MovieChat Forums > Touch of Evil (1958) Discussion > My introduction to Orson Welles

My introduction to Orson Welles

posted 10 years ago by Erniesam
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As a kid I came to love classic movies. Don't know why but I just did. Loved Hollywood movies from the 30-ies up to the 60-ies. Also watched many other movies from that period. At one time the tv guide announced the screening of Citizen Kane. I read the description of it and I thought it would be boring. Little did I know right?

When I was about 15 years old the BBC had a "Trial and justice"sequence in which they showed 4 movies in a month: 12 angry men, Cape Fear, Touch of Evil and The Trial. So I taped them all on my videorecorder. I didn't know any of these films, never even heard of them (exept of the remake by Scorcese of Cape Fear). They seemed to me pretty neat films so I made myself comfortable before watching them on my 22" telly. I started with Touch of Evil. Never heard of Welles before...When the first shot came up I was flabbergasted. The whole openingscene was nothing like I had seen before. Absolutely nothing. Wonderful photography and casual almost random acting. I absolutely fell in love. With all four movies actually.

Touch of Evil changed my way of view and understanding cinema. Later on The Trial did too, although I hated the movie at first because I didn't understand it at all. This movie marked also my introduction to Kafka. When I look at ToE now with a more objective look, it still keeps mesmerizing me. I think this is the most beautiful black and white photography in any film that I have seen (although Sweet Smell of Success comes pretty close I think). The story itself I find very interesting. I see it as a study in the ambiguity of evil. At times I find the plot a bit basic, but the way that it is told and more importantly is shown is magnificent. Although my initial view of the movie has diminished it still captivates me everytime I see it (especially the restored version). It's all about style, storytelling and mise-en-scene. It's indeed poetry in motion.

[–] athomed 10 years ago

I'd say films really get interesting to me around '31 or '32 with Frankenstein (I grew up on Universal's monster films) and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in '31 and the debut of Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn in '32. I think that old, superior in my opinion, brand of cinema died, coincidentally, right around when John Kennedy did. There are some notable exceptions. Paul Newman, for instance, could still star in a great film after that.

I much prefer Touch of Evil to The Trial. I find the former to be a masterpiece and the latter to be merely a solid piece of film with captivating direction. I believe Touch of Evil is going to withstand the test of time, as much as these old films can. I know from interviews that directors still watch and refer to this film today. Much of it, I think, is still innovative today. It's scary to think how we very nearly didn't get it in the first place. It's frightening to recall how long it took for us, the audience, to actually see the film as close to Mr. Welles' vision as possible.

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I used to think I knew everything about the world. Now I just know that it's round.