Review of Touch of Evil (1958) by Amal H — 16 May 2011
18.5.2011.
Touch of Evil is among the greatest films ever made. Calling Orson Welles a genius at this point of time would be redundant, but there's not really any other words to describe his ultimate command of the medium, showing itself again - just like in Citizen Kane - in this baroque variation of American film noir. The famous long takes - the opening shot must be the most famous in the history of cinema - are of the most crystallized brilliance, but in the mood of this hallucinatory nightmare world the striking editing, the dutch angels, the lens choices and sound design play perhaps even more significant role. The characters around the heroic couple are of this world - and the film's sense of humour embodies itself in the weird nightman of the motel - but the film's center is dominated by Orson Welles's magnificient Detective Hank Quinlan, one of the most memorable characters of the silver screen. Henry Mancini's music captures the atmosphere of the masterpiece. Time to fall in love with this tour de force again.
This review of Touch of Evil (1958) was written by Amal H on 16 May 2011.
Touch of Evil has generally received very positive reviews.
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