Analyzing Orson Welles 'Touch Of Evil'

Touch of Evil (1958) is an American film noir crime thriller, directed by Orson Welles. It may sound like a typical cop movie, but Welles for the time period pushed the limits of filmmaking. He takes us out of the 1950s “Ozzie and Harriet” world and puts us right smack into a world that is shockingly dark and twisted. Welles, like other Hollywood directors of the 1940s and 50s, started to experiment with different camera techniques to represent a character’s point-of-view. In its most effective structure, a point-of-view shot conveys to the viewer everything the film’s character sees; there is nothing concealed from the viewer’s sight. Subjective point-of-view shots are usually framed in a way that prompts the viewer to believe they are looking from a specific character’s point of view. In the horrifying scene of Susan being surrounded and terrorized in her hotel room by a gang, Welles uses hard lights
It was considered to be a box-office flop and was criticized for being a sleazy low-budget film. The 1958 version was disowned by Welles because studio executives had certain scenes reshot, cut and edited without his approval or direction. Most films are judged on their plots, themes, or the actors’ performances. Ignoring the beautiful and/or gritty details that cinematography, sound and editing, combined with point-of-view shots, add to a film’s narrative is a shame. These techniques have the ability to affect the viewer’s emotions and reactions; in its most effective structure, a point-of-view shot conveys to the viewer everything the film’s character sees; there is nothing concealed from the viewer’s sight.
The narrative and cinematography techniques of Touch of Evil are not just objective; Welles creatively plays with our intellectual, emotional and visual perspectives with his filmmaking. Sometimes a viewer needs to forget the plot line and just watch and admire what is on the