OK, Nero!

Films set in the emperorship of Nero were particularly popular since this setting provided the opportunity to combine scenes of gladiators and sexual decadence with Christian persecution. "Fire Over Rome" on the left is typical in combining these strands, the female in the upper left corner (with the head of Nero) exemplifying luxury and pleasure in contrast to the crucified woman on the right. In these Neronian settings, moreover, and perhaps surprisingly, there could be the expression of the female as a sexual creature without, necessarily, being a villain. It helps if you are Brigitte Bardot playing Poppea and have top billing. (Yes, that is Gloria Swanson in the upper-left corner.)

For this sort of female to emerge, either the movie needs to be a comedy or the woman needs to be a Christian. Comedy seems to provide a space for non-threatening female sexuality, or one that defuses the threat through humor. Like "Nero’s Big Weekend," "O.K. Nero!" - a sword-and-sandal time-travel comedy foregrounds the female. The copy promises that the film billed as "uproarious" and "gal-orious." A woman in this sort of movie can be the center of attention and sexually alluring without being evil.