Touch of Evil

This film has quite a famous story behind it. Orson Welles directed and starred as a broken-down, corrupt cop along the Mexican border who comes up against a murder that he can't turn in his favor. Presumably because of Welles's history in Hollywood -- his transparent portrayal of Howard Hughes in Citizen Kane caused him to essentially be blacklisted in that town -- the studio took this film and significantly edited it, resulting in a final product with little of Welles's vision left intact. Welles wrote a 40+ page memo to the studio asking for certain edits to be re-considered. Nothing doing. It wasn't until a few years ago that someone in the film industry unearthed this letter and used it to create the film that Welles always meant to make. Example: the opening shot, which is one continuous 4 minute 15 second shot (where do you think Brian de Palma got that trick from?) tracking Charlton Heston (the Mexican cop) and Janet Leigh, newlyweds, as they walk across the border. The bar music drifts in and out of the score, the shot rolls on, the characters develop, you tangibly feel what a border town is like. It's incredible, and the studio hacked it to pieces for the original release. Welles was also a master of suspense (you think Hitchcock had it sewn up?). As Welles's character gets out of a car at the beginning of the film, the camera is positioned below the running board of the car shooting upwards. This is typical for showing suspense and danger, but he uses it in places (like this one) where you wouldn't expect it. The very best thing about the film is how everything comes together. The plot is seamless (heck, even Welles's cane plays a part!) and the ending truly is a stroke of genius. Down to the last conversation.

year: 1958
length: 112 min.
rating: 3.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052311/combined