Obscure Movie Character Spotlight: Ayla from THE SWORD AND THE CLAW
So only about five people in America know about the 2018 Blu-ray release of KILIÇ ASLAN (1975), a.k.a. THE SWORD AND THE CLAW. Interestingly, that number includes me and my husband. (I kid—the number is more like six people.)
THE SWORD AND THE CLAW stars Turkish powerhouse actor Cüneyt Arkin as Lion Man. Here’s a summary from IMDB:
When the king is murdered, his baby son and heir is hidden in the forest where he is abducted and raised by a pride of lions. As an adult he uses his beastly strength and claw-like hands to take revenge against the new king and his armies.
Only die-hard action movie cinephiles who are fans of CONAN THE BARBARIAN, Tarzan, the Dolemite movies, DÜNYAYI KURTARAN ADAM (i.e., “The Man Who Saved the World”) aka “Turkish Star Wars,” THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, Troma Entertainment films, and (whew!) Wolverine of the X-Men need apply to watch it.
Anyway, of particular note in this big ol’ sausage fest of a low-budget action film is the character of Ayla (Bahar Erdeniz). Ayla is the daughter of the rebel leader who’s, well, leading a bunch of rebels to overthrow a tyrant king. She’s pretty badass! A take-no-prisoners type of gal.
While watching THE SWORD AND THE CLAW, I didn’t expect there to be much in the way of female characters, let alone decent ones, so Ayla’s appearance was a lovely surprise.
Meet Ayla
Here are the highlights of what makes Ayla’s character great:
She’s proactive, always pushing her father to take a stand sooner rather than later
Ayla is fearless and takes an active part in various rebel missions
She’s smart and can fight
She’s gorgeous, too
Ayla knows all the great hiding spots in the swamp
She’s the only character able to beat Lion Man in a fight
She has a great fashion sense, one that’s a mix of masculine and feminine styles
Ayla knows how to get her guy—she seduces the hell out of Lion Man and on her terms!