Wan jian chuan xin

OATH OF DEATH is the first Shaw version of the story that would be told on a much bigger scale and with bigger names in 1973's BLOOD BROTHERS, more recently remade as THE WARLORDS with Jet Li. This lower budgeted outing is just as good as the Ti Lung movie and it gives underrated studio star Lo Lieh, typically cast as a malevolent, a chance to shine as hero. He plays one of three Sung heroes who make it their business to rebel against the Tartar regime, but things become complicated when they end up colluding instead. The action in this one is fast-paced and bloody, especially at the frankly insane ending, but the slower-paced character plots in the middle section are equally as engrossing.

The movie starts with a big fight outdoors. The winners introduce themselves to each other. They are all Song loyalists who will not be enslaved by the invading Tartars. Cut to a construction project.

This is probably the huge outdoor set that Shaw Brothers built that came to be called Tiger Village and includes the big wooden bridge, the pagoda, Tiger Fortress and more. Cool to see it under construction and used that way.

Our heroes show off their skills. Tien Feng uses a rope that can be either flexible or stiff. I get it that the movie makers were always looking for something to "wow" the audience but I always complain when I see bogus weapons like this. Real weapons are amazing enough and can be made to look magical by an adept fighter. I write this rope stuff off in my mind as "magic" and let it go so I can enjoy the movie.

A plot develops to infiltrate the Tartar court and rescue the princess. The action fizzles as the plot builds. This time I am not complaining. The actress Ling Ling is so hot I enjoyed looking at her more than a fight sequence. I love bad girls. The run time of the movie increased quite a bit for me because I had to go back and even pause a few of her better scenes if you know what I mean

Everything only gets worse for the heroes so a training sequence begins to prepare for the final fight. This is probably the first training sequence with a hidden agenda. All I will reveal is that it involves punching a tree and hopping around on one leg. Finally he mutilates his face. It is revenge at a great personal cost.

Overall I rate this above average for the year and genre. I have watched it twice already and it is on my list to watch again sometime in the future as appropriate.