Review of Touch of Evil (1958) by Kyle V — 15 Aug 2009

Yet another reason why Orson Welles should be revered as one of Hollywood's great directors. This may be the best "corrupt cop" movie of all; detective Quinlan (played expertly by Welles himself) is, as one character puts it, a "great detective.

..and a lousy cop." The film opens with one of the most famous shots in cinema, that of a long, tracking crane shot that continues for more than three minutes without cutting. Of particular note is Welles' excellent light and shadow cinematography, heavily influenced by German expressionism, and the fantastic use of sound (both also great features of his "Citizen Kane"), including the compelling "beat" soundtrack by Henry Mancini.

This film, considered by many critics to be the last classic film noir, is in fact a good 8 to 10 years ahead of its time, perhaps indicating that classic period noir had finally run its course, returning to the place from which it had sprung, shown in this film as being quite literally in the garbage-strewn gutter ("where it belongs," according to the famous Chandler quote).

Highly recommended.