Orson Well's seems to have one extra character for the audience in Touch Of Evil, his camera. Well's camera swoops in and out with the fluidity of a painter across a canvas. To some it may appear flashy. I think its brilliant. The other cast of characters include a mexican moustache touting Charlton Heston, his american wife (Janet Leigh), and Well's himself nearly unrecognizable and the obese police detective, giving one of the best performances of the decade. The plot of Evil is somewhat hard to explain, so here are the bare essentials. The story opens with a murder on the U.S./Mexico border. In trying to uncover the case certain characters compromise their values for things they perceive to be justice. A web of backstreet dealings and partnerships follow as motives become more clear. Then just as the film reaches its climax, new details are given that cause you to question your feelings about all the people involved.
Touch is a picture that was shot in black and white and takes up that familiar genre known as film noir. In the wrong hands this film could of ended up as a confusing melodrama but, thanks to Well's it's elevated to the status of a classic soaked deep with the blood of those who made it. Touch Of Evil is nothing less than one of the best films of the 1950's.
A+
1958
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