Touch Of Evil

Orson Welles/Harry Keller, USA 1958, 95 minutes

In a town straddling the Mexican border a car bomb goes off. The killing happens in US territory, and so it will be investigated by Hank Quinlan (Orson Welles, who also wrote and directed). Though his work is legendary, his personal life is in ruins - his only friends in the film are his partner Menzies (Joseph Calleia) and the fortune teller Tanya (Marlene Dietrich)

The investigation won't all be down to Quinlan. Mexican detective Ramon Vargas (Charlton Heston) and his new wife (Janet Leigh) witness the bombing. Vargas duly becomes involved in the investigation. As he delves further into the case, Vargas uncovers more than he bargained for.

Right from the start of this noir thriller we are drawn into the seedy border town; the hot desert in which the town is set, and the seedy underworld in which most of the action takes place. What initially seems a perfectly simple investigation becomes complicated as the film progresses, the investigations of Vargas and Quinlan diverging. The tension is maintained throughout. There is genuine doubt as to the outcome and the deft characterisations stun.

Touch of Evil is not Welles' best work, but only because he produced other films which were truly great. The direction and acting (particularly from Welles and Dietrich) combine to make this a hugely atmospheric and entertaining noir.

Review by Mark Brown
Taken from EUFS Programme 1997-98