Hundra is another movie from the Mist Age of Fantasy (early 1980s) that
also sought to benefit from the success of Conan the Barbarian. Hundra (Laurene Landon)
is a member of an all-female society hidden in the woods (oddly, Amazon
is never mentioned). One day, Hundra heads out to hunt and the village
is attacked by warriors who slaughter everyone though the women give a
good fight. Hundra returns to find the carnage, her sister and mother
among the dead. Some of the men were lying in wait should any women
return and they instantly gave chase. She rode for a day and a night
with 16 men chasing but finally found the right spot to make her stand.
Not surprisingly, she crushed them, only one surviving to ride off.
Hundra then
sought out an old woman who lived with dwarves. It turns out the
old woman - who also offers narration through the film - was an elder of
the all-women movement. The crone advises Hundra to go to the lands of
the men who slaughtered the tribe and… get pregnant. Hundra is
initially horrified by the prospect but she is the only one who can
replenish the tribe; she sees the logic. So, rather than a quest for
vengeance, the movie becomes an effort to get knocked up. Of course,
that proves harder than it sounds.
The world of Hundra is populated by brutish men who view women as nothing more than chattel to be used and abused; most of the women are resigned to that state of affairs. Thus, Hundra's first attempt at getting pregnant ends in a brawl where she trounces the would-be father of her child. She opts to go to a city where the selection of men will be better. The city houses the Temple of the Bull where women are trained to be submissive and made to look beautiful. Hundra is a prime candidate but she resists being drafted into the temple, resulting in a brawl that spans the city; many soldiers tumble from the city walls. Hundra likewise tumbles from the walls, accidentally, and falls through the roof of a Pateray the Healer.
Pateray is handsome, clean-shaven, and not a brute. Hundra is instantly convinced he is father material and attempts to get him to jump her bones. Oddly, he declines. She's a bit too rough for his tastes. She asks if he likes women from the Temple of the Bull. When he says yes, she immediately surrenders herself to the orange-robed priests for induction. Thus begins the slow part where, like in some modern make-over show, Hundra suffers eyebrow plucking, mud baths, lipstick, clingy clothes, and such. But her sword will yet see more action.
Hundra has a dog. It is a male dog and that is why she thinks he is such a coward. Sure enough, whenever there is a fight, the dog often wanders off or hides. The dog does have one talent: he will grab the reins of her horse and lead it where Hundra next needs her horse. How does he know where that is?
The movie is often campy and could be viewed as an inspiration for Xena. It came out 2 years before the atrocious Red Sonja. The acting is not particularly good but nor is it horrible, especially since much of the cast is European. Not great but a step up from Ator.
The world of Hundra is populated by brutish men who view women as nothing more than chattel to be used and abused; most of the women are resigned to that state of affairs. Thus, Hundra's first attempt at getting pregnant ends in a brawl where she trounces the would-be father of her child. She opts to go to a city where the selection of men will be better. The city houses the Temple of the Bull where women are trained to be submissive and made to look beautiful. Hundra is a prime candidate but she resists being drafted into the temple, resulting in a brawl that spans the city; many soldiers tumble from the city walls. Hundra likewise tumbles from the walls, accidentally, and falls through the roof of a Pateray the Healer.
Pateray is handsome, clean-shaven, and not a brute. Hundra is instantly convinced he is father material and attempts to get him to jump her bones. Oddly, he declines. She's a bit too rough for his tastes. She asks if he likes women from the Temple of the Bull. When he says yes, she immediately surrenders herself to the orange-robed priests for induction. Thus begins the slow part where, like in some modern make-over show, Hundra suffers eyebrow plucking, mud baths, lipstick, clingy clothes, and such. But her sword will yet see more action.
Hundra has a dog. It is a male dog and that is why she thinks he is such a coward. Sure enough, whenever there is a fight, the dog often wanders off or hides. The dog does have one talent: he will grab the reins of her horse and lead it where Hundra next needs her horse. How does he know where that is?
The movie is often campy and could be viewed as an inspiration for Xena. It came out 2 years before the atrocious Red Sonja. The acting is not particularly good but nor is it horrible, especially since much of the cast is European. Not great but a step up from Ator.
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