Touch of Evil (1958)The coolest, funniest, strangest and most perverse noir I've ever seen. Welles was way ahead of his time once again, here's a film about a burnt out cop who becomes both the judge and jury, a shell of his former righteous self but still a "great cop" with a nose for crime. The camera is an important instrument for Welles and here the cinematography is bold and reckless; the opening sequence is a spectacular one-take crane shot that starts with a tight close-up of a ticking bomb and ends with a ball of fire which takes place off camera. Welles uses only Heston and Janet Leigh characters' reaction to the explosion, a visual technique that is repeated several times during the film. Welles is more interested in how an event changes a person's expression to a surprise or tragedy. The humour is unquestionably oddball (the Coen Brothers may well be aping Welles) especially with Dennis Weaver's motel manager character who shares a strong resemblance to the Brothers' regular actor collaborator John Turturro. Welles is very Hitchcockian here but his manipulation of images is steeped in bleakness, they are less merciful standing in sharp contrast to the light tone of the film. Capt Hank Quinlan, Welles' cop walks that fine line between comedy and seriousness, hero and villain, madman and genius; I'm not sure if any other actor could have salvaged this role (our knowledge of Welles being Welles helps, in one scene - a reference to his real life – Quinlan’s former lover evens mocks his obesity by saying "you've been eating candy bars.") The film is clumsy, sometimes teetering on slapstick, but there's magic about it; the film has the audacity to play as broad comedy (note one scene featuring Heston making a call while a one-eye woman sits tightly framed on the right side of the screen…the camera pans up Heston's head and reveals a sign that warns us not to steal from the blind and then ends with the sly "enjoy yourself"). Welles was clearly enjoying the hell out of himself! Henry Mancini's jazz score is fun and sexy, casting a net of retro-cool to the dramatic tension. My favourite scene involves Heston and Dennis Weaver’s quirky motel manager standing just outside the porch as the wind plays tricks with their hair and clothes. This scene perfectly describes the tone of the film, a brilliant thriller and crime drama that doesn't take itself seriously but manages to say serious things about youth, old age, justice, honour, disillusionment and the deep-rooted hurt from losing the love of your life. ak
Rating: 
out of
