Touch of Evil (DVD, 2000, Restored Version)

This is what classic film noir is made of. Darkness, murder, mystery, shadows, and suspense. Orson Welles mastery of camera angles, high and low, the careful use of lighting on his charcters, are in full display. The opening scene gets you already involved in the characters. Orson Welles is superb as Hank Quinlan. Eveyrthing about him is crooked in the way he walks and the way he cocks his head to one side. Marlene Dietrich is mesmerizing to watch. Those eyes and those cheekbones get you in an instant. She has a small role but her portrayal of a gypsy practically jumps out of the screen. The movie keeps you wondering who is going to do what to whom. If there is only one film noir movie to watch, this is it.