Touch Of Evil (50th Anniversary Edition)

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: From the Secret Files of Harry Pennypacker
Shadow Watcher
Nobody Drowns in Mineral Lake


Orson Welles' movies never cease to mesmerize me.

Filmmakers learn from Welles. In fact, I've written about Welles on several occasions, including a one-person play.

Unfortunately, as innovative and fascinating as his films might be, Welles' movies do not appeal to a mass audience, like, for example, the work of Alfred Hitchcock.

Part of the problem is that Orson's movies are usually populated with unsympathetic characters. Even his heroes are not people that audiences tend to like.

Nevertheless, when one is in the mood for a Welles film, one will get a filmmaking experience like no other. His work with camera, lighting and sound was uncanny.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has come out with a terrific 3-disc "Special Edition" of TOUCH OF EVIL (1958), which not only includes the previously released "Restored" version of Welles' film, but also the original "Theatrical" version and a "Preview" version, created by Welles prior to the movie's 1958 theatrical release.

There is also a reproduction of Welles' lengthy memo to Universal, audio commentaries and retrospective featurettes.

In TOUCH OF EVIL, director Welles plays a corrupt police captain who is challenged by honest Mexican cop Charlton Heston when he plants evidence to convict a suspected bomber.

Janet Leigh co-stars in this tense film noir, which features a legendary opening shot that other filmmakers continually try to emulate, as well as a stunning memorable moment when gypsy fortune teller Marlene Dietrich tells Welles' character, "You have no future. Your future is all used up."

This was Welles' last film for a major studio. It is also one of his best.

© Michael B. Druxman, author of ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

Over looked when it was released (except in France where it won awards and critical praise), "Touch of Evil" was Orson Welles' last major studio project as writer-director-star. When the original director bowed out, Welles (supported by star Charlton Heston)asked for the chance to write and direct the film. Welles' revamped Paul Monash's screenplay, recast Heston as a Mexican offical and delivered efficently (it was only 1 day over its shooting schedule and slightly over budget). Shot in Venice, Ca which stood in for a Mexican border town, "Touch of Evil" looks marvelous with a sharp beautiful restoration done for the film.

Based on Whit Masterston's novel BADGE OF EVIL, Welles plays the corrupt police chief of a border town who butts heads with Vargas (Heston) a newly married Mexican D.A. trying the Grande crime family. His wife (Janet Leigh) and his life are threatened because of the case.

Edit: An important thing to know is that the restored version is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio (more in keeping with what Welles had wanted)vs. the 1.33:1 full screen aspect ratio of the previous release for the restoration. While all three versions of the film look good the attention went to the restoration with a much cleaner image and crisper, sharper presentation as well.

We get all three versions of the film--the original theatrical cut (96 minutes)edited by the studio with new footage shot by director Harry Keller, the "preview" version that features 15 minutes of footage shot by Welles and cut prior to release and this restored version which features most of Welles' footage restored and the film re-edited according to a lengthy memo Welles wrote to the studio (included here).

We get four commentary tracks. The first commentary on the restored version features stars Heston, Leigh and Rick Schmidlin. Schmidlin jogs the stars memories using the extensive research from the call sheets, Welles' memos and Welles biographies to clarify the making of the film with the two of them and put old myths to rest. Schmidlin also appears solo on one commentary track focusing detailing the painstaking detail it took to recreate the version Welles envisioned.

Film critic F.X. Feeney provides us with a very good commentary track on the 96 minute theatrical cut and the preview version features Welles authorities James Naremore and Jonathan Rosenbaum discussing the difficult birth of Welles' last major studio film as a director.

We also get the original trailer as well as two brief featurettes focusing on the restoration of the film and the location shooting in Venice, California hosted by filmmaker Curtis Hanson (Venice stood in for the border Mexican town in the film.

Although Universal had previously released the restored version of the film, it had no extras. This special edition a worthwhile double dip corrects that oversight and makes this the complete version of "Touch of Evil" for fans of Welles' classic film noir. I'd highly recommend this.

First off, a word about visual quality: a crisper, cleaner copy of this film you will not find. Restored to Welles' thematic vision, this version is also a far cry from the more grainy prints that have circulated on the airwaves for years. Viewing pleasure is enhanced considerably as a result.

And sheer pleasure this film is. In an intriguing plot triangulation involving three men motivated in different ways by past, present or unfolding relations with their wives - two of them Mexicans with "gringo" spouses whom they seek to protect from a morally wayward cop, played pitch-perfect by Welles - "A Touch of Evil" examines the murkiness of bordertown justice, pre-Miranda style (if such legal warnings were even to apply south of the border), where it's hard to tell who has jurisdiction, who has and hasn't planted evidence, who has the right to engage in electronic surveillance, and to what degree - if indeed under any circumstance - the ends justify the means. It's a set of moral questions made murkier at the end of the film, with the viewer left to sort out such high-minded musings.

While the plot of "Touch" is interesting but not altogether unpredictable, it's really the "noir" that steals the show: the dark, dank aquaduct, the seedy bordello, the vintage autos cruising streets blinking with neon, and, of course, the windswept terrain where all roads seem to lead to a menacing motel. The "noir" is made all the more effective by wonderful lighting that plays on the faces of Janet Leigh and Marlene Dietrich, and there's the in-his-face closeups of Welles in all his harrumphing, cigar-biting glory to top it off.

This version of "A Touch" dispenses with Henry Mancini's jazz riffs over the famous single-shot opening sequence, and that's all to the good. Mancini's music is always effective - and was especially so in the Fifties - but the natural sound used in lieu of it truly helps establish the disquieting feel of a downtrodden border town, setting the stage for the paranoia to follow.

Like (Citizen) Kane, Welles' central character here apparently began his career with lofty aspirations. But, like Kane, he took a detour and compromised his ideals. The big difference is, Kane seemed to regret some of how he lived. Such regrets - if there are any - disappear with a thud at the conclusion of "A Touch of Evil."

`Touch of Evil' feels great. It is dark and eerie and commanding, but underneath the intensely layered surface lays a film that is somewhat empty. That is my major problem with `Touch of Evil'; it doesn't feel necessary. In the end we have a film that creeps us out at times and holds our interest yet says nothing and doesn't seem to be all that coherent. If I were to base my critique solely on the films appearance and technique then I would give it a round of applause and mark it with an A+ (Welles was a fantastic director) but because I tend to look at the entire picture my grade falls down to a mere B, for without substance this becomes nothing more than a genre picture done well.

The film follows a good cop named Mike and a bad cop named Hank as they struggle with one another, Mike looking for the truth and Hank trying to keep it from him. The film starts with a bang, literally, as a car bomb goes off in a border-town, and then takes off from there. The plot is filled with twists and turns that involve murder and deceit and the kidnapping of Mike's wife Susie. As the film draws closer to the finale we see the pieces of the puzzle slowly being placed together until the full scope of what is going on is on full display.

But sadly, what is going on feels predictable.

Judging from Welles' body of work, I have come to expect great things from him. `Touch of Evil' is masterfully shot and brilliantly directed, but the story feels tired to me. It is not as refreshing or as original as I would have liked to have seen coming from Welles. This is far from a bad film, but it is not a masterpiece.

B-Grade masterpiece, maybe.

The performances are genuinely great. Janet Leigh was the standout for me, delivering a solid portrayal of a woman confused and alarmed by the situations surrounding her. Charlton Heston was actually very good here, much more charismatic than I remember him being in most of his films (although it was odd to see him play a Hispanic man). Orson Welles is either the center of praise of the butt of the joke with his performance here, and I actually am going to praise him. He was devastatingly dastardly here, dark and ominous and grueling. I was enamored by his every movement on and off the screen.

I'm one who found Marlene Dietrich's performance rather unnecessary, despite the fact they tried to use her to establish some sort of moral foundation.

In the end I can't say that `Touch of Evil' is a bad film or a waste of time, for it is neither. The film is technically perfect, and it is entertaining and at times very engrossing (not to mention skin-crawlingly infectious) but when all is said and done it doesn't leave us with the emotional impact that it could have had it been a little deeper and little more original.

When I first saw this movie, years ago, I was awed by the number of stellar personas that had parts in it. Although it is a story, it is mostly a group of characters, playing parts in mini-stories, all hooked together. It is great to see their diversity and performances. Mr. Riddle who wrote another review on this site has offered descriptions of the different versions of release of this film, three, which would be helpful in deciding which one you would like to see. I had no problem with the original and was mesmerized by it, but others may choose a different version. You will find it a viewing treat to witness the emoting of the various stars, the funky costuming and "Mexican" atmosphere. It is a great film that will stand out in your memory for a long time.