Before any word of praise or criticism can be uttered in reference to Orson Welles’ go at film noir, it must be stated which version of the film said critic viewed. For there are so many cineastes out there with entrenched positions on particular versions that to ignore such a topic would surely cause said film lovers to chime in with a vengeance. And so, I state here that it was the “Restored to Orson Welles’ Vision” version that I saw, replete with the missing Mancini opening scene-score, the cropped frame, and the retooled narrative.

Never having viewed the film before, however, I was unaware of the treason I was committing, and had no idea of what I was missing. Frankly, I cannot see how the film could manage to resonate more in my mind, regardless of which version I viewed, for it is simply beautiful to behold—the light, the shadows, the bizarre camera angles, all contributing to one of the most visually enjoyable film experiences I’ve had.

That being said, I cannot imagine that the muddled story could have been saved, no matter how many reedits the picture undergoes. Although the tale of a semi-crooked cop plying his trade on the U.S.-Mexico border is interesting, the myriad intricate pieces just don’t add up to a cohesive and satisfying whole. For instance, is Sanchez actually guilty? Is Quinlan’s legendary intuition strong enough to arrest a man without evidence? What’s the connection between Quinlan and Grandi? Maybe I wasn’t paying close enough attention, but none of these plot threads seemed to come together.

It’s possible, of course, that I was distracted by the magnificent sight of a marble-mouthed Orson stomping about desolate southern locales, or dumbstruck by the idea of the ebullient Charlton Heston rendered almost invisible by the mammoth weight of Orson’s shadow, but it seems that this tale, though engrossing and tantalizing, doesn’t completely work when all is said and done. Perhaps that’s why so many analysts out there spend so much energy discussing the controversial editing process and not the actual story.