Bell from Hell comes with a tragic behind the scenes story (which, as is usually the case, some releases used to market the film). On the final day of shooting, director Claudio Guerín fell to his death from the bell tower constructed for the film. He left with only two features under his belt, and, if A Bell from Hell is any indication, Guerín could have gone on to be an important name in Spanish horror – even though A Bell from Hell genre hops in and out of the horror genre.

 

A BELL FROM HELL
original title: La campana del infierno
Spain/France, 1973, Claudio Guerín

I knew little about A Bell from Hell before settling down to watch it. With expectations neither high nor low, I was quickly glued to the screen from the opening shot. We begin with John (Renaud Verley), our leading man, creating a head cast of himself in the cell of an insane asylum. The director of the asylum allows John to leave his confinement, potentially permanently, as long as he reports back every eight days. John makes his way back to his family home – his mother long deceased, house abandoned and ghostly. He pays a visit to his wheelchair bound aunt and cousins, who he incestuously lusts after. It is revealed Aunt Marta (Viveca Lindfors) is the reason John was sent to an asylum and this may have been an act of greed; a ploy to steal John’s fortune. Throughout the first half of A Bell from Hell, we see John playing malicious pranks on his family and everyone else around him. But there is a method to John’s supposed madness, which builds to an unforgettable finale.

It blows my mind a little that A Bell from Hell continues to linger in obscurity. I mean, it has a DVD release and a following of sorts (I’m ashamed to admit, I only very recently heard of A Bell from Hell myself), but really, this should be considered a Euro horror/thriller classic. A Bell from Hell is a fine piece of work both in substance and style. I’ve read some reviews that refer to the film’s story as nonsensical and confusing. I disagree. While the foundation the plot is built on is nothing special – a simple tale of revenge and freedom – its execution and detailing is stellar. Writer Santiago Moncada keeps us in relative darkness for much of the running time, and, even as the film wraps up, there are some questions left for audience to ponder. This style of storytelling is complimented by the film’s central characters, who are all fairly morally complex. John, for example, is a character who begins the film as a sociopath but becomes something quite different as the running time rolls by. It helps, of course, that the cast are all very good in their roles, particularly Verley in the lead. It’s also a treat to see Maribel Martín (The Blood Spattered Bride) in a small but significant role.

Guerín and cinematographer Manuel Rojas ensure that the film’s story is told through stunning imagery. The cinematography consistently bowled me over. Each shot is framed beautifully with unexpected compositions giving the film a unique look. Guerín has also chosen his locations perfectly – from John’s bizarre abode decorated with birds, plants and even a monkey to the daunting bell tower that Guerín would tragically fall from on the final day of shooting. There is an excessive quality to some of this imagery, but Guerín manages to capture his vision in a way that doesn’t distract from story or characters. Perhaps it is his deliberate pacing. A Bell from Hell spends most of its time building and, rather than terrifying the audience, it instead slowly pumps out a sense of unease, filling each scene with dread and intensity. Guerín cuts loose in the film’s final act, releasing a jaw-dropping conclusion that had me grinning ear to ear.

I can’t recommend A Bell from Hell more. It is one of the finest genre films to come out of Spain in the 1970s – hell, it’s one of the finest to come out of Europe in the 70s. It is up there with Italy’s best and considering I’m a huge fan of Italian horror and thriller offerings of the 60s through to the 80s, that means I really, really enjoyed it. Grab yourself a copy of this now, pals!

The VHS cover used in this article was sourced from VHS Wasteland!