Touch of Evil

Supposedly this is a classic, and part of the "canon" of great films. I dunno, seems all over the place and badly directed/written to me. But maybe that's because I can conceive of Mexicans as people not criminals. Also Brownface much!

Watching the reconstructed version of the film, the opening sequence is rightly lauded as masterful and sets up the film perfectly. With so much of the film set at night too, Welles use of black and white cinematography is stunning and it is easy to see why this film has been much imitated since. Whilst the story ostensibly follows an investigation into a car bombing, the real hook is the battle between Heston's straight-laced character and Welles' corrupt detective. Watching today, it is hard to accept why they decided to cast Heston as a Mexican character, but he does have a certain screen presence here that is much needed given that Welles' character is a fantastic creation and commands the screen every time he is on. What doesn't work quite as well is Leigh's character and her initial involvement in the first half of the film is less interesting, even though she is cleverly worked into the main plot for the final act.