Touch of Evil (Restored Collector's Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Maybe Welles should have stuck to the acting this time
Review: As an actor, Orson Welles genuinely distinguishes himself here--no coasting beneath the padding and putty nose, but a quiet, coiled-spring performance; his character is a good man gone badly off the rails, and yet he never becomes a comic-book villain. His behavior in this story becomes all the more chilling because he gives you the sense that his evil is justfied by the higher cause of sending guilty people to jail, the legal system be damned.

I wish I could lavish the same praise on Welles' work as a director, but I can't. His excessive fondness for visual tricks runs amok, many of the performances are perfunctory or worse (Charlton Heston is downright embarrassing wearing what looks like mahogany furniture polish on his face to play a Mexican detective, and Dennis Weaver's perofrmance as a sub-mental hotel clerk should have been punished somehow), and he is so indifferent to plot that it is sometimes impossible to figure out just who is double-crossing who and why. And all of the careful fixing of this film by editor and writer Walter Murch has done nothing to improve the film. Indeed, his most famous alteration to the film, removing the titles from the film's opening sequence, has actually hurt things. Since the thing is essentially a long tracking shot in which nothing happens for almost three minutes, you find yourself drumming your fingers and looking at the ceiling and starting to sympathize with the studio executives who recognized three minutes of pointless showing-off when they saw it . . . (as for the myth that the credits destroyed Welles visuals, that is also nonsense--the credits were placed discreetly at the corners of the screen, doing nothing to ruin the widescreen composition).

Undeniably, Welles was not treated nicely by Hollywood, but by the time this film came out, he wasn't always work that deserved to be treated nicely either . . .

Rating:
Summary: Obviously endowed with the fingerprints of genius
Review: I have not seen the studio cut of this movie, only the restored edition, so I have no reference point to the changes that had been made.

I enjoyed the ambiguity of the characters and how very subtly they are portrayed by the great cast. I found it hard to believe Charlton Heston with unnaturally darkened skin as a Mexican, but this is one of his better overall performances.

The camera work is fantastic, some of the most original and effective I've seen. The opening shot alone is, so to speak, worth the price of admission. Sometimes the frame does seem a bit claustrophobic, which may have something to do with the wide screen format, but I can't be sure.

To be honest, I want to like this movie more than I do. The story is really very compelling; however, it is awkwardly paced through the first half and the dialogue--although often brilliant--sometimes comes across stilted.

I have the feeling that Orson Welles would have approved of this cut of the film, but I also think he could have personally done a better job with it.

Rating:
Summary: "Your future is all used up"
Review: "Read my future for me," asks sottish police Captain Hank Quinlan, portrayed by Orson Welles in his TOUCH OF EVIL. "You haven't got any," replies Tanya, the fortune-telling prostitute (wonderfully played by screen legend Marlene Dietrich). Although the two actors probably didn't know it at the time, Tanya was not only seeing Quinlan's future, she was also predicting Welles'. For after filming this excellent piece of Film Noir, the studio wrested control away from Welles and gave the job of editing to somebody else, then released the resulting LUSUS NATURAE without Welles' blessing. When the studio-vitiated version failed at the box office, Welles' directing career was all but over in Hollywood.

After Welles himself viewed the impaired film, he wrote a lengthy epistle to the studio explaining where they went wrong in the editing and what he had planned to do instead. The studio ignored it. But in the late 1990s, Producer Rick Schmidlin and soundman Walter Murch took Welles' letter and followed it meticulously. Painstakingly re-editing, remixing sound, and removing studio add-ons, they produced a version of the movie that is about as close to Welles' original vision as anybody but Welles himself is likely to get. And thankfully, this is the version now offered by Universal on DVD as TOUCH OF EVIL (RESTORED COLLECTOR'S EDITION).

The film tells the story of a Mexican narcotics officer (Charlton Heston) who crosses swords with the boozing chief-of-police (Orson Welles) in a Mexican-American border town. The Latin cop and his beautiful American wife (Janet Leigh) are witness to a bombing while visiting the U.S. side of the town, and though they have their suspicions about who is responsible for the bombing, the American police chief has his own ideas. Soon, each side is accusing the other of hampering the investigation, but the corrupt American cop is willing to go to ANY length to prove HIS theory correct....

As director, Welles' work on this film is just fantastic. The opening shot alone is often praised as one of the best ever captured on celluloid. Approximately three minutes long, it is a continuous shot in which the camera travels around town like a spectral observer, thereby allowing the audience quickly assimilate the setting and get acquainted with film's main characters. As the film progresses, director Welles and cinematographer Russell Metty make the characters and the town look even seedier, when necessary to the plot, through the use of camera angles and lighting. Visually, the result is more than a movie; it is a breathtakingly orchestrated piece of noirish high art.

As for the plot, even in the restored version some of the characters seem a little like cardboard cutouts, and there are a few plot elements that seem contrived for the purpose of giving a character something to do. For example, for part of the film, Janet Leigh's character is sequestered in an out-of-the way motel. While there, bizarre things happen to her that are not in the least germane to the narrative. Only when she comes in contact with a few Mexican hoodlums does anything happen that helps to progress the plot, and even then it is hard to discern what the punks actually do to her.

With a few minor exceptions--dig Dennis Weaver as the hayseed proprietor of the aforementioned motel--the acting in the film is excellent. Welles totally transforms himself in the role of Captain Quinlan, so much so that it takes a few moments to realize that it IS Welles. Although it is a bit difficult to initially accept Charlton Heston as Hispanic, he does a quite convincing job portraying an honest officer who is primarily concerned with truth and justice. And Janet Leigh, of course, is always an exceptional actress, and here we get to see her in ... underwear, too!

Admittedly, TOUCH OF EVIL is no match for Welles' magnum opus CITIZEN KANE. But this is mainly due to a few holes in TOUCH OF EVIL's convoluted plot. Visually, the film is every bit as stunning as CITIZEN KANE, and this restored version will certainly be considered a Welles minor masterpiece in years to come.

The DVD from Universal offers a nice, crisp digital transfer of the black-and-white film. Not only has Welles' editing been restored according to his notes, but his original soundtrack--a combination of local Hispanic music, radio music, and local sound effects--is restored here, too. The film is also offered in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio that Welles intended, and the DVD offers it in enhanced anamorphic widescreen format. Included in the bonus features is the complete text of Welles' letter to the studio in which, as mentioned before, he spells out his vision for the film's editing. In short, this DVD is a film student's dream, and it also a cool collectible for any aficionado of good cinema.

Rating:
Summary: What really happened
Review: Charlton Heston was actually the one who got Orson Welles the job of acting in and directing this great movie.

The studios never liked Welles, but Heston was just coming off his huge commercial success in Ben-Hur, and he had enough clout to get Welles this job.

As for those complaining about Heston playing a Latino -- hey, without Heston's presence, the thing probably wouldn't have gotten made at all.

So give him the credit he's due here. Besides, his performance was plenty good enough to carry the part.

Rating:
Summary: Welles rises from the dead
Review: This film was originally another case of Welles making a good film and having it taken away by the studio, recut and made worse. Its amazing that it still had a good reputation, despite having a few scenes that made little sense and were laughable. The studio granted Welles a screening of the recut film. He immediately dictated a 50 page letter to the studio politely asking for changes (that they never made). The DVD has the original letter and reading it is remarkable. The man saw the final cut once and remembered the whole thing frame by frame, and articulately explained why it should be cut differently. Based on the detailed instructions, the film was recut and this DVD relects the results - a good film made great. One of the finest Noir films ever!

Rating:
Summary: Classic Noir
Review: This is Welles working in accord with his cinematic genius. A compelling story with some very entertaining characters. A predecessor to Tarantino's work.
What even better is that Welles is secure enough to change his image into a nasty, sloth, fat old sweaty cop and he's ambitious enough to try and pass off Chuck Heston for a Mexican, which actually is done pretty well.
I had the opportunity to see it restored and according to Welles' instructions to how he wanted it edited. I've since seen the studio version and the Welles' version is so much better. Why don't studios listen to the directors in the first place. Yet another piece of evidence mirroring a career that of Terry Gilliam.
I love this movie and am always thrilled when watching it over and over.
Touch of Evil is a little known classic.

Rating:
Summary: "And this is where you're going to die..."
Review: The story is pretty much known by many that after the heated battle with "Citizen Kane," Orson Welles was never given complete control over his films again. This would lead to the studio editing his movies and changing things he didn't want changed. This was the case with "Touch of Evil," and of course this really upset Welles. Now circumstances are different, as the DVD "Touch of Evil" offers you the restored and uncut version that is as close to Orson Welles' vision as you can get. And the results are pretty amazing, I must admit. "Touch of Evil" is an outstanding film noir that is unlike any you have ever seen.

It all starts with a car explosion that kills two. A Mexican narcotics investigator and a very obsessive and cold police chief are thrown into the investigation. That's only half the story, as the investigator's wife is confronted by a known criminal and his gang of hoodlums that threaten to cause trouble for them. And what's worse is that the police chief doesn't appear to be the most honorable man in the world, and perhaps is even crooked. This all leads to an explosive plot with an unbelievable finale that is both unpredictable and satisfying. It is very clear why "Touch of Evil" is hailed as a classic by many.

It's great to see that the movie has been restored to Welles' original vision. I've never seen the studio version of the film, and I never want to. I'm sure they did a fine job butchering it. Welles has done for "Touch of Evil" what Hitchcock has done for "Psycho." The outcome is an authentic and exhilarating film noir that is very different from any other film noir that is out there.

Charlton Heston is great in his role. He proves to be a pretty convincing Mexican narcotics investigator. Very hard to imagine, but it works on the screen. Orson Welles is unrelenting and chilling as the police chief, Hank Quinlan. No way in the world could the part have been played by anybody else. Janet Leigh also gives an unforgettable performance that gives the movie the extra kick it needs.

The DVD has a few extras. The picture and sound is really good, considering how old of a film it is. It is a very clear-cut transfer that does the movie justice. Extra features included are production notes, cast and crew bios, the original theatrical trailer, and Welles' complete memo to the studio about how he felt about the changes forced upon the film. It would've been nice to see this film get the "2-disk" treatment, but hopefully that will happen sometime in the future. I think many will be impressed with the fact that the film is now uncut and restored, leading to them not being too let down that there aren't many extras.

"Touch of Evil" is a great film that kept my complete attention from start to finish. Some may not like it since the pace can be slow at times, but that is the nature of film noir. The overall product is a dark and haunting film that was groundbreaking then and continues to be groundbreaking now. Highly recommended for huge film buffs, but then again chances are you have already seen it. I was very pleased with the film and it will be one that I will watch again and again. If you're looking for a different and exciting experience, be sure to give it a try. After all, the worst that can happen is you not liking the movie in the end. I think it's worth the risk.

Rating:
Summary: a film noir masterpiece
Review: While not as highly regarded as Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil is arguably Welles' second greatest film and now it is being presented as the filmmaker had originally intended it to be. Included on the DVD is his 58-page memo to Universal Studios detailing all the changes he wanted to be made to their compromised version of the film.

As it stands now, this is an amazing film with some of the most impressive deep focus photography ever put to screen. The depth of field that Welles creates is astounding.

Touch of Evil is also probably one of the last of classic film noirs produced by Hollywood and was a great way to end this period of the genre.

A lot of people poo-poo the casting of Charlton Heston as a Mexican (?!) government muckty-muck and to be sure that was some really odd bit of casting but he's perfectly cast as the straight-arrow good guy of the film. But he's totally blown off the screen by Welles' corrupt sheriff who simply steals every scene he is in. Janet Leigh, stunning as ever, is also really good as Heston's beleaguered wife.

What I like best about this film is the moody atmosphere that permeates every scene -- even the daylight ones. It draws you into this corrupt, cynical world and never lets go. Essential viewing.

Rating:
Summary: A classic noir by a master of filmaking
Review: The magic Orson Welles brought to the screen has never been appreciated enough in America, even though he was responsible for such masterpieces as this 1950s film noir, a classic of the genre. Welles offers up a triple play in this black-and-white film, stuffed with atmospheric action. Orson plays the corrupt border cop, Hank Quinlan, with subtle understatement (an achievement of the first rank for an actor prone to overplaying), allowing the audience to experience the brilliance of his acting unadorned with mannerisms (although there is a substantial false nose); Orson writes a script out of almost-not-there-at-all original source material, with words that snap and snarl; Orson directs a knife-sharp, tense drama about events that, really, don't mean very much at all. (All this while pretending that Charlton Heston is Mexican and that Janet Leigh's arm isn't broken).To think that an emiminent New Yorker type once scribbled that Orson absconded with his best ideas from washed-up or overwhelmed colleagues. Not true, madame critique; your silly canard follows you to the grave, while "Touch of Evil" helps Welles defend himself, even though he's just ashes now in Spain. Modern moviemakers, take heed: Learn your craft from a master, in a DVD version of the film that shows it all, the way he wanted it to be seen. (If you've only seen the earlier versions, with the massive, nonsensical cuts, you have not seen the film).

Rating:
Summary: Excellent direction
Review: It is not the story, but the direction by Welles that make Touch of Evil a great film. The use of lighting in particular is excellent. Welles creates in the corrupt cop Quinlan one of the best screen villains of all time. Must see for noir fans.