Touch of Evil poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Orson Welles, Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Marlene Dietrich, Akim Tamiroff

A stunning portrait of corruption and abuse of power, Touch of Evil gives Orson Welles a broad remit to flourish his directorial genius. Opening with an unseen man setting the timer on an explosive de...( read more  read more... )vice, the clock starts ticking down as soon as he stashes it in the boot of a fancy-looking car. Immediately afterwards, a well-heeled businessman motors off with his cheap-looking girlfriend. Through the tawdry streets they roll, until the camera smoothly picks up their passing by Mexican lawman Ramon "Mike" Vargas (Charlton Heston) and his new wife Susan (Janet Leigh). As the newly-weds cross over the border, into the US, they catch up and overtake the automobile. Just a few steps more and the car explodes in a ball of flame, casting harsh shadows. Unfortunately this is an international incident since the bomb was set in Mexico and detonated in America.

Flixster Users

92% liked it

24,698 ratings

Critics

94% liked it

51 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 48 min.

Directed by: Orson Welles

Release Date: May 21, 1958

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: October 31, 2000

Get It:

Stats: 1,386 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Touch of Evil Touch of Evil Akim Tamiroff and Welles Touch of Evil Janet Leigh- Touch Of Evil Orson Welles in Touch of Evil Touch of Evil Orson Welles- Touch of Evil
Upload a Photo |

View All Touch of Evil Photos (8)

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (1,386)

  • flixsterman
    July 22, 2009
    flixsterman
    I've heard it said that Touch of Evil, NOT Citizen Kane, is Orson Welles' greatest cinematic achievement. While I'm not sure I would agree with that statement I do agree that it's clearly a masterpiece of film noir, especially in the camera work. If there is a detra...( read more)ctor here it's buying into the casting of Charlton Heston as a Mexican lawman, for me that's a bit of a stretch. Otherwise, it's one of the best representations of movie making as an art form I've ever seen. Five stars.
  • Saxia
    June 30, 2009
    Saxia
    After telling the guy in the video store that I wasn't a big fan of Film Noir, he gave me this movie. I'm still not a Noir fan, but hell, this movie was something else! It was exciting! I really got a kick out of it.
    Orson was amazing, and Marlene Dietrich: what an appearance!

    ...( read more)"He was some kind of a man... What does it matter what you say about people?"
  • sanjurosamurai
    February 12, 2009
    sanjurosamurai
    orson wells has given us some of the most iconic characters in film history, from charles foster kane to harry lime, and in touch of evil he gives us hank quinlin. despite some significant weight gain and some extra padding that made wells nearly unrecognizable, his performance ...( read more)was excellent. we also get great performances from heston and leigh, and the cinematography was haunting bearing similarity to the camera work of greg toland in citizen kane. the opening sequence is one of the most effectively shot opening scenes that i have ever seen, and touch of evil is a classic noir.
  • sononothing
    January 6, 2009
    sononothing
    Touch of Evil is the Orson Welles masterpiece that fell into his lap and was then subsequently taken away by the studio and recut and reshot to their specifications. It would be forty years before Welles true vision was recreated based on a 53 page memo he sent to Universal in 19...( read more)58 airing his concerns over the changes.

    The film is opens with a car bomb exploding just as it leaves Mexico for the United States. A well respected Mexican drug enforcement agent names Vargas (Charlton Heston) is on his honeymoon with his new American bride Susie (Janet Leigh) and assists in the investigation that is headed by the legendary detective Hank Quinlan. As Vargas investigates the explosion and Quinlan's subsequent bending of the law his wife is being harassed and kidnapped by members of the Mexican crime family he plans on testifying against later in that week in Mexico City.

    What Welles created with Touch of Evil was the last noir picture. Most of the action occurs in the dark with shadows being most of the scenery and the flashing lights of Mexican burlesque halls filling the slummy rooms throughout the film. Although it's hard to accept Charlton Heston as a Mexican he still does a fine job as Vargas, playing a game of cat and mouse with Welles as Quinlan. Quinlan is the anti-Charles Foster Kane. Fat, old, ugly he's like a lumbering pig whose only goal is to finish cases no matter what the cost. He doesn't do it for money: he does it for himself.

    It's been said that Orson Welles peaked with Citizen Kane. That may be true, but Touch of Evil gives us the glimmer of that bright young man who went to Hollywood to make his kind of movies. Was he ahead of his time? Certainly.
  • doboy1
    October 3, 2008
    doboy1
    a good Orson Wells movie, but not to the level of Citize Cane. Charlton Heston as a Mexican? That's a miscast. Although a REAL Mexican marrying a beautiful vigirnal American woman may have been too much for the general public.
  • jam233
    January 31, 2010
    jam233
    Very atmospheric, superb cinematography and very intense and suspenseful from start to finish. The offbeat casting works amazingly well. Filled with touches of brilliance. Orson Welles direction is remarkable. A classic gem. Vivid performances.
  • mdek2112
    January 29, 2010
    mdek2112
    Praise belongs both to Welles and his crew for making the film, and to Universal for restoring it to the incredible cut that's available today.
    Welles' resourceful use of the cinematic medium and his pursuit of invention within the format can be fully viewed in Touch of Evil. T...( read more)he camerawork astounds, incorporating many haunting high and low angle images as it manuevers around the settings and chracters with bewildering fluidity while having a feeling of natural progression. LIght is utilized to capture the necessary features of each character and their surroundings as they are forced toward their fate. The towns, with their decaying Spanish-American architecture, the clutter and noise of their clubs, the cold, wasteland feel of the oil refineries, the overbearing simplicity of the motel in the desrt, and the warm, calm isolation of the desert itself - as on-location settings, they are beautifully presented in the aperture of the camera. And of course, the editing... just superb. Of course, the structure of the film is the work of editing done across decades, but the result is seamless, as the stories of Vargas, Susan, Quinlan, Grandi, and other characters blend exuberantly over a time frame of 24 hours and covering two sides of a border..
    Perhaps what makes this film a great display of Welles' talents is that it is the film where Welles is able to balance the style and substance of the film. Even with the marverllous cinematography, it never distracts you from what occurs in the story. The characters are played with realism and compassion. Heston plays the striaight-lace foreign cop with equal charm and intimidation. Leigh is a true inversion of the femme fatale, always too innocent for her own good. And Welles manages to bring his monstrous crooked cop to life, showing constant menace and macho authority, while also appearing a little frightened when everthing is falling apart. As with the best film noirs, the bit characters are also believable and sympathetic. Perhaps the only drawback is the idea of Heston playing a Mexican; like the others, I don't buy it. Still, the input of the actors keeps their moments from feeling bland or hyperbolic. As well, the story, one that involves murder, drugs, corruption of justice, abuse of power, rape, and a number of other oddities, keeps you fascinated with its complicated happenings.
    Basically, this is an essential film for anyone even remotely interested in Welles. In fact, you could learn a good deal about filmmaking just from what has been written and spoken about this alone.
  • camneelypoc
    January 26, 2010
    camneelypoc
    The finest film noir. Period
  • MightySparks
    January 14, 2010
    MightySparks
    To be honest, I had no idea what was going on. It was badly paced and edited. The acting was pretty bad, and Orson Welles mumbled so much that I couldn't understand a word he said.
  • gultenreiz
    January 13, 2010
    gultenreiz
    Maybe Welles's movies are masterpieces, but they are for sure hard to swallow and hence enjoyed, or maybe they are just artsy crap, I haven't decide it yet.
    This movie enters into the category of movies that should be winners with critics and public because of story and technic...( read more)al elements, but didn't do much for me. The camera angles and photography were revolutionary at the times, but to me they looked cheap.
    The story is forced and the characters are shallow, so loses the credibility and my sympathy. The acting is ok, Welles does a good job, a little bit over the top, but nothing new there, but Heston as mexican...Really?! Oh, well, I've seen worse than that. But his artificial tan changed its nuance during the film, and his accent was, uh, where?! The rest of the cast is wasted on this movie, and poor Dietrich, why did she took this job I wonder.
    My favorite scene is when Vargas arrives at the motel and looks for his wife, but his main concern seems to be his gun, apparently disappeared with his wife. That is a man who clearly know his priorities.

View All Touch of Evil Reviews

Critic Reviews

April 6, 2007
David Edelstein, Slate

I first saw it when I was 14 and thought it was one of the worst pictures ever -- garish, oppressive, and appallingly overacted. Grown up, I'd go with those same adjectives, except now I think it's on... full review

January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The film has always been a favorite of those who enjoy visual and dramatic flamboyance. full review

View more Touch of Evil reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments

This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "Touch of Evil" !

Post A Comment | View All Comments

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Official Trailer

View Larger Touch of Evil Trailer

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Citizen Kane
    Citizen Kane (82%)
  • Du Rififi Chez les Hommes (Rififi)
    Du Rififi Chez les Hommes (Rififi) (100%)
  • Breathless (À bout de souffle) (By a Tether)
    Breathless (À bout de souffle) (By a Tether) (50%)
  • Mr. Arkadin (Confidential Report)
    Mr. Arkadin (Confidential Report) (100%)

More Movies like Touch of Evil

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Touch of Evil : Watch Free on TV

Touch of Evil Trivia

  • What was the name of the character described as "some kind of a man" played by Orson Welles in 'Touch of Evil'  Answer »
  • Who directed the movies Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil and The Magnificent Ambersons?  Answer »
  • At the end of what Terry Gilliam movie does a young boy shout "Mum! Dad! Don't touch it! It's evil!"?  Answer »
  • In Cinderella 3 how did the prince know cinderella was still the one he loved after he was put under a spell by the evil stepmother?  Answer »
More Touch of Evil Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All Touch of Evil Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add Touch of Evil to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?