Touch of Evil Analysis

A Touch of Evil is a 1958 film Noir and one of the last examples of the genre in its classical era. Film Noirs typically revolve around ambiguity, often manipulating the chronology to obscure the narrative, which keeps the audience engaged. The opening sequence of this film is consistent with this as it shows a close-up of a character turning the dial on what appears to be an improvised weapon.

The camera then pans to reveal a couple in the distance who seem to be in love, as though it is secretly tracking their position in relation to the character. It then tracks the character as he runs to the couple’s convertible to plant the device. This gives the audience a clue that the couple are about to be killed, which is typical of a film noir as they often deal with dark themes such as greed, betrayal, jealousy, and corruption. Although the camera is following the culprit it isn’t keeping up with his pace, perhaps to indicate that this is a very delicate situation and that time is not on his side.

The opening sequence to the film is, in fact, one long tracking shot, lasting for three minutes and 20 seconds. The opening sequence to the film is, in fact, one long tracking shot, lasting for three minutes and 20 seconds. This creates an element of surprise as the emphasis is put on the people in

the surrounding environment, who were all going about their everyday business until the vehicle exploded, killing both its occupants. The director, Orson Wells, uses the rule of thirds technique to exemplify this; the convertible drops back from the centre frame at various points, and as the surrounding people become the camera’s focus this creates tension as the audience is aware the vehicle could explode at any time.

The music plays a pivotal role in creating the dramatic tension. It begins with some light percussion which sounds like the inner workings of clock. This indicates that the scenario is time sensitive and is reiterated by the fact that it is gradually speeding up. As with most Film

Noirs the music accompaniment sounds neither entirely major nor minor, and the chords refuse to resolve, taking us to an uncertain fate. As the horns get louder it almost sounds as though they are screaming for help; this is an effective way of building the tension and was demonstrated, for example, by Bernard Hermann when scoring the suicide scene in Vertigo. As the camera focuses on a couple walking down the street, the music is accompanied by some low end saxophone, creating a more provocative atmosphere.

The only clue in the film's narrative as to what is about to happen is when the woman complains of a clicking noise in her head, being dismissed both by borderline security and her husband, who simply drives off regardless. In Film Noirs females are often portrayed as fatales and are typically depicted as unreliable and irresponsible. Men, on the other hand, are

often portrayed as cynical and disillusioned who struggle, and ultimately fail to survive. This is why they don't pay attention to the female when she foretells what is about to happen.