Review of Touch of Evil (1958) by Emile H — 05 Jul 2016

If by now you still think "Citizen Kane" is Orson Welles' best film, let alone the best film of all time, you probably are being a bit too snobby as a film critic. Right from the opening scene, you realize how better this film really is.

There are strong performances all around from the main actors (Heston, Leigh, and Welles himself). His classic direction and ambition is seen here with camera work that makes you feel like you're part of the scene, albeit not part of the action.

But what's surprising is the stunning parallels between Welles and his corrupt cop character, as this would be the last film he made for Hollywood. The result, according to Welles' memo at least, is a film that brings you every step of a characters' actions without overt explanation.