Tension Between Mike Vargas And Hank Quinlin example essay topic

Touch of Evil Director: Orson Welles Producers: Rick Schmid lin, Albert ZugsmithDirector of Photography: Russel MettyWriter: Orson Welles Editor: Aaron Still, Walter MurchPoduction Designer / Art Director: Robert ClatworkthAlexander Golitzen AVF 10 - 5/1/05 In Orson Welles' classic film noir production Touch of Evil, a Mexican police officer named Mike Vargas (Charlton Heston), becomes the target of an American police officer named Hank Quinlin (Orson Welles), when Vargas attempts to expose Quinlin framing a murder suspect. Quinlin, a celebrity among police officers has become corrupt in his practices and is willing to go any lengths including committing murder to uphold his reputation. Vargas is an honest man who faces Quinlin's corruption to protect the rights of the accused. In doing so, he puts his wife in danger, who ends up the victim of a plot against Vargas.

Although Vargas appears to be the hero, the viewer experiences frustration with his character due to his negligence concerning his wife. Caught between the accuser and the accused, American deputy Pete Menzies (Joseph Call eia) is loyal to Quinlin but later helps Vargas when the truth is revealed. The tension between Mike Vargas and Hank Quinlin begins very early in the film. The scene in which the two meet for the first time, at the scene of the explosion, establishes Quinlin as a well-respected man whose appearance is larger than life.

Quinlin's arrival to the scene is much awaited based on the conversation between the other officers. When Quinlin finally does arrive the camera immediately jumps from one mans line which is shot at eye level, to a shot of Quinlin exiting his car from very low to the ground, accentuating his size. Quinlin is shot from below in this way for the majority of the film. The scene edits back and forth from the scene of the explosion to Vargas' wife who has been led into danger following her dismissal to the hotel. The fact that Vargas has no idea what has happened to his wife begins a pattern for the rest of the film in which Vargas who claims to be in love, is completely negligent concerning her well being.

When the two men come face to face they are both shot from below establishing that there they are both strong figures, which is an important film noir tactic. The other officers around them are shot at eye level. The tension between them begins with a racial comment from Quinlin stating that Vargas doesn't sound like a Mexican. When Vargas reassures Quinlin that he wont he won't have any trouble with him, Quinlin responds with, "you bet your sweet life I wont".

The shot ends with a second of silence focused from below on Quinlin's shadowed face. The use of shadows is also a key element of film noir, which helps to create the dark and mysterious world that surrounds the characters. Quinlin increasingly represents a common character in film noir. Although he is a strong character in the eyes of his fellow officers, he is portrayed as a loner who has become disillusioned and insecure. His scenes with Tanya Tana (Marlene Dmitrich) are revealing of Quinlin's past and his downward spiral since then.

She comments that she didn't recognize him and that he should lay off the candy bars making it obvious that Quinlin has physically deteriorated since they were at one time involved. As the film goes on Quinlin falls back into drinking and spends the later part of the film completely intoxicated. Although Tanya acts indirectly as Quinlin's significant female, she does not represent the classic femme fatal character usually apparent in film noir, nor does Vargas' wife. The scene that brings Quinlin's corruption to the eyes of the viewer happens when he plants dynamite for Menzies to find in the bathroom of the murder suspect just after Vargas had been in the bathroom and found nothing. Once the dynamite is found and Quinlin begins interrogating the suspect, the camera stays on Vargas, who is watching from another room. It is obvious that he is suspicious of these accusations.

Vargas' facial expressions are used to portray the intensity of what is heard from the other room until the scene makes its way back into view. When Vargas realizes that the dynamite was planted, he confronts Quinlin, who responds to Vargas saying that Vargas is merely racially biased and wants to help his fellow countrymen. Both men begin a mission to ruin each other, Vargas because he wants to do the right thing and Quinlin because his reputation is at stake. The scene in which Quinlin tries to ruin Vargas by killing Joe Grandi (Akim Tami roff), a man and leaving Vargas' wife drugged in a hotel room completes Quinlin as a completely corrupt individual.

The lighting of the scene is extremely dark and uses a flashing light from outside to illuminate Quinlin. The music from the beginning of the movie, which is synonymous with explosion and suspense of the opening sequence now returns as Quinlin turns on Grandi. As Quinlin pursues Grandi around the room, the camera angles are skewed which is stylistic of film noir. This tactic is used the throw off the equilibrium of the viewer creating and tension and suspense. The camera then turns to Vargas' wife who is still unconscious in the bed. She appears to be restless in her sleep, which adds to the overall tension of the scene.

The music dies down to percussion as the struggle ends but then flares back up as Vargas' wife wakes up to Grandi hanging dead over the bed. Vargas at this point in the film has realized that his wife is missing and becomes enraged as searches for her. He ends up driving just underneath the balcony where she is screaming for help adding to his character as a man with tunnel vision. When Vargas finds his wife in jail after being taken in for drug possession he takes no responsibility for her having put her in this position.

He only makes comments about Quinlin having put a murder rap on his wife. Menzies is an important character in the film because of the transformation he makes from being totally loyal to Quinlin to helping Vargas. Menzies goes to talk with Quinlin and records the conversation. At this time Quinlin reveals himself to Menzies and tries to persuade him that a little bit of corruption is not a bad thing.

Menzies realizes that Quinlin has been framing suspects all along. The closing sequence of the film focuses on the death of Quinlin. His death is in line with classic film noir, which has the antihero die in his own filth. Quinlin at the point of his death has made his way down the bottom of a bridge and is surrounded by garbage. Tanya who had predicted Quinlin's impending doom shows up as Quinlin dies.

The film stays in line with classic noir in many ways. The usage of dark sets and high contrast lighting, which creates heavy shadows on the actors faces, makes the movie feel like it all happens at night and in dark alley ways. The story focuses on the inhumane parts of human nature. Each of the main characters experiences some kind of tragedy. For Vargas his tragedy was in dealing with Quinlin who has set out to frame him and his wife. For Quinlin his entire life represented a man consumed with darkness who lives his life with a "Touch of Evil".

Menzies was a hopeful man who looked up to Quinlin but was let down. For the viewer, film noir represents truth, even if it is not a truth that all people would like to hear.