This Orson Welles suspense thriller has more of a problematic history than that of Citizen Kane; it is another story of Welles waging an unsuccessful battle against the Hollywood studio to realize his artistic vision. Fortunately, viewers have the opportunity to see both Welles’ directors’ cut (finally released in 1998) and the original theatrical release as edited in-house by Universal Studios. Charlton Heston is a Mexican narcotics detective who witnesses a car bombing take place during his honeymoon in a small border town. His assistance in the ensuing investigation sees both he and his wife ensnared in a web of abduction, murder, and police corruption on both the Mexican and American sides. Charlton Heston later regretted his poor acting choices—he admittedly does not ‘play Mexican’ very well—but the rest of his performance is fine. However, this film belongs to Orson Welles in his role as the slovenly American police captain with a good-cop reputation built on dishonesty. Touch of Evil’s camera work and cinematography are things of legend that influenced an entire generation of great directors and filmmakers. Another film for film lovers.
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