Touch Of Evil
Experience Orson Welles' timeless masterpiece, Touch Of Evil, complete and uncut with restored footage for the first time ever! This exceptional film noir portrait of corruption and morally-compromised obsessions stars Welles as Hank Quinlan, a crooked police chief who frames a Mexican youth as part of an intricate criminal plot. Charlton Heston plays an honorable Mexican narcotics investigator who clashes with the bigoted Quinlan after probing into his dark past. A memorable supporting cast including Janet Leigh as Heston's inquisitive wife, Akim Tamiroff as a seedy underworld leader, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Marlene Dietrich as an enigmatic gypsy complete this fascinating drama engulfed in haunting cinematography and a magnificently eerie score by Henry Mancini.
Member Reviews
Excellent - ShawnConnery
A few things just out right away when you watch this movie-the strong performances, the bleakness and grittiness, the cinematography...It all came together to form definitely one of the classic's of noir. Genuinely suspenseful and puts a knot in your stomach, even during scenes where nothing bad is happening, you can't shake the feeling that something terrible will happen. Awkward in some points and a bit unrealistic portrayal of certain characters (Joe Grandi and Ms. Vargas during some points) but good acting by Welles and a few others. Screenplay could've been better, but the feel of the movie is definitely noir. Excellent.The End of Noir? - Jimmy_Jam
It is believed that this film is so dirty, and bleek that it ended the idea of the glamourization found in classic noir. On the surface, and beneath it, there is filth that cannot be cleaned. From the dismal towns and buildings, to the corrupt and disgusting characters, this film destroys and aesthetic element that was found in noir. The good guys are not all good, and the bad are even worse; actually there are no good and bad, a very despairing aspect. Welles is unreal as Quinlin, it is hard to tell if it is even him at some points; as for Heston, its not very believable he is Mexican, but if that one aspect is overlooked, the film is perfection. The greatest image has Quinlin trying to wash blood of his hands, but the filth of the river just makes him dirtier; this sums up the film.Welles' Masterpiece - johnn_b
This is easily the most fascinatng film Welles ever made. The high film quality, sharp contrast and artfully composed frames of Citizen Kane have been transformed into something darker, grittier and looser, something more fluid. There is also something very sketchy about many of the shots, as if Welles was interested in being very economical in his information, conveying as much as possible as quickly as possible. Often the movie looks like a graphic novel, especially Will Eisner's The Spirit. Welles' background in radio is also very evident in the masterful use of emblematic sound. There is a lot of cross-talk that is perfectly handled, and nothing like it would be seen again until the rise of Robert Altman.The performances of the actors and the moral complexities of the plot are legendary. The capstone of the whole film is Welles' wonderful, over-the-top portayal of Quinlan, the police captain. This is a character so grimy you can almost smell him. I would highly reccomend Touch Of Evil to any student of film noir; however, it may be too bizzarre and different for a general audience.
Member Reviews
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Excellent - ShawnConnery
A few things just out right away when you watch this movie-the strong performances, the bleakness and grittiness, the cinematography...It all came together to form definitely one of the classic's of noir. Genuinely suspenseful and puts a knot in your stomach, ...The End of Noir? - Jimmy_Jam
It is believed that this film is so dirty, and bleek that it ended the idea of the glamourization found in classic noir. On the surface, and beneath it, there is filth that cannot be cleaned. From the dismal towns and buildings, to the corrupt and disgusting ...Welles' Masterpiece - johnn_b
This is easily the most fascinatng film Welles ever made. The high film quality, sharp contrast and artfully composed frames of Citizen Kane have been transformed into something darker, grittier and looser, something more fluid. There is also something very ...