BLOG ENTRY #2: “What I See”

Touch Of Evil

Touch Of Evil is a film noir film directed by Orson Welles in1957. A film noir mean dark film and was influenced by the German Expressionist of the 1920’s. The film is in black and white and uses chiaroscuro lighting to create interplay with light and shadow adding to the dark artist style of the films genre. The film cover much covers much of what have learned in class. Take the opening scene for instance, which is a very long masterful tracking shot. Starting with fade up to an extreme close (e.c.u.) up a man holding a bomb and setting the time device. Without cutting the camera pans left to a zooms out to a long shot (l.s.) of a man and women walking down a corridor showing deep dept of field. This is also almost a point of view (POV) shot as if we are the man with bomb looking to see if the man women are coming. The camera then pans right to follow the man with bomb as he runs of out of frame and we see his shadow (chiaroscuro lighting) darting across the outside of a building providing the right amount of lead so can see where he is going. We pick up with the man in the flesh entering the frame as he plants the bomb in the trunk of a car and makes his escape in the night. The camera moves into a high angle crane shot tilting down at the man and women get into the waiting car. Continuing the high angle shot the camera begins panning left over the roof tops as we see the car driving thru the streets with it’s deadly bundle in it’s tail piece moving going back and forth between wide shots (w.s.) and long shots (w.s.). During this time the Mise-en-Scene changes from dark street to a busy street scene with lots of with traffic and people going by at random. The vehicle continues is on its guided mission of exciting the traffic as the scene becomes busier with people, other vehicles, pushcarts, live stock, etc. This adds to the level of suspense of the bomb in the trunk. Because we don’t know when the bomb is going to go off.

At this point the setting of the film is reveled a border-town between Mexico and the Untied States. Which is emphasized by the by the border guard officers and guard post as the car and protagonist arrive at the border crossing. At about the three minutes and thirty seconds mark the protagonist Miguel “Mike” Varges a Mexican diplomat played by Charleton Heston in dark make-up and his wife Susan Varges played by Janet Leigh are introduced in the film. Both dressed the fashion to fit the their position and period. Heston’s character is wearing a suite and tie to show that he is man of importance. Which is confirmed by dialogue between Heston and the border guards. Leigh is dress in pencil skirt and fitted sweater with buttons down the back and gentile string of pearl around her neck. Other people in the scene are dress in varying styles. Some dress up as if going out on night on the town, military people uniform or just regular street clothes. The Vargeses and the car arrive at the border simultaneously as the camera still panning left. The camera moving away from the car goes back the Vargeses in sweet embrace. Not soon after their lips met that the bomb explodes killing the two passengers and fulfilling it’s duties as the MacGuffin of the film.