Touch of Evil (1958)

Film: Touch of Evil

Director: Orson Welles

Country: USA

Released: April 1958

Runtime: 111 minutes

Genre: Film Noir

Studio: Universal

Influenced: Francis Ford Coppola, Brian de Palma, David Lynch, Ridley Scott, Amy Heckerling

In an interview about Touch of Evil, Charlton Heston tells the story that he was speaking with the money men by telephone in the early stages of production, and asked them who was directing the film (initially known as Badge of Evil, based on the novel by Whit Masterson). They told Heston that no director had been appointed but that Orson Welles was confirmed to star as police detective Hank Quinlan. Heston says he then suggested that Welles should direct the film too, as film noirs and westerns were ten a penny and what would really make the film distinctive was a great director.

Welles said he accepted the offer to direct for no extra pay but on one condition – that he could rewrite the script. This he apparently did in 10 days. Welles also tells the story of Marlene Dietrich's involvement, and how she said her fee would change depending on whether she was credited in any promotional material for the movie. As well as Dietrich (as gypsy Tana), Welles and Heston (as Mexican special prosector Vargas), the film also stars Janet Leigh (as Vargas' wife Susie) and Zsa Zsa Gabor (as the strip club owner), and is set in a fictional Mexican border town.

The opening scene, comprising a highly innovative and daring three-minute tracking shot, is particularly famous and features a bomb explosion, which kills a wealthy businessman and his mistress in a car. The case falls into the hands of Vargas, who is investigating drug trafficking across the border. But Vargas is not alone in his investigation, as he soon finds himself at odds with corrupt American police captain Quinlan, who believes that the bomb was planted by a young Mexican suspect.

As the investigation progresses, Vargas begins to suspect that Quinlan is involved in the crime, and that he may have planted evidence to frame the Mexican suspect. Vargas' wife Susie also becomes involved in the case when she is kidnapped by a gang of drug traffickers, who are working with Quinlan. The film's labyrinthine and multi-layered narrative is expertly crafted, and Welles' noir visual style (low-angle shots, chiaroscuro lighting) and use of sound & music is also highly innovative and effective. I'm also particular fond of the film's dialogue and its ambiguous ending. When Dietrich says "adios" in the closing scene, it's like she's saying farewell to a wonderful career on screen in her last great performance.

Welles was upset that he was cut out of post-production on Touch of Evil and frozen out of Hollywood again following its release. Universal added clumsy exposition scenes and the film subsequently flopped but now we can see a much better director's cut version. Welles says he wanted to make something that was "unreal but true" and also said that he was inspired by James Cagney in his larger-than-life performance as Quinlan. There's a moral ambiguity to the film in that, despite using the wrong methods, Quinlan ends up being vindicated. In all honesty I find the film uneven at times, but its moral complexity and the various moments of genius, like the long opening tracking shot, make Touch of Evil worthy of inclusion in any list of the greatest movies.