight of Bodicia, and throws himself at her. "I'll teach the bitch!" There's a confused struggle, while he dominates and strips her, and strips his clothes. Soon, his hairy chest is upon her, as he rapes her right there in front of everybody, despite her continuous and useless attempt to fight him back. Mamawi watches disapprovingly, her dance forgotten... (15:30; NHHV 16:20)The slave girls are watching the morning training of the gladiators. Septimus (PETER CESTER), a bald, strong, and experienced gladiator, is the trainer, and he corrects the positions of a square shouldered, Tall Gladiator (PIETRO TORRISI), and Quintus (JHO JENKINS), a black man. The Winekeeper doubles as gong man, using a sword on a bronze shield... (16:30; NHHV 17:10)The games master announces a special gladiatorial game, devised to liven things up in the small-town arena: a duel of two versus one, and Septimus is chosen to take on Quintus, and Marcus, the winner of the previous gladiatorial fight. Lucinia (MARY COUNT), a curly blonde, hears the announcement when she was busy on the stalls, her 5 year old child by her side; she looks worried for the sake of her man, Septimus, the father of her child. The women know the three men have the right to chose a slave girl for their special night, and Mamawi taunts Bodicia about it: "Which one do you wish to warm your bed tonight?" The blonde does not answer, but her eyes are riveted on Marcus, who in turn stares at her. Livia's reaction: "Oh Gods! Do you mean we have to satisfy their animal heat?"Priscium, followed by the always silent Aemilius, visits the women in the evening, saying that the gladiators want "fresh blood", and announces their choice: Deidre, Bodicia, and Mamawi - to be paired respectively with Septimus (despite his long relationship with Lucinia), Marcus, and Quintus. (18:40; NHHV 19:20)Bodicia visits Marcus in his cell, and finds him in grief for having killed his companion, and now he expects to die soon. He sends the blonde away, but she calms him down, gives him courage: "You might well win, I'll pray for you." They end up making love.Mamawi goes to the room of Quintus, a fellow Nubian, and immediately upon her entrance, he attacks her. He forces her onto her back on the wood table, but she grabs a ragged piece of clay dish, puts it to the husky black man's throat, and thus subdues him. She shouts at him, "Quintus, the Romans have taught you to live like an animal, have they also taught you to forget your past?" She slaps him, he looks remorseful for about a minute, then she proceeds to teach him how to make sweet love. Their love scene in the nude is filmed in parallel with Bodicia's. (Septimus session with Deidre is omitted from all film versions.) (23:00; NWHP 24:00)Mamawi, Bodicia and Lucinia watch the special fight, while serving drinks to the spectators on the stalls. Deidre drinks as much as she serves... Marcus fights as a Thracian, with small round shield and a short sword, and Quintus as a retiarius, with the classic trident and a fishermen's net. Septimus is also armed as a Thracian, no extra protective armor, but he is quick and strong enough to sustain a double attack, as he shows more than once. Septimus throws Marcus away with a brutal shove, and turns round swiftly, going inside Quintus' defense. With the shield, he deviates the net to his far left, and quickly thrusts his sword arm low under Quintus' shield. The black man gapes in awe, and Mamawi suspends her action in disbelief. The powerful black gladiator falls to his knees, and rolls aside, his belly open, dying. Septimus sword is already clanking on the small bronze shield Marcus presents to defend himself. It is a quick thrust and parry game, but the young man has not enough strength to keep the big man away for long. Step by step, Marcus finds himself pressed back against the wood wall of the arena, his sword engaged with Septimus' in an ultimate test of strength. Septimus is taller, too, and his sword presses down on Marcus' sword, between their bodies, until he can simply deflect his movement - forward instead of downward. Septimus impales his blade deep through the curly haired man's stomach (off camera), and pulls it off quickly. Marcus remains a moment up against the wall, holding his vitals with his hands, than his knees buckle, and then he falls flat on his face on the sand, dead. Lucinia is relieved, Deidre tipsy, and Bodicia in shock. (24:20; NWHP 25:40)In the sauna, the Roman nobles are considering other possibilities to enliven the shows, possibly nude gladiators, or fights with strange animals, such as snakes, and elephants... In Timarchus' kitchen, the slave girls are talking about the show. Cornelia is all praise for the great show. Bodicia says in a rage, "Blood thirst animals!" The matron advises her: "The gladiators wouldn't like to hear that." Bodicia's retort brings laughs among the other girl slaves: "I meant the spectators!" Livia, always proud of her ancestry (though her father had certainly sold her to pay his debts) intervenes: "Those are Roman citizens, they own the world!" The black panther retorts: "Romans are pigs!" and she throws each word into Livia's face. Livia steps back, and answers with composure, "I admit it was a bit undignified... After all, the first one Septimus killed was only a... black." The racist hint is the last drop in Mamawi's cup. For the sake of Quintus lovemaking, and his dignified combat, the Nubian jumps at the blonde's throat. Bodicia tries to stop her, holding the furious woman by her shoulders: "Leave her, she's only one of us!"Mamawi, in a short blue tunic, vents her repressed rage on Bodicia, in a long white tunic. They fight hand to hand in the middle of the kitchen, clamp on strong headlocks, and grind away at each other, while the other girl slaves and kitchen maids throw flour pots and other kitchen implements at each other. Cornelia, in a dark blue dress, tries to intervene, but Deidre trips her, and the beautiful matron sprawls on the dirty ground, smearing her face. Deidre is showered by chicken dung while hidden under the table. Chairs, tables and food are strewn everywhere as the women ruthlessly brawl. As Bodicia answers Mamawi tit for tat, at a point dueling with big wood spoons and pan covers as shields, the violence communicates itself to the older maids and the other women slaves. [The fight is mostly off camera, in the middle of a great confusion that completely wrecks the kitchen. TV format reduces the spectator's ability to follow the simultaneous action in the large kitchen, possible in the theatrical version.] Maid #1 fights Tall Brunette (ANNA MELITA), in a fight as long and fierce as the black vs blonde fight; Maid #2 fights Tall Blonde, and Maid #3 fights Curly Blonde. Livia, in light pink dress, lovingly wipes Cornelia's face, both hidden under the table now. Lucinia and Deidre keep out of the brawl too, and Deidre finds some wine to drink.The house master calls for Aemilius (mispronouncing the last syllables, as in "lie/yous" instead of "lee/yous") who appears with Priscium and Rufinius, but neither of them are men enough to dare go into the middle of ten brawling women. Septimus appears from his holiday, with flowers for Lucinia. Timarchus tells him that for all he knows, she may be dead in the kitchen brawl, and Septimus goes in, grabs Mamawi and Bodicia by the neck, and pulls them apart. Their fierce mutual headlock had depleted both girls of the last of their energy, and they slump to the ground at the same time, knocked-out.Rufinius puts forward an idea: seeing the way the raging she-cats fought, why not presenting them as female gladiators? It would be, he says, "the return of the Amazons, barbarian women pitted against each other in the ultimate test of the arena." Timarchus accepts the suggestion, admitting it could have some degree of success with the jaded crowd. (29:30; NHHV 30:50)Next day, the girls find themselves in the arena to be trained in armed combat by Septimus, side by side with their male companions. Bodicia and the Tall Brunette, the Tall Blonde vs Curly Blonde (too briefly in video, then the camera pans to) a longer engagement between Livia in white tunic vs Mamawi in red tunic. (NHHV is a different version, filmed with different clothes, but the same script.) With dexterity, Livia disarms Mamawi, and trips her. Mamawi looks up at her, still unable to understand how it happened so fast, and Livia puts her sandal on the black's bosom, looking around the arena for the applause of her 'victory'. Mamawi was not playing to gladiators' rules, she twists under Livia's leg, and bites her, then pulls her quickly down on top of her, and tangles with her in an all-in fight, pulling hair, punching and kicking, until they are separated by Septimus. "Mamawi! What sort of conduct is this?" demands the trainer. Mamawi recalls the Romans treacherous attack on her peaceful tribe, and answers, head high, chest shivering with emotion: "Roman!" (31:10; NHHV 32:40)The Tall Gladiator, fighting as a Thracian, dispatches his Murmillo opponent in a short fight, and the spectators are booing, voting death to the defeated, despite his courageous performance. (scene missing from both video versions) The corpse of the myrmillo is dragged out of the arena, still with his closed helmet on, with holes for the eyes only.The first pair of gladiatrixes is called: Bodicia and Deidre, with long swords. An ill omen... Bodicia is reluctant to attack, as she sees that Deidre is drunk, but after some feints and a few twinkles of the swords, Deidre trips and falls, loses her sword, and Bodicia waits for her to pick it up, and return to the (mocked) fight. Deidre plunges forward, saying, "Common Britty, fight!" and as Bodicia simply steps aside, she falls flat on her face. Bodicia had vowed she would refuse to execute a death sentence, preferring to die by the soldiers' arrows. But she puts up a happy smile, puts her sandal on Deidre's rump, and lifts up her sword. Crowds are unpredictable, and because they had seen a fun show, gladiatrixes in short tunics and half-bare chests, they were rolling in laughter and asks for clemency. Timarchus, nonchalantly, and to Bodicia and Deidre's relief, gives them the thumbs up signal. (34:30; NHHV 36:10)Bodicia refuses to be acclaimed as female gladiator champion by her comrades, saying graciously that "Deidre fell victim to Bacchus, not to me." Cornelia announces, with obvious relish, that next week, "The special attractions will be Mamawi, and... Livia!" The night before the event, Lucinia wakes up with a nightmare (topless in bed), and tells Septimus that she is afraid she will die in the arena, in the coming fight. He dismisses her fear, for she has not been chosen to fight. (38:00; NHHV 39:50)The opening male combat is a classic Thracian vs Myrmillo fight. The men fight longer than usual, both sustain several wounds, and keep on fighting, bravely. They are too tired, and losing so much blood from their wounds, and neither is able to finish the other. They teeter on their legs, sway apart, and fall onto the sand, groaning and dying slowly of their wounds, but without a clear decision of the fight. Too bad for the betting, and for the crowd's state of mind, when Mamawi and Livia, each a perfect epitome of beauty, walk to the balcony overlooking the arena, to salute the noble Romans. Mamawi has her breasts encased in a thin white bandage firmly crossed around her chest, a leather cinch belt, and the left arm protected by chain mail, a red loincloth, a trident and a small round shield. Livia is in a white loincloth and similarly bandaged breasts, holding her bright silver myrmillo helmet by her left side, the gladius on her right. (38:40; NHHV 40:40)Rufinius stands up, already drunk, and shouts at the women: "Name yourselves!" Mamawi intones clearly, in her slightly deep voice, "Mamawi of Nubia!" Her big brown eyes are serene. Livia claims, in her high tone voice: "Livia, child of Scipion...and a daughter of Rome!" Her big blue eyes travel around the arena, taking in the complicity of her white co-citizens. After a heated, shouted debate, the majority asks Timarchus, "Get another!"A quick substitute is to be provided. Priscium is at a loss, all the other gladiatrixes are occupied, distributing wine in the spectators' stalls, too difficult to bring them down in a hurry... Then he thinks of Lucinia, she is a bit older than the other girls, but she is no less attractive, and strong. Lucinia goes through a quick process in her dark slave chamber, to dress her up as a gladiatrix, in front of her five-year-old girl. Stripped (seen from the waist up), dressed in fighting white bandages to form a top, and a loincloth, leather belts, arm and shin protectors, and a helmet with gay bird feathers that will prevent anyone from recognizing her - except for Septimus, who is familiar with her body, and watches in despair from behind an iron grid, as Lucinia enters the arena.Mamawi has excelled as a retiarius, and she fights Lucinia, who is armed with a short gladius and a small, round shield. They put up a good fight, but the crowd is still riled with the poor result of the men's duel and wants to see blood. When Lucinia is disarmed, and beaten down with the pole section of the trident, she falls sideways, and lays supine. Mamawi presses the three-pronged fork to her opponent's heaving breasts, and looks up - hoping for the games' master favor again. Lucinia plays for the crowd the last of a defeated gladiator's crowd, she takes her helmet off, exposing her anguished, beautiful face for all to see, and have mercy. Mamawi understands that almost no one paid attention to her game of death - most spectators, in the stalls and in the stand, are drunk, betting, petting, and the few that were paying attention want to see blood. As much as Timarchus may wish to spare a gladiator's life, and he enjoyed her performance and her looks, he dares not oppose the verdict of the crowd - thumbs down. Mamawi refuses, thus enraging the crowd, and Timarchus, who repeats the order, and then orders the archers to enforce it. The first arrow wounds Mamawi in the upper arm, and a second arrow will not miss her chest. More intent to live then to abet by ideals of friendship, she pushes the trident down with her full might, finishing her comrade as quickly as she could. Then Mamawi walks out, her eyes lowered, struggling not to cry out loud her physical and emotional pain. (43:30; NHHV 45:50)In the women's quarters, Livia accuses Mamawi of murdering Lucinia, to which Mamawi replies, tearful: "I didn't murder her, she was armed and she tried to kill me!" Livia, cynically: "She wasn't armed when you killed her..." Mamawi begs the forgiveness of her comrades, recalling how she did it only to save herself, after the soldiers started shooting arrows at her. Priscium enters then, and announces a new special, the winners of the first two combats, Bodicia and Mamawi.Bodicia surprises everyone when she demands her right to chose a man for her last night, like a male gladiator would. "Who's going to be the lucky man... or woman?" Priscium asks her. "Septimus," the girl answers, surprising the others even more. Deidre objects that it makes three fights in the same week, more than the usual, and Cornelia tells her they should thank their Roman patrons who asked to see more of them fighting. Then, Cornelia takes off her leather belt, and whiplashes Deidre severely, as the other women get out for their chambers. (NHHV filmed differently)Septimus is crazy with grief, and Bodicia sympathizes with him, "She gave you a child..." then leads him further in that mind track with her conservative speech: "That men should fight and die seems only natural. But women?..." She finds no difficulty to enlist his help in organizing a break-out of the female slaves through the underground tunnels between the wine cellars and the distant shore, where they would get a boat to leave Brundisium. Her last words are: "Do it for Lucinia!"Next night, Mamawi surprises Livia in her bed: "One sound and you're a dead Roman." Mamawi puts the blonde in a strong head and arm lock, and forces her to go with the escaping girls to the entrance of the wine cellar, and explains, "She's less dangerous if she is with us." They set in the darkness, waiting for Septimus. However, instead of just taking some weapons and meet the girls as arranged, Septimus tries to murder Timarchus, breaking into his bedroom. (Cornelia discovers his intention, and prepares an ambush for him with the centurion (JANN FOX) - a scene omitted in both video editions.) Septimus is arrested. (53:30)Cornelia is happy when she announces to Bodicia and Mamawi, while they are stripped, about to put on their armor, that the master escaped a death attempt the night before, and will consider giving freedom to the winner of the women's fight, if - and she underlines it briskly - "if it is a good fight!" First, Deidre tries to make a joke of it, claiming with her gladius raised: "Those who are about to die, salute you!" Then, suddenly somber, and very much in control, she says: "Only the loser will be free." Mamawi has the last word, "I'll be free, my way!..." Meanwhile, the Centurion escorts Septimus with a handful of soldiers to the main road, and a new post is erected to crucify him. He pleads with the captain of the guard, "A man should die as he lived!" and the loyal soldier gives his gladius to the courageous man, who falls upon the sword, taking his own life in honorable fashion. (55:50; NHHV 58:20)The initial duel between men ends, another lifeless body is carried out of the arena, and the two beautiful gladiatrixes are still discussing what they should do in case of victory, without Bodicia being able to convince Mamawi that it was wrong to kill. "What do you suggest then, that we kill each other?" Mamawi ripostes, "It may come that it will be you to decide who shall die!..." Bodicia, counters coldly, "Alright, we'll do it your way." Another match is called, matching very distinct weapons, gladiatrix vs retiarius, idealist vs materialist, blonde vs black - wearing distinct loincloths - green for Bodicia, red for Mamawi - but ultimately beauty versus beauty, slave against slave. They salute the Emperor in the person of Timarchus, and he signals the beginning of their end by letting his delicate white handkerchief fall. (56:40; NHHV 59:30)They stare at each other, circling slowly, then they engage, and both fight hard, and well. Their blades meet, echoing three, four, five times as they attack and parry their mortal thrusts. Then, Mamawi takes the offensive, and six times the trident hits the small leather shield, with a dull sound. Bodicia knows she can not hold much longer the impact of the powerful Negress's strikes, and she counter-attacks, three thrusts that Mamawi takes again on her small bronze disk. The short gladius forced the blonde to come close to the retiarius, and quickly danced aside to prevent being trapped by the long reaching net. Bodicia elected to go in on the left side, exposing herself to the trident, rather than the net, and Mamawi had assumed the contrary, usual escape. Therefore she threw her net to the right, too far, and lost it. She promptly beats the shield away from Bodicia's left wrist, with a strong downward stroke of the trident. The women face each other without protective weapons either than their sandals, leather belts, and Mamawi's left arm chain mail. The blonde attacks in despair, and the Nubian is forced to her knees. The peaceful priestess, in the heat of the battle, disengages her gladius and strikes to the black woman's chest, but Mamawi strikes low with the pole hand of the trident and the blonde stumbles back, hurt. The black panther is swiftly up and goes after the blonde, who trips and defends three successive attacks with her gladius, until her hurt wrist can't hold her bronze blade any longer, and she loses her weapon. She ramps back on her rump, looking up at the savage Nubian, until she has her back against the wall - like Marcus in his last fight. There is no pleading in her eyes, only resignation. There is no scorn in the black woman's eyes, only rage and frustration, as she presses the tridents' deadly fork to her opponent's chest.The thumbs down comes, and Mamawi relives in a second the moment of her first kill. Now, she decides she can not massacre such a loyal girl as the blonde. She shouts, "Freedom!" Timarchus tells Rufinius to give the order to the soldiers, and he does. But the archers have been overpowered by the wine-servant girls, and now they shoot Rufinus, instead. (A few guards had been drugged with wine provided by the tricky Deidre, and their positions had been taken by slave girls in disguise. - Not shown in the video editions.) Deidre plays her last trick, shoving Timarchus off the platform, making him break his head on the sandy arena. (60:00)All hell breaks lose, in the arena, and on the stand. The spectators became an enraged mob, eager to see blood, incensed by too much alcohol, and demand that the master fights. Bodicia offers Timarchus her sword, so he can defend himself against Mamawi, and he abjectly refuses, sobbing like a child, on his knees. Mamawi impales the man through the chest with all her might. Timarchus collapses on his face, when Mamawi pulls her weapon off him, and Cornelia screams at the loss of her man (their sexual bond had been established earlier, in the conversation about the escape attempt, missing in both video versions). (62:20)A riot starts in the slaves quarters, and some enter the arena. Several soldiers come into the arena to get the two gladiatrixes, and four are taken down by the certain arrows of the Tall Brunette and the Tall Blonde, and two other women in soldier's uniform, except for their helmets and red togas. These women now descend to the arena, to give a hand to the male gladiators. In the arena, a number of individual duels are taking place and, as in a battle, each victor soon finds him or herself facing another opponent.Bodicia guts two soldiers in quick succession. (One only in NHHV.) Deidre is not faring badly, tripping one soldier, then seating astride him, and strangling him with the aid of a trident across his throat. Cornelia, in a purple dress, descends to the arena, and cries over her husband's body. A number of excited citizens jump from the stalls into the noble's stand, and grab Priscium and Livia, who were trying to escape. Bodicia engages and kills another soldier with the gladius. Lucan, in a yellow toga, jumps to the arena, and tries to make himself scarce - but Mamawi stops his escape with the trident. He offers her a purse with money, and she crushes his testicles with a swift hit of the trident's shaft. Priscium is thrown down to the arena (not to be seen again in any version of the movie). Aemilius escapes to ask for reinforcements from the army detachment that had gone out of the town to crucify Septimus. (65:00; NHHV 68:00)The Tall Brunette gladiatrix and the Tall Gladiator are doing particularly well. Mamawi spits her trident through a soldier's throat. Cornelia kisses her dead husband on the lips. (These three scenes are missing in both video editions.),Cornelia arms herself with a gladius lost by her dead man, stands up, her eyes dry, her stance determined for revenge. The Tall Blonde in soldier's uniform dispatches one soldier and turns around, just as Cornelia slashes downwards at her chest. The blonde staggers, dead on her feet, and collapses. Cornelia walks to Deidre, to take her from the back as she is engaged in a sword duel with a soldier. Mamawi kills Cornelia, impaling her through the back with her trident.Deidre never knew how she had escaped, as she makes her first arena kill, besting the soldier she was fighting... Mamawi kills another soldier. Bodicia and Mamawi kill the last two soldiers - but there are not many slave survivors of the arena carnage. On the balcony, Livia screams, while one Roman rapes her (only in NWHP, although shortened and without the soft-core close-ups of the theatrical showing), while three other men hold her head and arms. (67:00; NHHV 70:00)The survivor slaves escape from the arena to a patio where the wine-cellars are. The are hunted by a few Roman knights, and prepare a ambush for them with three gladiator nets. The first three horsemen are thus trapped. The Tall Gladiator jumps onto one, and strangles him (NHHV only). Bodicia and Mamawi kill their men with their respective weapons, the sword, and the trident, and take command of their horses. The Tall Gladiator kills two more knights in quick sword play (missing in NHHV). A Roman archer kills the Curly Blonde gladiatrix with an arrow between her breasts. (69:00; NHHV 72:00)Bodicia impales two other soldiers, and Deidre kills another man, than stops for a drink. Mamawi guts one soldier, and the Tall Gladiator slashes a soldier across the chest. (Deidre kills her second man in the patio. - not shown in NHHV) The Tall Gladiator goes down with a spear impaled through his back. The Tall Brunette guts a soldier, too. She is the last survivor to enter the wine-cellars, after Mamawi, Bodicia, and Deidre. The Winekeeper stood behind at the entrance to the cellars, and one soldier dispatches him with a sword thrust to his stomach, despite he was unarmed. The girls barricade the door from inside, then go down into the deep catacombs. (70:10; NHHV 73:10)Lucilius, the Centurion and a handful of soldiers, arrive. "Bring the hounds!" orders Lucilius, who knows the catacombs are too dark and tricky for a man to find his way in or out. Underground, Deidre is suddenly afraid of the darkness: "There are dead in there!" Bodicia calms her down: "The dead don't harm you." When the first four soldiers catch the fugitives, these were hiding under white blankets, but Deidre was shaking so much in panic that she gave them away. They fight with swords, Deidre manages to kill her opponent, Bodicia and Mamawi each takes one man down, but the Tall Brunette is gutted by her opponent, whom she just wounds (scene cut from both video editions). Her killer doesn't live long though, as Mamawi dispatches him next. Lucilius is getting impatient: "Are you coming?" The Centurion explains, "My forces are expected in Rome." He shows the written marching orders to Rome, so it is up to Lucilius to quench the revolt until next dawn, if he wants to have the soldiers with him. (72:40; NHHV 76:10)The three fugitives make their way through the darkness. Bodicia leads the way, and almost falls in a deep crevice from wall to wall. She is held up by Mamawi and Deidre, then they have to jump across, as the sounds of Lucilius, soldiers, and their dogs, are heard. Deidre is afraid to jump, and when she does, she misses, and hangs on from Mamawi's hands. The soldiers are finally behind her, and they throw spears and arrows. Deidre is wounded by an arrow, then dies impaled with a spear in her back. Bodicia, wounded in a leg, can't stand, but she grabs some rocks and throws them at the soldiers, ineffectually. The black warrior picks up a lost spear, and sends it across the crevice, taking the archer full in the chest. (The spectators are not shown what happens on Lucilius' side of the tunnel, but apparently the soldiers, the dogs and himself are gone, for the sounds die away.) (74:20; NHHV 77:50)The two women survivors run away, tired, wounded and barely able to carry their gladius - but they think they are left alone at last. There is even light at the end of the tunnel... Lucilius the rapist, left alone by his soldiers, catches up with them and, in a surprise attack, almost severs Mamawi's right arm with a swiping sword thrust. Mamawi engages the hated Roman alone, in her last duel. He is too good for her tired arm... Soon he disarms her, she falls, he grins, and slashes hard at her, so hard, and so high, that his sword breaks against the wall. He roars, picks a big rock, and stands above Mamawi, ready to bash her head with it. Bodicia is too hurt to stand up, but she manages to stand just to waist level, against the wall, crawls behind him, and sticks his broken sword through his ribs. The rock rolls on the ground, and he crumples forward, dead.The two women fell into each other's arms in a moment of tenderness. Mamawi applies make-shift bandages to Bodicia's right upper arm (and not on video, left leg), then they walk to the end of the tunnel, out into the wood overlooking a beach, empty but for a rowing boat with two fishermen. Helping each other to keep upright, they march forward. On reaching the sand, Bodicia asks Mamawi, signaling the fishermen: "Think you can handle them?" Mamawi smiles back at her former rival, and together they march slowly to the boat, against the sunset. (The End, end credits roll.) (78:00; NHHV 82:00)

Time marks in brackets are from the MGM/UA Home Video (1993) as 'Naked Warriors' - MGM; when different, New Horizons Home Video (1999) - NHHV is indicated.Bodicia (MARGARET MARKOV), priestess of the Great Goddess, wearing a white dress and the hew crown of the tree worshipers, has a slender, well defined body, pale skin, and silver blond hair down to her waist, and her beautiful face brightens with light blue eyes. She is in her homeland, Brittany, performing the initiation ceremony of a young boy, with streaks of red dye across his forehead, cheeks and chin. They are surrounded by his family and tribe, in the middle of a serene wood of large trees. (02:00 - end of title credits)The peaceful rite is disrupted by an attack of Roman soldiers, who quickly and mercilessly, slay men and women who are not quick enough in escaping. Bodicia runs away, leading the boy, trying to protect him, but as he falls, she stays behind for him, and his cornered by four soldiers. Unarmed, she attempts to fight back with a wood pole and her bare hands, is beaten to the ground, and about to die speared through by a soldier, when an officer says, "She's a nice piece. Save her for the market." The soldiers handcuff her. She's enslaved, , but not her spirit. (04:10)Mamawi (PAM GRIER) is a beautiful, big breasted young princess, with an Afro-hairstyle and sculptural body she moves in a rhythmic dance to attract her lover, to the music of two drums and one flute, under the palm trees of her free Nubia. Instead of being taken by the man swirling with her to the music, she is taken by the Roman invaders. The soldiers kill her man and two musicians with certain arrow shots, and her big brown eyes open wide in shock, as she sees the last of her faithful men die in agony, his stomach open by a Roman gladius, while two men hold his arms apart. Her thoughts of peace ended then, but the soldiers are too many, they overpower her on the ground. She looks up in defiance at the officer who presses her down, with his sandal on her breast. (06:40; NHHV 05:40)The soldiers take the prisoners to the town of Brundisium, and Bodicia, Mamawi and two other girls, stand on a wood platform at the main street. The slave merchant is shouting to the crowd: "Four women, each a man's delight!... Young, and not so young... strong, and not so strong... Some have talents on their head (touches Bodicia's tresses with his whip), some have talents here (touches Mamawi's crotch inserting the whip under her short panther fur skirt) Time for bids on the Nubian." The crowd seems to be interested, but a mannered blond man gets out of a travelling chair, and offers forty Egyptian cesterces of gold for the whole lot. The slave merchant sees the crowd is discouraged by such a high price, and declares, "They're yours! Handle them with care!" The effeminate Priscium (SID LAWRENCE) comments, "I won't handle them at all." He bought the girls for his master, Timarchus (DANIEL VARGAS), proprietor of the town's gladiatorial arena. The women are forced to march on foot to Timarchus's household. There, the women are instructed that their jobs will be to serve and entertain both the spectators and participants of Timarchus' gladiator extravaganzas. (07:00)"Cornelia! Take care of these creatures," says Priscium on arrival. Haughty black haired Cornelia (SARA BAY alias ROSALBA NERY) is Timarchus housekeeper, who is not happy to have those new girls at her charge. "We have enough kitchen help!" She asks the girls' names, and tries to suppress the girls' defiance, namely Bodicia's, and she slaps her hard. The Winekeeper (SALVATORE BACCARO) is a plump man, with a big, black hairdo and beard; he is doing kitchen work and does not participate in the reception of the newcomers. .The women introduce themselves...Deidre of the North (LUCRETIA LOVE), a frail looking, curly reddish brunette; Livia daughter of Scipion (MARIE LOUISE), a very beautiful and haughty blonde, who's reminded that "No one cares who your father was, or you wouldn't be here!" Then, Bodicia of Brittany, and Mamawi (who will later declare she's from Nubia).Cornelia asks the women "to get out of those filthy rags, strip!", to which again Bodicia rebels, "I'll not!" Marcus (VASSILI KARAMENSIS aka VIC KARIS aka VIC CARIUS aka MARCOS VICCARIO?), a virile gladiator with black curly hair, in a red loincloth, laughs at Cornelia: "Hi, Cornelia! Can't you control your silly geese?" The matron turns to him, and his blonde companion, Wulfstan (IVAN GASPER), in a green loincloth, and demands: "Would you like to pluck them for me?" "Can we expect them for dinner tonight?" asks Wulfstan, assuming the custom of gladiators being entitled to sleep with girls the night before an arena fight. "Ah, we haven't cleaned them yet," answers Cornelia. The two young men come forward, and rip the women's clothes. The more reluctant ones are Bodicia, whom Marcus must wrestle to the ground, profiting to rub his body against her nude breasts; and Deidre, who suffers the same fate under Wulfstan. The male gladiators were about to rape the girls if Cornelia didn't stop them, sending them away, and leaving the girls to be brutally washed by two kitchen helpers. (10:20)The next morning. The women are receiving new instructions on the patio adjacent to the arena, while the sounds of fighting, and the crowd, are heard over the walls. (Both video editions lack the arena duel between Marcus and Wulfstan, a fight to which the crowd remains aloof, even when Marcus runs Wulfstan through with the sword. Since these were inserted between the women's dialogue, so did the dialogue disappear, but for the last sentence.) "Our patrons expect good service!" Two kitchen maids are plucking a chicken, and washing the blood into a bucket full of hot water. (Missing in both versions: the quick transition to the arena, where Wulfstan falls onto his back, groaning, with Marcus' sword sticking up from his belly.)Timarchus' gladiator spectacles are not as popular as they used to be. It appears that the people of Brundisium have grown bored with the redundancy of two men fighting to the death. Timarchus is leaving the arena with his friends Lucilius (PAUL MÜLLER), Lucan (ANTHONY VERNON), and Rufinius (DICK PALMER). Rufinius says it was a miserable act again, and the lanista laments the difficulty to find good gladiators those days. "What can I do - find another Spartacus?" wails Timarchus. The question is rhetoric, and Lucilius reacts promptly: "Gods forbid! I lost a small fortune in that revolt." Rufinius insists the crowd is fed up with the games as they are. Timarchus agrees: "I need something new, something... really exciting!"The four new girl servants enter the arena to clean the arena's mess, and Bodicia sees Wulfstan, one of the men she had seen the day before, who's dying a slow death from Marcus' sword. She caresses his head as he expires, and Marcus approaches her, pulls his sword free: "One of us had to die. It is the rule!" Bodicia shouts at him, "Who's rule?" Marcus retorts, "The rule of the arena. We are gladiators!" Bodicia stands up, and shouts back at him, "Slaves!... That's what you are!..." Meanwhile, others are pulling Wulfstan's corpse out of the arena. (12:20; NHHV 12:50)That evening, Timarchus is offering an orgy to his friends. Food and drink are aplenty, the women and the men lay on comfortable seats and cushions, fondling each others, and eating. Aemilius (CHRISTOPHER OAKES), an effeminate young man, keeps close to Priscium. (A man fondles a standing nude female servant. - NHHV only.) A couple of black musicians are playing, and now he presents his surprise for the evening: a big bird cage made of gold is carried into the large room by four male slaves. (The cage enters from the right side; in NHHV the scene is filmed from different angles.) Mamawi comes out, in a blue silk bra and her crotch and back ornate with feathers of tropical birds, followed by Bodicia, in a simple white tunic. Mamawi's luscious body can't resist the rhythm of the drums, even touching her crotch lightly as her hips roll all by themselves. Bodicia watches disapprovingly, employed as wine servant. A burly man, already drunk, fondles Bodicia, and she slaps him. Lucilius can't stand the sight of Bodicia, and throws himself at her. "I'll teach the bitch!" There's a confused struggle, while he dominates and strips her, and strips his clothes. Soon, his hairy chest is upon her, as he rapes her right there in front of everybody, despite her continuous and useless attempt to fight him back. Mamawi watches disapprovingly, her dance forgotten... (15:30; NHHV 16:20)The slave girls are watching the morning training of the gladiators. Septimus (PETER CESTER), a bald, strong, and experienced gladiator, is the trainer, and he corrects the positions of a square shouldered, Tall Gladiator (PIETRO TORRISI), and Quintus (JHO JENKINS), a black man. The Winekeeper doubles as gong man, using a sword on a bronze shield... (16:30; NHHV 17:10)The games master announces a special gladiatorial game, devised to liven things up in the small-town arena: a duel of two versus one, and Septimus is chosen to take on Quintus, and Marcus, the winner of the previous gladiatorial fight. Lucinia (MARY COUNT), a curly blonde, hears the announcement when she was busy on the stalls, her 5 year old child by her side; she looks worried for the sake of her man, Septimus, the father of her child. The women know the three men have the right to chose a slave girl for their special night, and Mamawi taunts Bodicia about it: "Which one do you wish to warm your bed tonight?" The blonde does not answer, but her eyes are riveted on Marcus, who in turn stares at her. Livia's reaction: "Oh Gods! Do you mean we have to satisfy their animal heat?"Priscium, followed by the always silent Aemilius, visits the women in the evening, saying that the gladiators want "fresh blood", and announces their choice: Deidre, Bodicia, and Mamawi - to be paired respectively with Septimus (despite his long relationship with Lucinia), Marcus, and Quintus. (18:40; NHHV 19:20)Bodicia visits Marcus in his cell, and finds him in grief for having killed his companion, and now he expects to die soon. He sends the blonde away, but she calms him down, gives him courage: "You might well win, I'll pray for you." They end up making love.Mamawi goes to the room of Quintus, a fellow Nubian, and immediately upon her entrance, he attacks her. He forces her onto her back on the wood table, but she grabs a ragged piece of clay dish, puts it to the husky black man's throat, and thus subdues him. She shouts at him, "Quintus, the Romans have taught you to live like an animal, have they also taught you to forget your past?" She slaps him, he looks remorseful for about a minute, then she proceeds to teach him how to make sweet love. Their love scene in the nude is filmed in parallel with Bodicia's. (Septimus session with Deidre is omitted from all film versions.) (23:00; NWHP 24:00)Mamawi, Bodicia and Lucinia watch the special fight, while serving drinks to the spectators on the stalls. Deidre drinks as much as she serves... Marcus fights as a Thracian, with small round shield and a short sword, and Quintus as a retiarius, with the classic trident and a fishermen's net. Septimus is also armed as a Thracian, no extra protective armor, but he is quick and strong enough to sustain a double attack, as he shows more than once. Septimus throws Marcus away with a brutal shove, and turns round swiftly, going inside Quintus' defense. With the shield, he deviates the net to his far left, and quickly thrusts his sword arm low under Quintus' shield. The black man gapes in awe, and Mamawi suspends her action in disbelief. The powerful black gladiator falls to his knees, and rolls aside, his belly open, dying. Septimus sword is already clanking on the small bronze shield Marcus presents to defend himself. It is a quick thrust and parry game, but the young man has not enough strength to keep the big man away for long. Step by step, Marcus finds himself pressed back against the wood wall of the arena, his sword engaged with Septimus' in an ultimate test of strength. Septimus is taller, too, and his sword presses down on Marcus' sword, between their bodies, until he can simply deflect his movement - forward instead of downward. Septimus impales his blade deep through the curly haired man's stomach (off camera), and pulls it off quickly. Marcus remains a moment up against the wall, holding his vitals with his hands, than his knees buckle, and then he falls flat on his face on the sand, dead. Lucinia is relieved, Deidre tipsy, and Bodicia in shock. (24:20; NWHP 25:40)In the sauna, the Roman nobles are considering other possibilities to enliven the shows, possibly nude gladiators, or fights with strange animals, such as snakes, and elephants... In Timarchus' kitchen, the slave girls are talking about the show. Cornelia is all praise for the great show. Bodicia says in a rage, "Blood thirst animals!" The matron advises her: "The gladiators wouldn't like to hear that." Bodicia's retort brings laughs among the other girl slaves: "I meant the spectators!" Livia, always proud of her ancestry (though her father had certainly sold her to pay his debts) intervenes: "Those are Roman citizens, they own the world!" The black panther retorts: "Romans are pigs!" and she throws each word into Livia's face. Livia steps back, and answers with composure, "I admit it was a bit undignified... After all, the first one Septimus killed was only a... black." The racist hint is the last drop in Mamawi's cup. For the sake of Quintus lovemaking, and his dignified combat, the Nubian jumps at the blonde's throat. Bodicia tries to stop her, holding the furious woman by her shoulders: "Leave her, she's only one of us!"Mamawi, in a short blue tunic, vents her repressed rage on Bodicia, in a long white tunic. They fight hand to hand in the middle of the kitchen, clamp on strong headlocks, and grind away at each other, while the other girl slaves and kitchen maids throw flour pots and other kitchen implements at each other. Cornelia, in a dark blue dress, tries to intervene, but Deidre trips her, and the beautiful matron sprawls on the dirty ground, smearing her face. Deidre is showered by chicken dung while hidden under the table. Chairs, tables and food are strewn everywhere as the women ruthlessly brawl. As Bodicia answers Mamawi tit for tat, at a point dueling with big wood spoons and pan covers as shields, the violence communicates itself to the older maids and the other women slaves. [The fight is mostly off camera, in the middle of a great confusion that completely wrecks the kitchen. TV format reduces the spectator's ability to follow the simultaneous action in the large kitchen, possible in the theatrical version.] Maid #1 fights Tall Brunette (ANNA MELITA), in a fight as long and fierce as the black vs blonde fight; Maid #2 fights Tall Blonde, and Maid #3 fights Curly Blonde. Livia, in light pink dress, lovingly wipes Cornelia's face, both hidden under the table now. Lucinia and Deidre keep out of the brawl too, and Deidre finds some wine to drink.The house master calls for Aemilius (mispronouncing the last syllables, as in "lie/yous" instead of "lee/yous") who appears with Priscium and Rufinius, but neither of them are men enough to dare go into the middle of ten brawling women. Septimus appears from his holiday, with flowers for Lucinia. Timarchus tells him that for all he knows, she may be dead in the kitchen brawl, and Septimus goes in, grabs Mamawi and Bodicia by the neck, and pulls them apart. Their fierce mutual headlock had depleted both girls of the last of their energy, and they slump to the ground at the same time, knocked-out.Rufinius puts forward an idea: seeing the way the raging she-cats fought, why not presenting them as female gladiators? It would be, he says, "the return of the Amazons, barbarian women pitted against each other in the ultimate test of the arena." Timarchus accepts the suggestion, admitting it could have some degree of success with the jaded crowd. (29:30; NHHV 30:50)Next day, the girls find themselves in the arena to be trained in armed combat by Septimus, side by side with their male companions. Bodicia and the Tall Brunette, the Tall Blonde vs Curly Blonde (too briefly in video, then the camera pans to) a longer engagement between Livia in white tunic vs Mamawi in red tunic. (NHHV is a different version, filmed with different clothes, but the same script.) With dexterity, Livia disarms Mamawi, and trips her. Mamawi looks up at her, still unable to understand how it happened so fast, and Livia puts her sandal on the black's bosom, looking around the arena for the applause of her 'victory'. Mamawi was not playing to gladiators' rules, she twists under Livia's leg, and bites her, then pulls her quickly down on top of her, and tangles with her in an all-in fight, pulling hair, punching and kicking, until they are separated by Septimus. "Mamawi! What sort of conduct is this?" demands the trainer. Mamawi recalls the Romans treacherous attack on her peaceful tribe, and answers, head high, chest shivering with emotion: "Roman!" (31:10; NHHV 32:40)The Tall Gladiator, fighting as a Thracian, dispatches his Murmillo opponent in a short fight, and the spectators are booing, voting death to the defeated, despite his courageous performance. (scene missing from both video versions) The corpse of the myrmillo is dragged out of the arena, still with his closed helmet on, with holes for the eyes only.The first pair of gladiatrixes is called: Bodicia and Deidre, with long swords. An ill omen... Bodicia is reluctant to attack, as she sees that Deidre is drunk, but after some feints and a few twinkles of the swords, Deidre trips and falls, loses her sword, and Bodicia waits for her to pick it up, and return to the (mocked) fight. Deidre plunges forward, saying, "Common Britty, fight!" and as Bodicia simply steps aside, she falls flat on her face. Bodicia had vowed she would refuse to execute a death sentence, preferring to die by the soldiers' arrows. But she puts up a happy smile, puts her sandal on Deidre's rump, and lifts up her sword. Crowds are unpredictable, and because they had seen a fun show, gladiatrixes in short tunics and half-bare chests, they were rolling in laughter and asks for clemency. Timarchus, nonchalantly, and to Bodicia and Deidre's relief, gives them the thumbs up signal. (34:30; NHHV 36:10)Bodicia refuses to be acclaimed as female gladiator champion by her comrades, saying graciously that "Deidre fell victim to Bacchus, not to me." Cornelia announces, with obvious relish, that next week, "The special attractions will be Mamawi, and... Livia!" The night before the event, Lucinia wakes up with a nightmare (topless in bed), and tells Septimus that she is afraid she will die in the arena, in the coming fight. He dismisses her fear, for she has not been chosen to fight. (38:00; NHHV 39:50)The opening male combat is a classic Thracian vs Myrmillo fight. The men fight longer than usual, both sustain several wounds, and keep on fighting, bravely. They are too tired, and losing so much blood from their wounds, and neither is able to finish the other. They teeter on their legs, sway apart, and fall onto the sand, groaning and dying slowly of their wounds, but without a clear decision of the fight. Too bad for the betting, and for the crowd's state of mind, when Mamawi and Livia, each a perfect epitome of beauty, walk to the balcony overlooking the arena, to salute the noble Romans. Mamawi has her breasts encased in a thin white bandage firmly crossed around her chest, a leather cinch belt, and the left arm protected by chain mail, a red loincloth, a trident and a small round shield. Livia is in a white loincloth and similarly bandaged breasts, holding her bright silver myrmillo helmet by her left side, the gladius on her right. (38:40; NHHV 40:40)Rufinius stands up, already drunk, and shouts at the women: "Name yourselves!" Mamawi intones clearly, in her slightly deep voice, "Mamawi of Nubia!" Her big brown eyes are serene. Livia claims, in her high tone voice: "Livia, child of Scipion...and a daughter of Rome!" Her big blue eyes travel around the arena, taking in the complicity of her white co-citizens. After a heated, shouted debate, the majority asks Timarchus, "Get another!"A quick substitute is to be provided. Priscium is at a loss, all the other gladiatrixes are occupied, distributing wine in the spectators' stalls, too difficult to bring them down in a hurry... Then he thinks of Lucinia, she is a bit older than the other girls, but she is no less attractive, and strong. Lucinia goes through a quick process in her dark slave chamber, to dress her up as a gladiatrix, in front of her five-year-old girl. Stripped (seen from the waist up), dressed in fighting white bandages to form a top, and a loincloth, leather belts, arm and shin protectors, and a helmet with gay bird feathers that will prevent anyone from recognizing her - except for Septimus, who is familiar with her body, and watches in despair from behind an iron grid, as Lucinia enters the arena.Mamawi has excelled as a retiarius, and she fights Lucinia, who is armed with a short gladius and a small, round shield. They put up a good fight, but the crowd is still riled with the poor result of the men's duel and wants to see blood. When Lucinia is disarmed, and beaten down with the pole section of the trident, she falls sideways, and lays supine. Mamawi presses the three-pronged fork to her opponent's heaving breasts, and looks up - hoping for the games' master favor again. Lucinia plays for the crowd the last of a defeated gladiator's crowd, she takes her helmet off, exposing her anguished, beautiful face for all to see, and have mercy. Mamawi understands that almost no one paid attention to her game of death - most spectators, in the stalls and in the stand, are drunk, betting, petting, and the few that were paying attention want to see blood. As much as Timarchus may wish to spare a gladiator's life, and he enjoyed her performance and her looks, he dares not oppose the verdict of the crowd - thumbs down. Mamawi refuses, thus enraging the crowd, and Timarchus, who repeats the order, and then orders the archers to enforce it. The first arrow wounds Mamawi in the upper arm, and a second arrow will not miss her chest. More intent to live then to abet by ideals of friendship, she pushes the trident down with her full might, finishing her comrade as quickly as she could. Then Mamawi walks out, her eyes lowered, struggling not to cry out loud her physical and emotional pain. (43:30; NHHV 45:50)In the women's quarters, Livia accuses Mamawi of murdering Lucinia, to which Mamawi replies, tearful: "I didn't murder her, she was armed and she tried to kill me!" Livia, cynically: "She wasn't armed when you killed her..." Mamawi begs the forgiveness of her comrades, recalling how she did it only to save herself, after the soldiers started shooting arrows at her. Priscium enters then, and announces a new special, the winners of the first two combats, Bodicia and Mamawi.Bodicia surprises everyone when she demands her right to chose a man for her last night, like a male gladiator would. "Who's going to be the lucky man... or woman?" Priscium asks her. "Septimus," the girl answers, surprising the others even more. Deidre objects that it makes three fights in the same week, more than the usual, and Cornelia tells her they should thank their Roman patrons who asked to see more of them fighting. Then, Cornelia takes off her leather belt, and whiplashes Deidre severely, as the other women get out for their chambers. (NHHV filmed differently)Septimus is crazy with grief, and Bodicia sympathizes with him, "She gave you a child..." then leads him further in that mind track with her conservative speech: "That men should fight and die seems only natural. But women?..." She finds no difficulty to enlist his help in organizing a break-out of the female slaves through the underground tunnels between the wine cellars and the distant shore, where they would get a boat to leave Brundisium. Her last words are: "Do it for Lucinia!"Next night, Mamawi surprises Livia in her bed: "One sound and you're a dead Roman." Mamawi puts the blonde in a strong head and arm lock, and forces her to go with the escaping girls to the entrance of the wine cellar, and explains, "She's less dangerous if she is with us." They set in the darkness, waiting for Septimus. However, instead of just taking some weapons and meet the girls as arranged, Septimus tries to murder Timarchus, breaking into his bedroom. (Cornelia discovers his intention, and prepares an ambush for him with the centurion (JANN FOX) - a scene omitted in both video editions.) Septimus is arrested. (53:30)Cornelia is happy when she announces to Bodicia and Mamawi, while they are stripped, about to put on their armor, that the master escaped a death attempt the night before, and will consider giving freedom to the winner of the women's fight, if - and she underlines it briskly - "if it is a good fight!" First, Deidre tries to make a joke of it, claiming with her gladius raised: "Those who are about to die, salute you!" Then, suddenly somber, and very much in control, she says: "Only the loser will be free." Mamawi has the last word, "I'll be free, my way!..." Meanwhile, the Centurion escorts Septimus with a handful of soldiers to the main road, and a new post is erected to crucify him. He pleads with the captain of the guard, "A man should die as he lived!" and the loyal soldier gives his gladius to the courageous man, who falls upon the sword, taking his own life in honorable fashion. (55:50; NHHV 58:20)The initial duel between men ends, another lifeless body is carried out of the arena, and the two beautiful gladiatrixes are still discussing what they should do in case of victory, without Bodicia being able to convince Mamawi that it was wrong to kill. "What do you suggest then, that we kill each other?" Mamawi ripostes, "It may come that it will be you to decide who shall die!..." Bodicia, counters coldly, "Alright, we'll do it your way." Another match is called, matching very distinct weapons, gladiatrix vs retiarius, idealist vs materialist, blonde vs black - wearing distinct loincloths - green for Bodicia, red for Mamawi - but ultimately beauty versus beauty, slave against slave. They salute the Emperor in the person of Timarchus, and he signals the beginning of their end by letting his delicate white handkerchief fall. (56:40; NHHV 59:30)They stare at each other, circling slowly, then they engage, and both fight hard, and well. Their blades meet, echoing three, four, five times as they attack and parry their mortal thrusts. Then, Mamawi takes the offensive, and six times the trident hits the small leather shield, with a dull sound. Bodicia knows she can not hold much longer the impact of the powerful Negress's strikes, and she counter-attacks, three thrusts that Mamawi takes again on her small bronze disk. The short gladius forced the blonde to come close to the retiarius, and quickly danced aside to prevent being trapped by the long reaching net. Bodicia elected to go in on the left side, exposing herself to the trident, rather than the net, and Mamawi had assumed the contrary, usual escape. Therefore she threw her net to the right, too far, and lost it. She promptly beats the shield away from Bodicia's left wrist, with a strong downward stroke of the trident. The women face each other without protective weapons either than their sandals, leather belts, and Mamawi's left arm chain mail. The blonde attacks in despair, and the Nubian is forced to her knees. The peaceful priestess, in the heat of the battle, disengages her gladius and strikes to the black woman's chest, but Mamawi strikes low with the pole hand of the trident and the blonde stumbles back, hurt. The black panther is swiftly up and goes after the blonde, who trips and defends three successive attacks with her gladius, until her hurt wrist can't hold her bronze blade any longer, and she loses her weapon. She ramps back on her rump, looking up at the savage Nubian, until she has her back against the wall - like Marcus in his last fight. There is no pleading in her eyes, only resignation. There is no scorn in the black woman's eyes, only rage and frustration, as she presses the tridents' deadly fork to her opponent's chest.The thumbs down comes, and Mamawi relives in a second the moment of her first kill. Now, she decides she can not massacre such a loyal girl as the blonde. She shouts, "Freedom!" Timarchus tells Rufinius to give the order to the soldiers, and he does. But the archers have been overpowered by the wine-servant girls, and now they shoot Rufinus, instead. (A few guards had been drugged with wine provided by the tricky Deidre, and their positions had been taken by slave girls in disguise. - Not shown in the video editions.) Deidre plays her last trick, shoving Timarchus off the platform, making him break his head on the sandy arena. (60:00)All hell breaks lose, in the arena, and on the stand. The spectators became an enraged mob, eager to see blood, incensed by too much alcohol, and demand that the master fights. Bodicia offers Timarchus her sword, so he can defend himself against Mamawi, and he abjectly refuses, sobbing like a child, on his knees. Mamawi impales the man through the chest with all her might. Timarchus collapses on his face, when Mamawi pulls her weapon off him, and Cornelia screams at the loss of her man (their sexual bond had been established earlier, in the conversation about the escape attempt, missing in both video versions). (62:20)A riot starts in the slaves quarters, and some enter the arena. Several soldiers come into the arena to get the two gladiatrixes, and four are taken down by the certain arrows of the Tall Brunette and the Tall Blonde, and two other women in soldier's uniform, except for their helmets and red togas. These women now descend to the arena, to give a hand to the male gladiators. In the arena, a number of individual duels are taking place and, as in a battle, each victor soon finds him or herself facing another opponent.Bodicia guts two soldiers in quick succession. (One only in NHHV.) Deidre is not faring badly, tripping one soldier, then seating astride him, and strangling him with the aid of a trident across his throat. Cornelia, in a purple dress, descends to the arena, and cries over her husband's body. A number of excited citizens jump from the stalls into the noble's stand, and grab Priscium and Livia, who were trying to escape. Bodicia engages and kills another soldier with the gladius. Lucan, in a yellow toga, jumps to the arena, and tries to make himself scarce - but Mamawi stops his escape with the trident. He offers her a purse with money, and she crushes his testicles with a swift hit of the trident's shaft. Priscium is thrown down to the arena (not to be seen again in any version of the movie). Aemilius escapes to ask for reinforcements from the army detachment that had gone out of the town to crucify Septimus. (65:00; NHHV 68:00)The Tall Brunette gladiatrix and the Tall Gladiator are doing particularly well. Mamawi spits her trident through a soldier's throat. Cornelia kisses her dead husband on the lips. (These three scenes are missing in both video editions.),Cornelia arms herself with a gladius lost by her dead man, stands up, her eyes dry, her stance determined for revenge. The Tall Blonde in soldier's uniform dispatches one soldier and turns around, just as Cornelia slashes downwards at her chest. The blonde staggers, dead on her feet, and collapses. Cornelia walks to Deidre, to take her from the back as she is engaged in a sword duel with a soldier. Mamawi kills Cornelia, impaling her through the back with her trident.Deidre never knew how she had escaped, as she makes her first arena kill, besting the soldier she was fighting... Mamawi kills another soldier. Bodicia and Mamawi kill the last two soldiers - but there are not many slave survivors of the arena carnage. On the balcony, Livia screams, while one Roman rapes her (only in NWHP, although shortened and without the soft-core close-ups of the theatrical showing), while three other men hold her head and arms. (67:00; NHHV 70:00)The survivor slaves escape from the arena to a patio where the wine-cellars are. The are hunted by a few Roman knights, and prepare a ambush for them with three gladiator nets. The first three horsemen are thus trapped. The Tall Gladiator jumps onto one, and strangles him (NHHV only). Bodicia and Mamawi kill their men with their respective weapons, the sword, and the trident, and take command of their horses. The Tall Gladiator kills two more knights in quick sword play (missing in NHHV). A Roman archer kills the Curly Blonde gladiatrix with an arrow between her breasts. (69:00; NHHV 72:00)Bodicia impales two other soldiers, and Deidre kills another man, than stops for a drink. Mamawi guts one soldier, and the Tall Gladiator slashes a soldier across the chest. (Deidre kills her second man in the patio. - not shown in NHHV) The Tall Gladiator goes down with a spear impaled through his back. The Tall Brunette guts a soldier, too. She is the last survivor to enter the wine-cellars, after Mamawi, Bodicia, and Deidre. The Winekeeper stood behind at the entrance to the cellars, and one soldier dispatches him with a sword thrust to his stomach, despite he was unarmed. The girls barricade the door from inside, then go down into the deep catacombs. (70:10; NHHV 73:10)Lucilius, the Centurion and a handful of soldiers, arrive. "Bring the hounds!" orders Lucilius, who knows the catacombs are too dark and tricky for a man to find his way in or out. Underground, Deidre is suddenly afraid of the darkness: "There are dead in there!" Bodicia calms her down: "The dead don't harm you." When the first four soldiers catch the fugitives, these were hiding under white blankets, but Deidre was shaking so much in panic that she gave them away. They fight with swords, Deidre manages to kill her opponent, Bodicia and Mamawi each takes one man down, but the Tall Brunette is gutted by her opponent, whom she just wounds (scene cut from both video editions). Her killer doesn't live long though, as Mamawi dispatches him next. Lucilius is getting impatient: "Are you coming?" The Centurion explains, "My forces are expected in Rome." He shows the written marching orders to Rome, so it is up to Lucilius to quench the revolt until next dawn, if he wants to have the soldiers with him. (72:40; NHHV 76:10)The three fugitives make their way through the darkness. Bodicia leads the way, and almost falls in a deep crevice from wall to wall. She is held up by Mamawi and Deidre, then they have to jump across, as the sounds of Lucilius, soldiers, and their dogs, are heard. Deidre is afraid to jump, and when she does, she misses, and hangs on from Mamawi's hands. The soldiers are finally behind her, and they throw spears and arrows. Deidre is wounded by an arrow, then dies impaled with a spear in her back. Bodicia, wounded in a leg, can't stand, but she grabs some rocks and throws them at the soldiers, ineffectually. The black warrior picks up a lost spear, and sends it across the crevice, taking the archer full in the chest. (The spectators are not shown what happens on Lucilius' side of the tunnel, but apparently the soldiers, the dogs and himself are gone, for the sounds die away.) (74:20; NHHV 77:50)The two women survivors run away, tired, wounded and barely able to carry their gladius - but they think they are left alone at last. There is even light at the end of the tunnel... Lucilius the rapist, left alone by his soldiers, catches up with them and, in a surprise attack, almost severs Mamawi's right arm with a swiping sword thrust. Mamawi engages the hated Roman alone, in her last duel. He is too good for her tired arm... Soon he disarms her, she falls, he grins, and slashes hard at her, so hard, and so high, that his sword breaks against the wall. He roars, picks a big rock, and stands above Mamawi, ready to bash her head with it. Bodicia is too hurt to stand up, but she manages to stand just to waist level, against the wall, crawls behind him, and sticks his broken sword through his ribs. The rock rolls on the ground, and he crumples forward, dead.The two women fell into each other's arms in a moment of tenderness. Mamawi applies make-shift bandages to Bodicia's right upper arm (and not on video, left leg), then they walk to the end of the tunnel, out into the wood overlooking a beach, empty but for a rowing boat with two fishermen. Helping each other to keep upright, they march forward. On reaching the sand, Bodicia asks Mamawi, signaling the fishermen: "Think you can handle them?" Mamawi smiles back at her former rival, and together they march slowly to the boat, against the sunset. (The End, end credits roll.) (78:00; NHHV 82:00)

Published Time: 2019-10-28 12:16:49