Touch of Evil (Restored to Orson Welles' Vision)

Touch of Evil (Restored to Orson Welles' Vision)

Touch of Evil (Restored to Orson Welles' Vision)
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DVD Cover Information

Actor: Joe Basulto, Joseph Calleia, Marlene Dietrich, Ray Collins, Zsa Zsa Gabor
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: Black & White, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.85:1
Running Time: 111 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2000-10-31
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Universal Studios

Movie Reviews of Touch of Evil (Restored to Orson Welles' Vision)

Movie Review: Technically Great, But Lacking Citizen Kane's Insights Into Human Nature
Summary: 5 Stars

This is breath-takingly good, particularly the famous opening shot of the car bomb, Heston's performance, and great supporting work by Dietrich and Weaver. I find Wells' acting to be a bit overdone in the role as the "heavy" (in more ways than one).

I was disappointed, however, in the failure of the film to explore the amibguities of human nature and to offer the insight into human nature that Citizen Kane does. I don't agree with commentators who would put "Touch of Evil" in the same category as "Citizen Kane." Citizen Kane is like a great novel which reveals new insights with each viewing. But apart from greater appreciation of Wells' technical genius, I don't think re-viewing of this movie offers us any new insights. The characters and the story here are a bit one-dimensional, at least in comparision with Citizen Kane.

The bonus material on the DVD is very disappointing. There is no commentary. But it is great to have on DVD the version that most resembles that intended by Wells.

Summary of Touch of Evil (Restored to Orson Welles' Vision)

Considered by many to be the greatest B movie ever made, the original-release version of Orson Welles's film noir masterpiece Touch of Evil was, ironically, never intended as a B movie at all--it merely suffered that fate after it was taken away from writer-director Welles, then reedited and released in 1958 as the second half of a double feature. Time and critical acclaim would eventually elevate the film to classic status (and Welles's original vision was meticulously followed for the film's 1998 restoration), but for four decades this original version stood as a testament to Welles's directorial genius. From its astonishing, miraculously choreographed opening shot (lasting over three minutes) to Marlene Dietrich's classic final line of dialogue, this sordid tale of murder and police corruption is like a valentine for the cinematic medium, with Welles as its love-struck suitor. As the corpulent cop who may be involved in a border-town murder, Welles faces opposition from a narcotics officer (Charlton Heston) whose wife (Janet Leigh) is abducted and held as the pawn in a struggle between Heston's quest for truth and Welles's control of carefully hidden secrets. The twisting plot is wildly entertaining (even though it's harder to follow in this original version), but even greater pleasure is found in the pulpy dialogue and the sheer exuberance of the dazzling directorial style. --Jeff Shannon

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