I watched it, guys.

I can think of very few movies that have such a complete control of what's in the frame and depth. There's a lot of shots that are so busy, so much going on in foreground and background or outside of the shot. So many little details. But it never overwhelms. And it's got some lines for the ages.

From the brilliant first tracking shot to the tense ending this had me hooked. The tale of Vargas a high ranking Mexican drug agent up against crooked cops and drug gangs, who try to set him up and ruin his career. Great thriller from Orson Welles

First time I watched this I turned it off, because the mood caught be be surprise and frankly wasn't to my liking. This time I decided to watch it purely for the technical prowess. It really is beautiful to look at, and has some groundbreaking camera work. That scene in the dark with the flashing light is gorgeous.
Still not a fan of any of the acting, wich is astonishing considering the all star cast.

A superb film-noir with and by Orson Welles with Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh in lead roles. With a cast like that things rarely go wrong.

The first scene, which is one of film history's most famous scenes, where everything is done in one cut, truly sets the standard for what to expect. Touch of Evil is masterfully directed, where the cuts, the use of black and white and use of mirrors and reflection, spices the film's dark atmosphere with its creativity. And the end is about as amazing as the start, with an intense monitoring scene that's quite possibly one of my favourite endings in Cinema, even though it's probably a little cheesy by today's standards...

One of the most engaging Noir's I've seen so far, and quite possibly the one I have liked the most, with The Third Man and In a Lonely Place as contenders to the second place.

Based on the restored cut from 1997.

Brilliant: the cinematography with its striking images (I'm referring to more than Janet Leigh) and impressive camerawork, the storytelling, Welles' larger-than-life character. All these elements make for an excellent noir. Had the tone been a bit darker, I would consider it a masterpiece. The cheesy 50s gang members, some B-movie acting and especially Weaver's schtick take it down a notch. Still, it's enormously interesting and suspenseful. And leave Heston alone... he's solid as the Mexican.

1998 restoration version

"For me, almost everything that is called mise en scene is a big joke. In the cinema, there are very few people who are really metteurs-en-scene; there are very few who have ever had the opportunity to direct. The only mise en scene of real importance is practiced in the editing."

A Mexican drug enforcement official (Charlton Heston) and his wife (Janet Leigh) become the targets of a corrupt police captain (Orson Welles) when they discover that he has been planting evidence in an explosive case.

I think this legendary film is better than director Orson Welles's even more celebrated "Citizen Kane." The camerawork and the orchestration of certain key scenes is superb, even if logic sometimes takes a back seat to showmanship. The flipping of stereotypes is interesting, presenting a driven, virtuous Mexican cop and a corrupt American one. Heston is stiffly stalwart in his role, but Welles provides the emotional core of the story playing a dissipated man who is spiraling out of control as his house of cards comes tumbling down, inflicting all kinds of collateral damage on the people around him.

The 1998 "director's cut" edition

Pulpy, exciting, witty, very well-written, artfully shot, and furiously stylish thriller was way ahead of its time. The opening shot is exhilarating, and the score is excellent. Orson Welles enthusiastically embraces his self-deprecating role; he is magnetic, sour, funny, and deliciously corrupt. Charlton Heston, with his fake Mexican accent, is a laughable piece of wood.

"Every last one of them - guilty."

First time I watched this I turned it off, because the mood caught be be surprise and frankly wasn't to my liking. This time I decided to watch it purely for the technical prowess. It really is beautiful to look at, and has some groundbreaking camera work. That scene in the dark with the flashing light is gorgeous.
Still not a fan of any of the acting, wich is astonishing considering the all star cast.

With dutch angles, peculiar editing and a hallucinatory jazz score, Orson Welles's unique vision transforms this piece of pulp fiction into a nightmarish masterpiece. Welles is commanding as the morbidly obese and morally bankrupt Hank Quinlan, but the real star of this film is the four minute opening tracking shot, rightly considered one of the best in cinema. It's an outstanding film noir.

Orson Welles stars as corrupt Police Captain Hank Quinlan charged with investigating a double homicide after an American building contractors car is blown to pieces.

Aiding him in the investigation is Mexican Narcotics officer Ramon Miguel 'Mike' Vargas who is threatening to exposure Quinlan for planting vital evidence.

Martin Scorsese or Sam Mendes would have no problem explaining why this is a great film. They could probably write a book on the subject. What I know is it's a cracking good story that gets better the longer the film goes on.

I watched it, guys.

I can think of very few movies that have such a complete control of what's in the frame and depth. There's a lot of shots that are so busy, so much going on in foreground and background or outside of the shot. So many little details. But it never overwhelms. And it's got some lines for the ages.