Edited vs Un-Edited – Touch of Evil – Orson Welles

The opening scene of Touch of Evil is a tense setting for the rest of the movie. Before we see anything the tone is set with a treacherous score. This is identical in both the restored (RV) and non-restored (NRV) versions of the opening scene. It is a deep down that lets the audience know that something big is going to happen. The first object seen is a close up of a bomb being set to blow! Both versions are exactly identical in visuals except that the NRV has credits rolling through the scene and ends with a rush to the site of the explosion.

Even though the visuals are almost identical, the audio tells a different story between the two versions. The RV I believe to be much more tense with a consistent maniacal score that makes you anticipate every moment that the car weaves through traffic, pedestrians, animals and our main characters. Watch the video below to view the RV.

The NRV on the other hand is a bit more distracting. It begins the same way as we have already established but the real difference is in the score and the credits. Even though you are aware of the impending explosion that is going to take place the score used while the car weaves through traffic gives an easier feeling to the audience and a bit of a relaxed vibe. Please watch the NRV video below to see the difference between the two. Let me know if you have any disagreements or extra comments to add to this post in the comments section below. Thanks!