Touch of Evil (1958)

Regista:

Orson Welles

Writers:

Whit Masterson (novel)
Orson Welles (screenplay)

Data di uscita:

8 giugno 1958 (France)

Genere:

Crime | Film-Noir | Thriller

Slogan:

The Strangest Vengeance Ever Planned!

Plot:

Stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping, and police corruption in Mexican border town.

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Venice California | Classic | Film Noir | Famous Entrance

Premi:

3 wins

Recensioni degli utenti:

Spellbinding thriller

Cast

Charlton Heston	...	Ramon Miguel 'Mike' Vargas
Janet Leigh	...	Susan 'Susie' Vargas
Orson Welles	...	Police Captain Hank Quinlan
Joseph Calleia	...	Police Sergeant Pete Menzies
Akim Tamiroff	...	'Uncle' Joe Grandi
Joanna Cook Moore	...	Marcia Linnekar (as Joanna Moore)
Ray Collins	...	District Attorney Adair
Dennis Weaver	...	Mirador Motel night manager
Valentin de Vargas	...	Pancho, Grandi hood (as Valentin De Vargas)
Mort Mills	...	Al Schwartz, district attorney's assistant
Victor Millan	...	Manelo Sanchez
Lalo Rios	...	Risto, Grandi's nephew throwing acid
Michael Sargent	...	Pretty Boy
Phil Harvey	...	Blaine
Joi Lansing	...	Zita

Alias:

Infernale Quinlan, L' (Italy) [it]

Durata:

95 min | Germany:111 min (1998 alternate version) | USA:108 min (1975 alternate vesion) | USA:112 min (director's cut) | Spain:106 min (DVD edition)

Nazionalità:

USA

Lingua:

Inglese | Spagnolo

Colore:

Bianco e nero

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sonoro:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Divieti:

Germany:16 (restored version) (re-rating: 2005) | South Korea:15 (2003) | Netherlands:6 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-11 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-12 (restored version) | Finland:K-16 (original rating) | Germany:18 (restored version) | Norway:15 (re-rating) (1999) | Norway:16 (1985) | Spain:13 (DVD rating) | Sweden:11 (restored version) | Sweden:15 (original rating) | UK:12 | USA:Approved (PCA #18506) (original rating) | USA:PG-13 (re-rating) (1998) | USA:Unrated (restored version) | West Germany:16 (nf)

Luoghi delle riprese:

Venice, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Curiosità:

Orson Welles was said to have based the drug scenes on his own experiences, with the Grandi kids' use of marijuana symbolizing his own indifference towards the legality of the drug, and the violent use of heroin representing his feeling that anything harder than that was just "suicide", as he once put it.

Errori:

Continuity: As the night-man leads Vargas to cabin seven, Vargas jumps from his right side to his left at a cut.

Citazioni:

[first lines]
Border Cop: Uh, you folks American citizens?

Movie Connections:

Citato in Suburban Girl (2007)

Spellbinding thriller

There are only two ways to write a review that would truly do this film justice. Either one would have to write an exceedingly long review, or a short, concise one. I choose to do the latter.

When I first saw "Touch of Evil," I was glued to the chair. When I found out it was not Welles' definitive vision, I wondered how on earth it could have been made better. And when I saw the re-released version, I wondered why the studio altered it. The stunning black-and-white images, the intricate plot, and the powerful, engaging performances took a hold of my imagination. At times, I imagined myself on the street with the characters, because the atmosphere was so thick I felt surrounded in it.

The actors all did an outstanding job, especially Leigh and Heston (who, although not thoroughly convincing as a Mexican, soared above his usual powerful, furious presence). This is Welles' picture, however, and whenever the camera catches his obese figure, you are fully aware of the man as a director and an actor. His powerful vision drives the film, from the single-cut opening sequence to the cat-and-mouse finale.

I suggest watching the 1998 restored version over the original theatrical release, but regardless of which version, "Touch of Evil" will have you stuck in your seat, questioning your views of morality until long after the last credit has rolled up the screen.