"Touch of Evil"
Jul. 15th, 2015 09:54 pmI went to see the reissue of Orson Welles' classic noir Touch of Evil last week, the1998 recut version.
It is one of my favourite films, and has been for years, though it must be a while since I had seen it, and longer still since I last saw it at the cinema.
I was very disappointed. It still looks great, of course, with superb photography, incredible lighting, and design. And Orson Welles exudes slime and corruption. It is an outstanding performance. Some of the dialogue is excellent
But the film didn't hang together well. Part of that was the change we have seen socially in the last fifty years: it was uncomfortable watching Charlton Heston made up as a Mexican. Of course, the racism inherent in the police force was part of the point, but the film seemed to reinforce rather than tackle it.
And I just didn't believe the characters would behave in the ways they did. Janet Leigh seemed determined to get herself into trouble. Wouldn't anyone in the police department think to mention that the motel was owned by Grandi before driving her there? (And you'd have thought that after her experience at the Grandi motel, she'd have known to avoid deserted country motels, but just a year later she was back, checking into the Bates' motel in Psycho...)
Vargas himself wouldn't have deserted his wife to chase American criminals, and he wouldn't have left his gun behind. The police too seemed to behave in ways that didn't make sense.
It is such a highly thought of film, and one that I had built up in its absence, that perhaps I couldn't help but be disappointed.
One of best things about the film was the score. There was music throughout, Henry Mancini at his jazzy best. Some really great jazz scoring.
It is one of my favourite films, and has been for years, though it must be a while since I had seen it, and longer still since I last saw it at the cinema.
I was very disappointed. It still looks great, of course, with superb photography, incredible lighting, and design. And Orson Welles exudes slime and corruption. It is an outstanding performance. Some of the dialogue is excellent
But the film didn't hang together well. Part of that was the change we have seen socially in the last fifty years: it was uncomfortable watching Charlton Heston made up as a Mexican. Of course, the racism inherent in the police force was part of the point, but the film seemed to reinforce rather than tackle it.
And I just didn't believe the characters would behave in the ways they did. Janet Leigh seemed determined to get herself into trouble. Wouldn't anyone in the police department think to mention that the motel was owned by Grandi before driving her there? (And you'd have thought that after her experience at the Grandi motel, she'd have known to avoid deserted country motels, but just a year later she was back, checking into the Bates' motel in Psycho...)
Vargas himself wouldn't have deserted his wife to chase American criminals, and he wouldn't have left his gun behind. The police too seemed to behave in ways that didn't make sense.
It is such a highly thought of film, and one that I had built up in its absence, that perhaps I couldn't help but be disappointed.
One of best things about the film was the score. There was music throughout, Henry Mancini at his jazzy best. Some really great jazz scoring.