Touch of Evil (1958)

• Year: 1958
• Released: 23 Apr 1958
• Country: United States
• Adwords: 7 wins & 1 nomination
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052311/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/touch_of_evil
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/touch-of-evil
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English, Spanish
• MPA Rating: PG-13
• Genre: Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
• Runtime: 95 min
• Writer: Orson Welles, Whit Masterson, Franklin Coen
• Director: Orson Welles
• Cast: Charlton Heston, Orson Welles, Janet Leigh
• Keywords: black and white, gangster, noir, investigation, hotel,

	8.0/10
	99/100

Touch of Evil Storyline

Hispanic Mike Vargas and his Caucasian bride Susie Vargas, a Mexican and American citizen respectively, have just crossed the relatively open Mexico-US border into the States. Mike is relatively well known on both sides of the border, he a high ranking Mexican government official tasked largely with cleaning up the illicit drug trade. Almost immediately after they enter the States, a car which had also just entered the country and which Mike and Susie had passed many times in crossing the border, explodes, killing the driver, local American businessman Rudy Linnekar, and his unknown female passenger. Because of the cross-border implications of the case with the bomb most likely planted in Mexico, Mike decides that he should assist in the investigation, leaving Susie at an isolated motel in the meantime. Leading the investigation is the town’s police captain, grizzled and gimp legged Hank Quinlan, a man known to get the criminals and known to work off his gut. Quinlan’s high regard is despite being an alcoholic, his favorite watering hole which used to be a cantina brothel on the Mexican side operated by a madam named Tana who is also an amateur fortune teller. His drinking is apparently under control. In this case, Quinlan’s gut tells him that the person who killed Linnekar is a Mexican national named Manelo Sanchez, who is secretly associated with Linnekar’s daughter, Marcia Linnekar. The American officials and Mike take the opportunity of the relatively open border to conduct their investigation on both sides. Quinlan discovers hard evidence that Sanchez is indeed the murderer. However, Mike questions Quinlan’s findings, in the process questioning what has been his highly respected and successful career in law enforcement. Quinlan will seemingly go to any length to protect his good name and integrity. Thrown into the mix is a local resident named Joe Grandi, who is out for Mike because one of the people Mike is investigating is Grandi’s brother. In these many battles, Susie may be more than acceptable collateral damage for Quinlan and Grandi, with the Linnekar case lost in the shuffle.

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Touch of Evil Movie Reviews

A Masterpiece of Malevolence and Loss of Humanity

After crossing the border of Mexico to the United States of America, the bomb planted in the car of the wealthy businessman Rudy Linneker blows up in Los Robles. The Mexican Chief of Narcotics Miguel Vargas (Charlton Heston) is spending honeymoon with his American wife Susan Vargas (Janet Leigh) in the border town and will testify in the case of the drug dealer Grandi that is arrested in Mexico City. The idolized ex-alcoholic American Police Captain Hank Quinlan (Orson Welles) is in charge of the investigation since the murder happened in the American side of the border, but Mike Vargas participates as observer since the Mexican citizen Sanchez (Victor Millan) is the prime suspect. Meanwhile, Uncle Joe Grandi (Akim Tamitoff) unsuccessfully presses Susie, trying to convince her husband to drop the case. When Hank plants two dynamites in the house of Sanchez in a shoe box that Vargas had seen empty ten minutes before, he confronts Hanks. Joe Grandi witnesses their argument and associates to Hank to discredit Vargas, dishonoring Susie.

“Touch of Evil” is a masterpiece of malevolence and loss of humanity and one of my favorite movies ever. The long sequence in the beginning is in my opinion the best in cinema history, with a perfect timing. The black and white cinematography is amazing, with the perfect use of shadows and lighting. The story is fantastic and Orson Welles is awesome in the role of a despicable policeman that believes in his hunches, eternally grieves the loss of his wife and wishes to bring justice no matter the means and without any ethic. Janet Leigh performs a strong female character unusual in the 50’s. Charlton Heston has also an unforgettable performance in the role of an ethical police office that is the opposite of Hank and prioritizes his work to his family, leaving his wife alone to seek the truth about his opponent. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): “A Marca da Maldade” (“The Mark of the Malevolence”)

It’s very good, but,….

This review may never be read, as I am sure that there are tons of reviews. Plus, as my review isn’t really negative nor is it glowing, the fact that you now are reading it is really cool. Really,…you are obvious a very special person.

I have seen this movie twice, as the first time I couldn’t see exactly what everyone was so excited about when it came to this film. And, after the second time, I found I liked it a little more but still can’t understand how it made it to the top 250 here on IMDb. Yes, it’s a very good film,…but certainly not great.

The plot has a lotta nice twists and the camera work is lovely and very Noir-ish, but the film also has a few flaws that can’t be overlooked and should keep this in the “good but not marvelous” category. First, whose stupid idea was it to paint Charlton Heston’s hair and have him play a Mexican?! While it’s not as silly as John Wayne playing Genghis Khan, it is approaching that–especially since Heston has not a trace of an accent. Second, while some praised Orson Welles’ performance, I did also find him menacing, but he looked so bloated and winded all the time, he looked like he was nearly ready to keel over at any minute. Both should have been replaced–great actors in the WRONG movie–then the film might have merited a 9 or 10.

One of the great American masterworks

I like Orson Welles’ movies a lot. Touch of Evil for me is one of his best and one of the all-time great American masterworks. Welles himself deserves a lot of credit for making this movie work. He is a superb director and his direction here is never less than extremely effective. Acting-wise also, Welles also gives one of his career’s greatest performances as Hank Quinlin, possibly his career’s most interesting character too because he is so corrupt and corpulent. The look of the film is wonderful and holds up so well with innovative camera work and brooding production values. The music is unusual but memorable and fitting, and the writing and characterisations are first rate as is the deeply disturbing story right from the opening sequence-one of the best opening sequences on film- to the grisly finale and while Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh are great in their roles I think it’s Welles that makes Touch of Evil work so well. Overall, a masterpiece. 10/10 Bethany Cox