Apparently, Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil is an unappreciated masterpiece. I am not that sure. There are some masterful shots and excellent performances, but I found the plot to be a bit of a train wreck. It’s like watching the Los Angeles Lakers attempt to execute the Triangle these days, extremely skilled at times yet missing some basic fundamentals.
As usual, there was a dispute between Welles and the studio which led to the mangling of the original print. A DVD was released containing some of Welles’ requested changes, but it doesn’t surpass above average. Perhaps the film is an illustration of the importance of teamwork and how Welles would have gone much further had he been able to work well with others.
Touch of Evil also explores the battle between good and evil and how individuals from each side of the divide can be capable of acting like their counterparts, even if only briefly. A review described the film as partially a battle between the moralist and the pragmatist. Although some characters may act immorally, the actors’ performances still provoke the audience’s sympathy, an event that occurs to this day, even in real life.
Like Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing, Touch of Evil doesn’t match the its supposed potential. Both are excellent examples of the film noir genre but they demonstrate how superb ‘A’ talent doesn’t always succeed when it tries to make a great ‘B’ movie.