Cinema Sunday: Touch Of Evil

 

Today's Cinema Sunday turns it's attention to Touch of Evil, a 1958 American film noir written and directed by Orson Welles.

I'm going to be honest: I have never seen this film in order at one time. Over the years, I have seen the middle, the ending and the beginning. But even in bits and pieces, I am completely captivated by this movie. 

Along the U.S.–Mexico border, a fatal car bomb leads Mexican police detective Miguel Vargas to cross paths with American detective Hank Quinlan and his longtime partner, Pete Menzies. A young Mexican named Sanchez is implicated for the murderous bombing when Quinlan and Menzies discover sticks of dynamite in his apartment but Vargas suspects Quinlan of planting evidence. Quinlan calls bullshit on that, saying Vargas is just biased in favor of his fellow Mexican.

And like that, it is on.  

Vargas is determined to expose Quinlan as a dirty cop and Quinlan is determined to discredit Vargas. What ensues is a series of schemes, lies and double crosses along with murder. Menzies realizes his complicity in Quinlan's frame ups and agrees to help Vargas expose Quinlan as a dirty cop. 

Quinlan confesses to Menzies that he planted evidence on people but insists that he did so only because he knew they were guilty. Quinlan suspects Menzies is wearing a wire and shoots him.

Menzies was wired as Vargas has been following along, recording Quinlan's confession. When Quinlan turns his gun on Vargas, a not quite dead yet Menzies shoots Quinlan, saving Vargas' life.  

That overview does not convey the complexities of this plot, the intricate web of lies, threats and betrayals that ensnare Vargas and Quinlan as they circle each other, each looking to expose the other. Vargas is young, healthy and idealistic; Quinlan is old, broken and cynical. Each sees in the other what they perceive as wrong with the world. 

Charlton Heston is serviceable as Vargas. And in case you're wondering "Hey, Heston wasn't Hispanic", the film tells us that Vargas is just half Mexican. 

Orson Welles is a visceral force as Quinlan, a large heavy set mountain of a man who lumbers through this movie like a buffalo and man does he sweat a lot. Welles' voice is a low rumble of thunder as he pronounces his harsh judgements on a brutal world.  Welles is the film's center of gravity for every scene Quinlan is in. 

Welles is also a force to be reckoned with behind the camera as the director. 

Touch of Evil is known for it's look as it is for it's byzantine tale of corruption and deceit. The opening tracking shot is a technical marvel that sets a high bar for the rest of the film and Welles as director achieves it with shot selections and stylistic choices that makes Touch of Evil an almost tangible experience. The sense of dread and menace is a veritably palpable experience. 

Touch of Evil did not find a lot of acclaim in 1958 but it did win top awards at the 1958 Brussels World Film Festival. Over the years, its reputation has grown considerably, becoming recognized as one of the best examples of classic film noir as well as one of the best films by Orson Welles.  

Creative differences between Welles and Universal forced Welles off the film during post-production. The final product was not to Welles' liking and he wrote a 58-page memo to elaborate is vision of the final film. 

In 1998, Walter Murch followed the Welles memo and re-edited the film.  

As I said at the start of this post, I have never seen this film in ideal circumstances. But even at that, I have always been impressed by the level of talent and craft on display in Touch of Evil.  It is a classic film that deserves its legend as a film noir masterpiece.