The Opening Shot in Touch of Evil by Orson Welles essays

The Opening Shot in Touch of Evil by Orson Welles essays In the opening shot of Touch of Evil, Orson Welles can create tension and suspense by effectively using the off frame aspect of the mise-en-scene. By allowing the scene to move outside the focus of action, at particularly untimely moments, Welles places the audience in short but effective moments of unresolved tension and suspense, effectively luring the spectator psychologically further into the opening shot and the rest of the film. At the very beginning of Touch of Evil, the scene begins with the bomb. The bomb is a main focus of the entire first shot. It will never leave the spectators memory. The audience sees someone activate the bomb, then suddenly, after a woman laughs, the camera swings away showing a couple walking. The scene continues as the man with the bomb moves outside the frame. At this moment, the camera is moved to slightly follow just behind the man with the bomb. We see shadows, but he is not allowed back into the frame. This short moment creates the foundation of the rest of the continuous opening shot. The audience gets its first sense of tension at the very second the bomb moves outside the frame. "Where's the bomb going? Follow him!" Before long, the man is back in the scene placing the bomb in the trunk. In order to avoid summarizing the entire plot of the first scene, please allow plot gaps. The couple seen earlier are now in and driving the car. The second separation of a spectator to bomb occurs rather quickly. The car passes behind a building, and the camera attempts to follow where presumably the car drove. To be fair, there are things that could distract the audience from this separation and the off frame car. There are credits, music, and sound effects all during this shot. However, during some moments the music is carefully structured throughout the shot to add MORE suspense. Welles doesn't allow the spectators' attention to ever fully stray away from the danger of the bomb. The bomb is off the fra...