Accompanied by his two henchmen, Yang Kang (Ku Feng) and Ying Tien (Tien Sheng), Chief Tao Ching Lung (Lam Kau) is on his way to Jiangbei town; however, being lost, they ask Chang Wei Fu (Chang Yi), a young woodcutter, for directions. Subsequently, they thank him by shooting arrows at him just to poke fun. While having a break at a nearby stream, they see a girl and decide to follow her to her home. Interrupted by her aged parents while they try to have their way with her, they kill both the elderly, including her defenseless child brother. Nevertheless, keen to acquire another wife; Chief Tao takes her along with them instead of killing her.
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Almost immediately, Chang comes across a wondering swordsman who, with the speed of lightning, dispatches the eight assailants surrounding him. Overwhelmed by what he witnesses, he follows the master for nearly two days, eager to learn his kung fu skills. Impressed by his determination, but sadden by his misfortune, the elder takes him in. Next time we meet Chang; he's wearing his master's ensemble and carrying his sword. Apparently, five years have passed by and his teacher must have passed on. Nonetheless, it's high time for revenge and he's more than ready for the task. Although this is basically a straight forward revenge story, it's easily one of Yueh Feng and Shaw Brothers best from the late 1960s.
“The Bells of Death” is the work of first time scripter, Chiu Kang Chien; however, it is inhabited with interesting characters and features a protagonist that viewers can certainly invest in. Interestingly, there's a touch of horror element which makes some scenes come across as eerie and spooky. At times, the action is brutal and violent but also creative and well-choreographed, as seen in the bamboo forest fight where Chang takes out of his first victim. Another stand out moment is the fight inside a temple which involves balancing candles on the swords.
Credits must go to Tien Sheng who plays Ying Tien, the villain with a big nose, and he has the habit of moving his head horizontally sideways; together with the addition of some sick clicking sound, he sure is creepy. Ku Feng is equally intimidating spotting a gigantic axe with an extra-long handle. Interestingly, the distinguished Wu Ma has a decent supporting role as his henchman. Elsewhere, a very young Sammo Hung appears briefly, portraying a bandit.
This is definitely Chang Yi's finest moment on screen in which he's able to transform from an immature humble young man to a cold but determined swordsman with ease. Sadly, he's not able to repeat this kind of solid performance in later movies; otherwise, he could've become a much bigger star. In her non-action role, Chin Ping is a stand out, both timid but strong, her damsel in distress Hsiang Hsiang character is believable. The casting of both her and Chang Yi is spot on here.
Visually, this production looks amazing, well thought out lighting effects especially the night scenes are effectively used to create the different moody atmospheres. Consequently, the use of slow motion and handheld camera work, which Yueh Feng is fond of, is used to further emphasize tension. Even though the story is similar to Steve McQueen's 1966 Western “Nevada Smith” in which he goes after three outlaws, this is still a refreshing take on vengeance nonetheless.
Overall, with a running time of just around eighty five minutes, this is a lean and fast paced movie which gets to the point promptly. There's no room for any training scene but it sure is entertaining and fun, it even has a touch of Western and Samurai action plus a little horror thrown in. This is definitely a must watch for Shaw Brothers and wuxia fans alike.
