Orson Welles's TOUCH OF EVIL is nothing short of a masterpiece. Beginning with a three-minute-plus tracking crane shot, the film explodes onto the screen, literally--the marvelously expressive opening shot ends with a car blowing up, and that detonation sets into motion a classic noir tale of betrayal and murder. In a complex exploration of character and morality, Welles plays the racist Captain Hank Quinlan, a grotesque, troubled, and powerful figure who runs his small U.S. border town according to his own version of the law. Quinlan's brutishness and vulgarity contrast starkly with the idealism and playboy good looks of Charlton Heston as Mike Vargas, a Mexican detective trying to put away the leader of a dangerous family of drug dealers--the Grandis. In the U.S. with his new bride, Susie (Janet Leigh), Vargas becomes consumed with exposing Quinlan and his highly questionable methods--too busy to see that his own beautiful blonde bride is in serious danger from both Quinlan and the Grandis.
In 1998, Welles's film was restored closer to its creator's original vision, and it is a joy to behold. Every shot is impeccably crafted, every word of dialogue concise and pointed. The camerawork (by Russell Metty and John Russell) is stunning, particularly in the opening scene and the long single take in which Vargas believes he has caught Quinlan planting evidence. The supporting cast, led by Marlene Dietrich, Dennis Weaver, Akim Tamiroff, and Joseph Calleia, gives exhilarating performances. TOUCH OF EVIL, Welles's last studio film, is a near-perfect examination of the dark underbelly of society and the tragic downfall of a once proud man.
Rating: Not Rated Rating Reason: n/a Runtime: DVD Code: Region 1 US, CA Genre: Dramas Color: B&W 50th Anniversary Edition; 2-Disc Set Rating: DVD Features:
Region 1
2-Disc Snap Case with Outer Box
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono - English
Subtitles - English (SDH), French, Spanish - Optional
Additional Products:
Replication of Orson Welles' Legendary 58-Page Memo to the Studio
Disc 1: Side A: Restored Version
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary - 1. Charlton Heston - Star; Janet Leigh - Star; Rick Schmidlin - Restoration Producer
2. Rick Schmidlin - Restoration Producer
Featurette - 1. Bringing Evil to Life
2. Evil Lost & Found
Disc 2: Side A: Theatrical Version
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary - F.X. Feeny - Writer/Filmmaker
Disc 2: Side A: Preview Version
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary - Jonathan Rosenbaum & James Naremore - Welles Historians Janet Leigh, Jeanette Helen Morrison, Orson Welles, George Orson Welles, Joseph Calleia, Akim Tamiroff, Charlton Heston, Charles Carter, Charlton Easton, Marlene Dietrich, Maria Magdalena Dietrich, Ray Collins, Zsa Zsa Gabor
Orson Welles, George Orson Welles, Harry Keller
Orson Welles's TOUCH OF EVIL is nothing short of a masterpiece. Beginning with a three-minute-plus tracking crane shot, the film explodes onto the screen, literally--the marvelously expressive opening shot ends with a car blowing up, and that detonation sets into motion a classic noir tale of betrayal and murder. In a complex exploration of character and morality, Welles plays the racist Captain Hank Quinlan, a grotesque, troubled, and powerful figure who runs his small U.S. border town according to his own version of the law. Quinlan's brutishness and vulgarity contrast starkly with the idealism and playboy good looks of Charlton Heston as Mike Vargas, a Mexican detective trying to put away the leader of a dangerous family of drug dealers--the Grandis. In the U.S. with his new bride, Susie (Janet Leigh), Vargas becomes consumed with exposing Quinlan and his highly questionable methods--too busy to see that his own beautiful blonde bride is in serious danger from both Quinlan and the Grandis. In 1998, Welles's film was restored closer to its creator's original vision, and it is a joy to behold. Every shot is impeccably crafted, every word of dialogue concise and pointed. The camerawork (by Russell Metty and John Russell) is stunning, particularly in the opening scene and the long single take in which Vargas believes he has caught Quinlan planting evidence. The supporting cast, led by Marlene Dietrich, Dennis Weaver, Akim Tamiroff, and Joseph Calleia, gives exhilarating performances. TOUCH OF EVIL, Welles's last studio film, is a near-perfect examination of the dark underbelly of society and the tragic downfall of a once proud man. () TOUCH OF EVIL is Orson Welles's gripping study of corruption and morality, set in a small town just across the Mexican-American border. A powerful police captain, who has framed a young Mexican for the bombing murder of a prominent American businessman, finds his authority challenged by an upright Mexican narcotics detective. But the detective soon learns that some things are not as obvious as they appear at first viewing. Welles's fabulous melodrama is a film noir treasure.
() "I'm no lawyer. All a lawyer cares about is the law."--Captain Hank Quinlan (Orson Welles) to Mike Vargas (Charlton Heston)
"Who's the boss--the policeman or the law?"--Vargas to Quinlan
"I want to watch."--Gang leader (Mercedes McCambridge) to "Pancho" (Valentin de Vargas)
"I didn't recognize you....You should lay off those candy bars."--Tanya (Marlene Dietrich) to Quinlan
"I don't speak Mexican."--Quinlan to Sanchez (Victor Millan)
"Just because he speaks a little guilty, that don't make him innocent, you know."--Quinlan to Vargas
"You're a mess, honey."--Tanya to Quinlan
"Your future is all used up."--Tanya to Quinlan
"Hank was a great detective, all right."--Tanya
"And a lousy cop."--Al Schwartz (Mort Mills)
"He was some kind of a man."--Tanya
About working with Heston, Welles said, "He's the nicest man to work with that ever lived in movies. I supposed the two nicest actors I've ever worked with in my life are Gielgud and Heston."
() Theatrical release: February 1958, without being previewed for critics.
Filmed in Venice, California, which doubled for Los Robles.
Rehearsals began on February 9, 1957; shooting began on February 18 and wrapped on April 2.
TOUCH OF EVIL was added to the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 1993.
TOUCH OF EVIL was reedited in 1998 based on a 58-page memo that Orson Welles had written to studio head Ed Muhl after Welles's initial displeasure with the original release. The new version was put together by producer Rick Schmidlin and editor Walter Murch, based on the memo that was first written about in a Film Quarterly article by Jonathan Rosenbaum. In the memo, Welles wrote, "I am passing on to you a reaction based on my conviction as to what my picture ought |
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