Review: Orson Welles' 'Touch of Evil' Astounds on 4K Blu-ray

It's nearly impossible to bring up Orson Welles in any conversation without referring to the technical and narrative bravura of the opening sequence in "Touch of Evil." Not only does the sequence establish location and main characters, it also establishes a continuous, fatal sense of motion within a confined place; in this case, a U.S.-Mexico border town. And even though the film suffered egregious and erroneous cuts upon release, the expressionistic terror that Welles imbued the film with never faltered.

Kino Lorber Studio Classics brings "Touch of Evil" to 4K UHD with a three-disc edition (one UHD disc for each cut of the film) that pulls out all the stops for a film that rightfully deserves such treatment. Each cut is presented in 4K with Dolby Vision HDR, and the results are nothing short of incredible. This is the best the film has ever looked at home, and makes a strong case for how HDR can deepen and embolden black-and-white cinematography without removing anything inherently filmic, like grain.

And speaking of film grain, it looks terrific here despite the multiple sources used for the various cuts. The Reconstructed Cut is clearly restored from multiple sources, and despite brief drops in quality and some print damage, it still looks cohesive.

As for special features, Kino has ported over the two featurettes and three of the four commentaries from the 2014 Universal Blu-ray of the film. That being said, Kino has added two additional commentaries – one by film historian Tim Lucas on the Theatrical Cut and another by film historian Imogen Sara Smith on the Reconstructed Cut. Both of the new commentaries are illuminating, especially Smith's, as she has the ability to mix observations and facts rather seamlessly. I highly recommend her commentary if you pick up this release.

"Touch of Evil" tells the story of Mexican special prosecutor Miguel Vargas (Charlton Heston), who is pulled away from his honeymoon with his American wife Susie (Janet Leigh) after taking an interest in an investigation of a car bomb that killed an American building contractor. But when Vargas notices suspicious activity from boorish police captain Hank Quinlan (Orson Welles), who's investigating the case, his suspicions turn.

Kino Lorber has bestowed this classic with a 4K Blu-ray release that matches the film's importance. It's astonishing to see a film of this age with this level of detail, and the uptick in resolution makes Welles' baroque aesthetic shine and confound like never before.

Other special features include:

� DTS-HD MA mono soundtrack
� Optional English subtitles
� Theatrical trailer

"Touch of Evil" is available on 4K UHD Blu-ray on March 15, 2022 from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.