The Kiss of Death (1973)
"Du nu" (original title)

Director:

Meng Hua Ho

Writer:

Kang Chien Chiu

Stars:

Ping Chen, Lieh Lo, Ching Chen

Cast

Credited cast:
Ping Chen	...	Chu Ling
Lieh Lo	...	Wong Ta (as Loh Lieh)
Ching Chen	...	Yang Fei Hung
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Shen Chan	...	'Atom'
Tao Chiang	...	'Crocodile'
Mei Sheng Fan	...	Wang Tai (as Fan Mui Sheng)
Ging Man Fung	...	Casino assistant #2
Ricky Hui
Shiu Hung Hui	...	'Pimp'
Ka Ting Lee	...	Harassing patron #1
Sau Kei Lee	...	Nightclub manager
Ke Ming Lin	...	Harassing patron #2
Wen-wei Lin
Han Lo	...	Restroom mugging victim
Gwa-pau Sai	...	Restroom attendant

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

beating | rape and revenge | nightclub owner | wrath | evil | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Details

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin

Also Known As:

Kiss of Death

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shaw Brothers

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

'Vietnam Rose', the name of the lethal venereal disease that actress 'Chen Ping''s character contracted as a victim of a brutal gang rape by a group of thugs was also considered by Shaw Brothers to be the original English title for the feature 'Du nu' until social activists complained to the studio that the negative connotation of the title was discriminatory and reactionary towards the ethnic Vietnamese community during a time when the growing influx of war refugees populating Hong Kong en-masse after the fall of Saigon. A not too subtle message mirroring then current events where the film's elements and lurid subject matter would became an indirect metaphor for the politically charged issue of illegal immigration and anti-immigrant sentiment in the former colony. The English title for 'Du nu' would ultimately be changed to 'The Kiss of Death'.

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Connections

Referenced in I Spit on Your Grave (1978)

User Reviews

Shaw Brothers' Mania: The Kiss of Death

The Kiss of Death (1973) is straight up sleazy exploitation flick from the Shaw Brothers. One night a textile worker (Cheng Ping) is sexually assaulted by five deviants. The young lady tries to cope with the aftermath of this dramatic event but her life is ruined. Like a shattered vase, the pieces can be put back together but it'll never be the same. Cheng get's a job as a bar girl. She meets the club's owner (Lo Lieh) who was a former kung-fu fighter until he was crippled. Cheng uses her position as a B-girl to go after the losers who raped her, She soon learns from a sleazy doctor that she has contracted a dark V.D. called Viet-Nam Rose (a name used 20 years later by Maggie Cheung in the love comedy Boys Are Easy, making the gag in that movie even funnier). Crushed, she begs Lo Lieh to teach her kung-fu. At first he refuses until he learns her secret. Furious, Lo Lieh teaches her his deadly fight techniques (such as a groin crunching blow). Bizarre, depressing and sleazy is how I would describe this movie. In a strange way you can call this movie one of those flicks that "inspired" Kill Bill.

Lo Lieh is very charismatic as the broken down fighter turned club owner Wang and Cheng Ping is excellent as "The Lady From The Roof"

Highest Recommendation.