Touch of Evil #lisaboothfilmcriticextraordinare

In the film, Touch of Evil, the main characters are a newlywed couple Susie and Mike Vargas, Joe Grande, and the Captain Hank Quinlan played by the film's director Orson Welles. The film opens up to Susie and Mike on their honeymoon when a car passes the U.S. border and then a bomb detonates killing the people inside it is later revealed that they were a prominent local businessman and his stripper girlfriend. The case is taken over by the U.S. jurisdiction. Mike takes an interest in the case, realizing the implications of a Mexican bomb exploding on U.S. soil. Mike becomes a part of the investigation, even though Quinlan is initially hesitant and distrustful of Vargas. Quinlan keeps reminding Vargas that it's his case even though Vargas isn't trying to impose, only trying to help find out what really happened.

Meanwhile, Susie was threatened by Joe Grande and his nephew who she calls Poncho, they are vengeful against her husband, Mike, for arresting his brother and is set to testify against him, which could mean life in prison for Joe's brother. Susie feels threatened and decides for the time being to stay close but on American soil. She is unaware that she was followed by Grande's family and they are waiting to strike on Grande's command.

During this time Joe Grande had followed Mike's car that was being driven by a police officer. Grande gets caught and brought to the hotel room where the daughter of the deceased man in the car is living. In that room a Mexican man, Sanchez, she secretly married to is being accused of killing her father and his girlfriend using dynamite. Mike returns to the hotel room to find the man has been framed by Quinlan and he sets out to prove it. Joe Grande tries to take the opportunity to strike up a deal with Quinlan to get rid of their common problem: Mike Vargas.

This film so far has been full of suspense and widely entertaining, certainly different than what I'm used to. I have a feeling Captain Hank Quinlan is the reason for the stereotype about policemen and donuts. This film is unique in its characterization; it's really easy to believe that Charlton Heston, the actor playing Mike Vargas is Hispanic, when in fact he's not. The black and white of the film makes it easy to focus on the character rather than the skin color or nationality of the person playing that character. This film really fits into the "Film Noir" category not only for the black and white of the picture but the suspense and mystery that are so intertwined with the story.