TOUCH OF EVIL (1958) at AFS

Arguably the last great film directed and starring Orson Welles (although there were arguably some later contenders), TOUCH OF EVIL (1958) is also perhaps one of his most controversial movies, not because of the movie itself, but because of a 40-page memo that Welles wrote to Universal Pictures before its release begging the studio to edit the film according to his wishes after the studio had taken it out of his hands three months into the editing process in 1957. At that time, another editor essentially recut Welles' rough cut of the film without his permission, and the bad blood both that decision (and Welles' own rather presumptuous memo) would forever impact the rest of Welles' career, ensuring that just about every film Welles made after that would fail to secure the studio money needed to properly make it.

There have been attempts to release Welles' original vision since then and after his death, and quite frankly I'm not sure which 35mm print AFS is going to show here, as I believe those subsequent attempts to recreate Welles' vision were only made available on home video. But I could be wrong about that. But I will say this. No matter which version they are playing, you are in for a treat. I've seen both versions, and both manage to present a taut, politically charged and tense mystery offering great performances from Welles, Janet Leigh, and yes, even Charlton Heston doing his best to play a sympathetic Mexican police investigator. Yes, it would have been better if an actual hispanic actor had played the role (many great ones would have fit the bill), but in Hollywood at the time star power was everything. If your story involved an ethnic lead, chances are it was going to be played by a well-known Caucasian with heavy makeup. And Heston was no stranger to playing "ethnic" roles, a practice known as "whitewashing" in Hollywood circles. His biblical epics obviously had him playing many Middle Eastern characters, and most notably, he also played one of the most important historical Spanish heroes in EL CID (1961). But acknowledging (although perhaps not excusing) all that as a product of its times, Heston does a really nice job in this movie as the film's Mexican protagonist trying his best to navigate the complicated politics of towns on either side of the U.S.-Mexican border in the 1950's. Throw in an equally nuanced performance by a pre-PSYCHO (1960) Janet Leigh as the newlywed white American spouse of said Mexican police captain, and you can already feel a tinderbox awaiting a spark.

That literal spark is a bomb carried in a car that has just come across the border, bringing Heston into contact with Welles' racist American Police Captain Quinlan, himself a legendary but corrupt law enforcement officer on the U.S. side of the border. What results is one of the best examples of late film noir. It is also one of the most technically brilliant films ever made. Its famous opening extended tracking shot following the ill-fated car across the border is a marvel of production design and limited editing that has been studied and copied by filmmakers to the present day.

The film has a 96% critics score and a 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

However, for those of you unfamiliar with Welles, often considered one of the greatest filmmakers Hollywood has ever produced, please note that Welles' work is often considered a slow-burn. Unlike most other "film noirs", this film does not feature gun or fist fights every ten minutes or so. There's excitement and mystery, but not every minute. Welles is always about characters and a methodical build to an emotional climax. And quite frankly, it is this aversion to trying to fit in with established conventions that make his films, and TOUCH OF EVIL, great.

We'll meet at the theater at 6:15 pm in the AFS Lobby for a showtime of 6:45 pm. AFS can occasionally sell out, so its always a good idea to get your tickets in advance online (go to https://www.austinfilm.org/screening/touch-of-evil/). I like to go in as the doors open as seats are not reserved. Those doors will probably open around 6:30 if not before, but I'll hang in the lobby until 6:30.

TOUCH OF EVIL (1958)
Directed by Orson Welles; 1 hr 51 min.; in 35mm B&W