Part of Restoration Roundup
One of Orson Welles’ greatest accomplishments is the towering masterpiece of cinema TOUCH OF EVIL. When a car bomb explodes on the American side of the U.S./Mexico border, Mexican drug enforcement agent Miguel Vargas (Charlton Heston) begins his investigation, along with American police captain Hank Quinlan (Orson Welles). When Vargas begins to suspect that Quinlan and his shady partner Menzies (Joseph Calleia) are planting evidence to frame an innocent man, his investigations into their possible corruption quickly put himself and his new bride, Susie (Janet Leigh), in jeopardy.
“What it really has to do with is love of the film medium, and if Welles can't resist the candy of shadows and angels and baroque decor, he turns it into stronger fare than most directors' solemn meat and potatoes. It's terrific entertainment.” —Pauline Kael, The New Yorker “CITIZEN KANE may be the more weighty, rounded work, but TOUCH OF EVIL is a heap more fun.” —Xan Brooks, The Independent “Much of Welles’ work was autobiographical, and the characters he chose to play (Kane, Macbeth, Othello) were giants destroyed by hubris…. The story of Welles’ later career is of projects left uncompleted and films altered after he had left them. To some degree, his characters reflected his feelings about himself and his prospects, and TOUCH OF EVIL may be as much about Orson Welles as Hank Quinlan.” —Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times “Critics and filmmakers from François Truffaut to Paul Schrader to Curtis Hanson (citing its influence on LA CONFIDENTIAL) have paid homage to the technical mastery and inspiration of Orson Welles' potent ‘50s noir…. [Charlton Heston arguably did the best day's work of his glamorous career when he used his A-list clout to strongarm Universal into hiring the Hollywood pariah Welles to direct.” —Angie Errigo, Empire Magazine
