Touch of Evil
By: Paul Gilbert
It was supposed to be his big Hollywood comeback. During the editing of the film, Orson disappeared, and the execs took over the editing; which resulted in the famous 58 page memo from Welles on what was wrong with the final version. Nevertheless, Touch of Evil was and continues to be a frightening look at the most corrosive side of humanity. Welles gives his most humanizing role as Hank Quinlan, the corrupt detective of a small border town. Like all the best villains you feel sorry for the bastard. Janet Leigh is stuck in a creepy motel, one of many in her career. Charlton Heston is a Mexican. Let that sink in. It’s a visual tour de force, with long unbroken one-take shots and close ups using wide angle lenses that let you peer into the character’s thoughts and souls. Thankfully you can buy the DVD or Blu-ray of Touch of Evil with all three versions of the film, including the reconstructed version that applies all of Welles changes outlined in the memo.
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