The Third Man (1933)

Blu-ray version of the Criterion presentation of "The Third Man" (1949)

This is one of those films that everyone thought the saw. This is of course because of all the popular actors and directors. Of those viewers that have seen this film they will never forget.

The default version is the U.K. version. However you can see the different versions compeered on the extras. Speaking about extras, one of the best is the written story being read over the film. I defiantly ordered the book.

This film is presented in black and white. You can see how tight the presentation is without a wasted word or glance. The Music is also one of the main characters of the film.

Even though the book looks from the view of Major Calloway (Trevor Howard in the film) and the film from the view of Holly Martins, it is the character of Sergeant Paine (Bernard Lee) that we find endearing.

Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton) an out of work novelist (Westerns) is offered a job in post war Vienna by his friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles). When Holly arrives he finds he is late for Harry's funeral. The authorities are besmirching Harry's memory. Harry's girl (Alida Valli) after hearing of a mysterious third man at Harry's car accident suggested that Harry's death may not have been an accident.

Now it is up to Holly to clear Harry's name. We may be in for a few surprises.

The Fallen Idol - Criterion Collection January 4, 2009

3 stars out of 4

The Bottom Line:

Marred by the incongruously-jaunty zither music (though many like it) and the fact that the movie only really takes off when Orson Welles comes on scene, The Third Man is an incredily atmospheric and moody mystery that may be a bit flawed but is well-worth watching. January 3, 2009

Orson Welles, Vienna & a Cool Zither Score

It's heartening to see that more and more classic films are being released in the Blu-ray format, which offers a crisp, sharp, High Definition picture and greater clarity of sound. The latest is "The Third Man," the 1949 film about post-World War II intrigue set in a Vienna divided into French, American, British, and Russian zones, each containing its share of suspicious characters.
Alcoholic pulp Western author Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton) has come to Vienna at the invitation of his friend, Harry Lime (Orson Welles), who has offered him a job, but Holly arrives just as Lime is being buried. The film is based on the question, "Who killed Harry Lime?" We hear contrasting opinions of Lime. A British officer, Calloway (Trevor Howard), states unequivocally that Lime was a black market profiteer and deserves to be dead. Lime's girlfriend (Alida Valli) tells Holly that Lime is not the man Calloway has described and sets out to clear his name.
"The Third Man" was made by a team who experienced firsthand the war-torn devastation of Europe. Director Carol Reed worked for the British Army's wartime documentary unit and writer Graham Greene not only wrote about spies but sometimes was one. Reed filmed entirely on location in a Vienna still strewn with rubble and bomb craters four years after the war ended.
One of the film's most memorable features is its all-zither score by the Austrian Anton Karas. In fact, "The Third Man Theme" became one of the biggest hits of 1950. The music is certainly unique in the annals of film scoring and gives the film both an upbeat feel and an old world quality. In addition, the movie features a beautifully staged chase sequence that leads to the city's sewer system. The photography by Robert Krasker in this sequence is especially impressive, as long shots with bright light sources just out of sight throw elongated, distorted shadows, a characteristic of film noir.
The Blu-ray edition contains a restored high-definition digital transfer; a video introduction by writer-director Peter Bogdanovich; two audio commentaries; a 90-minute documentary on the making of the film; "Graham Greene: The Hunted Man," a 1968 episode of the BBC's "Omnibus" series; a 1951 episode of the radio series "The Lives of Harry Lime" written and performed by Orson Welles; archival footage of postwar Vienna; and a booklet featuring an essay on the movie and its impact. December 28, 2008

Overbearing and Underwhelming.

For me, a film like "The Third Man" is the kind of experience that makes me deride the techniques of so-called "film noir". It is loaded with melodramatic camera angles, stark lighting, blaring music, and needlessly vague characterizations. It is so assured of its mysterious, bewitching power that scenes just kind of limp about the screen with no real emotion. And worse still are the flat to annoying performances of Cotten, Welles, Howard, and whomever played the female lead.

Yes, it was shot in Vienna in the 40s and as such has a lot of eye-candy to gawk at. The incessant zither music and odd characters are mildly amusing for the first hour -- but where things take a turn for the worse is when the sleuthing and romance fail to ignite any flames in the second half. And once Welles finally arrives the film descends into contrived set pieces and a hollow, pompous conclusion.

Carol Reed spends the majority of his time on a multitude of awkward, unsatisfying encounters -- but then never delivers on their promise. The creepy violinist never gets a decent scene. Neither does the doctor. And when Holly Martin finally gets his big chance to have a very human, comedic interplay in front of a nascent culture club, the director cuts away only to then conclude the episode with a fizzle. Compare it to Robert Donat's similar scene in The 39 Steps!

But as I mentioned before, the real irritant is Lime himself, acted by Orson Welles with his usual scene-chewing hamminess. That combined with the loser of a romance story and a dull mystery makes The Third Man one of the most overrated entries in all of "classic cinema". #1 on the BFI list of best British films of all time? I'll take Brief Encounter any day over this.

Also, the Blu-Ray does not look much if any better than a standard-def DVD. I enjoyed watching the gorgeous rerelease of Casablanca much more on every level. December 24, 2008

Is Blu-ray always better?

Is Blu-Ray always better? Maybe not. I enjoyed the DVD version more. On the Blu-ray version I was constantly distracted by the tremendous amount of film grain in the picture. The movie was hard to watch because of that. The high definition became a drawback since every fault in the film became exagerated. The DVD version provided a better viewing experience. December 21, 2008

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