Fade in. Two hands setting a bomb timer. Pan back. Thus begins the monumental opening shot of Orson Welles' Touch of Evil. Approximately 3 minutes in duration, tension builds as the impending explosion and the circumstances surrounding it weave in and out, as the camera travels above and beyond the natural call of duty. On completion, Charlton Heston wrote about it in his diary, calling it, "The damnedest shot I�ve ever seen." This remarkable sequence sets the pace for the remainder of the film, blending intrigue with style for its entirety.

Originally only supposed to star in the film, Orson Welles was asked to direct and re-work the script after a miscommunication with the studio and Charlton Heston, who was under the impression that Welles was involved as a director from the beginning. In order to make Heston happy, the studio asked for Welles to be more involved, and he agreed. However, much would change from Welles' design of the film, to the finished product that the studio released, that nullified Welles' opinion on many factors of the film. When a 58 page memo of editing instructions from Welles to the head of Universal Studios Ed Muhl was recently found, in the possession of Charlton Heston, original intended changes could be made, and packaged in a restored version that is as close to Welles� vision as possible. Forty years later, there are three more minutes of footage, and 50 editing changes that truly make a difference. A definitive copy that people can re-discover, and appreciate. Touch of Evil, although it was awarded the honor of best film at the 1958 Brussels World Fair, never reached the elevated status that Citizen Kane did, but many regard it as one of Welles� finest moments in filmmaking. It was not received well in the United States, but in subsequent years has gained quite a large cult following.

Beyond the stellar performances of the main stars, Heston, Welles, and Janet Leigh, a number of cameos that add intensity and depth of character support them. Mercedes McCambridge, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Joseph Cotten, and Marlene Dietrich, along with a host of others, all help to articulate the story. All characters, large and small, play roles that are essential to the development of other characters, and the film itself. Peter Cowie, in his book A Ribbon of Dreams: The Cinema of Orson Welles wrote; "Touch of Evil is essentially a film of the darkness; the blend of shadow and silhouette emphasizes the vague, intangible nature of the intrigue itself, and the darkness offers a cloak for crime and revenge." This darkness continues to act as the backdrop for a film that defines what film-noir truly is.

Welles� presence both on and behind the camera is a powerful, overwhelming one. Stylistic approaches, reminiscent of Citizen Kane of foreground and background serve to create a realistic profundity that is rarely achieved in American cinema. The unconventional manipulation of camera angles shows how ahead of his time that Welles was, and his role in the canon of film.

Touch of Evil will be released on VHS and DVD on October 31, 2000.

� Philip Raffaele, Intern