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India Press Store - The Third Man (50th Anniversary Edition)
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List Price: $29.95
Our Price: $8.00
Your Save: $ 21.95 ( 73% )
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Manufacturer: Homevision
Starring: Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, Trevor Howard, Bernard Lee
Directed By: Carol Reed
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786303473277
Format: Black & White
ISBN: 630347327X
Label: Homevision
Manufacturer: Homevision
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Homevision
Release Date: 1995-07-25
Running Time: 104
Studio: Homevision
Theatrical Release Date: 1949
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: In my top 10 films ever made
Comment: I grew up in Germany in that time and a similar place where this movie is set. From the stories that I was told about the black market, and from what I saw as a child, this movie captures the time and the place perfectly.
The story, acting and camera work are all excellent. I have given this movie as a present more than once. I never lend out my copy.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A moody trip through postwar Europe.
Comment: Graham Greene is one of the most acclaimed authors of the 20th century, and, unlike many such literary talents, he recognized the merits of film, and took work as a screenwriter for the British film industry, including several collaborations with producer/director Carol Reed, of which "The Third Man" is the most famous. Greene's works tend to be divided into two main genres: his meditations on Catholicism in the modern world ("The Power and the Glory", for example) and his work in the spy and crime genres, the category to which "The Third Man" belongs. It is also the high-watermark for director/producer Reed, though he would only earn his Best Director Oscar some two decades later with the musical "Oliver!" "The Third Man" is one of the great achievements in film noir, and, perhaps, in film in general.
Greene's path in researching the film is in many ways mirrored by the character he ended up creating, one Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten, a prolific actor of the era who never reached the level of recognition of Stewart, Grant, or Bogart); arriving in Vienna, Greene prowled the bombed-out streets and drank in the Casanova Club, talking with local officials. He was inspired by stories of postwar shortage, organized smuggling, and the interaction of the four great powers in the early days of the Cold War. Martins arrives, having been summoned by his prewar friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles, in what is, apart from Charles Foster Kane, his most famous role), only to find on arrival that Lime has been mysteriously killed in a car accident. The local British security chief, Major Calloway (Trevor Howard) insinuates that Harry was a notorious racketeer involved in everything up to and including murder, and Martins, a writer of pulp novelettes about gunslingers, refuses to let that explanation stand. He delves deeper into Harry's world, from acquaintances such as Baron Kurtz (Ernst Deutch, who couldn't appear less trustworthy if he tried) and Dr. Winkle (Erich Ponto), who were both present at his death, and, most importantly, Anna Schmidt (Alida Valli), a Czech living in Austria on a forged passport provided by Lime to help her avoid repatriation to Soviet-held territory. Martins' first big lead? Witness reports that an unidentified third man was present at Lime's death.
"The Third Man"'s plot suffers from a case of what TV Tropes would call a 'Rosebud': the fact that the main plot twist is common knowledge because of the movie's notoriety (and, like the original Rosebud, Orson Welles is involved). We all know that Harry Lime isn't actually dead because he is due to appear and give him famous speech about cuckoo clocks (though Welles is listed in the opening credits, so perhaps it was never that big a secret). However, there is still plenty in the movie for the viewer to be surprised about, just as "Citizen Kane" retains its lustre.
The movie has several great performances, starting with Cotten as the 'very American' (in the worlds of Peter Bogdanovich) lead man, Alida Valli as Anna, Trevor Howard as Calloway, and an enjoyable comic turn from Bernard Lee (later M to the Connery, Lazenby, and Moore incarnations of James Bond) as Calloway's batman, a sergeant who is quite a fan of Holly's writing. The performance that everyone always ends up talking about is Welles, however, in what amounts to an extended cameo (two scenes, the second with basically no dialogue).
The other notable production components include the music, provided by Anton Karas on his zither string instrument, who was hired on the spur of the moment after impressing the director at a wartime party, and it was an inspired choice, though it may jar some people expecting more traditional noir stuff. The film is filmed in the actual postwar Vienna, still a place of ruined buildings, providing for a very high level of verisimilitude.
Criterion's DVD version provides an extensive selection of extras, including several commentaries, features on the film's production, and, best of all, several older segments that include an interview with Greene on his career, and some old newsreels spotlighting the Vienna of the period, and showing the level of detail that Reed and company were able to capture.
Customer Rating:
Summary: CAROL REED'S MASTERPIECE, and One of the Great Films of Cinema
Comment: Carol Reed's The Third Man is his best known film, it was ground-breaking for many reasons, and it is one of the finest and most influential of all Film Noir classics. One of its hallmarks is the exceptional camera work by cinematographer Robert Krasker, for which he won an Oscar. The lighting and angles he used cannot be forgotten. But equally memorable is the music by zither artist Anton Karas, for which he was nominated. It is one of the very few films in which a single instrument carries the entire score.
The story and screenplay by Graham Greene form the foundation for this post WWII thriller set in Vienna about the missing friend (Orson Welles) of an American western novelist (Joseph Cotten). Alida Valli portrays beautifully Welles' illegal actress-girlfriend, and Trevor Howard is the Rock of Gibraltar as the British sergeant responsible for solving the mystery of Welles' disappearance. Old Vienna is wrapped in mystery and fog, full of suspicious people and suspenseful moments. The final chase through the sewers is among the most classic scenes in all of cinema.
Even though Reed did not receive the Oscar for Best Director for his masterpiece, he did win the Cannes Film Grand Prix, and proved his genius as a director. (Welles was not above taking some credit for the success on the basis of association.) Before this, Reed had directed Odd Man Out (1947) starring James Mason, and The Fallen Idol (1948) - another Graham Greene story and script - with Ralph Richardson. After this, he directed Trapeze (1956) with Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis, and Our Man In Havana (1959) with Alec Guinness and Maureen O'Hara - again, a Graham Greene story and script. Even though The Agony And The Ecstasy (1965) with Charlton Heston and Rex Harrison was a well crafted film based on a Philip Dunne script, it was a box office flop. Only Reed's final film, Oliver! (1968), would again attract the public, and Oscar - this time with eleven nominations, taking home five including Best Picture and Best Director.
Waitsel Smith
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Great Film, But Demands the Viewer's Patience
Comment: There are moments of absolute brilliance in this extraordinary morality play that explores the tension between loyalty to friends, self interest, and loyalty to the overarching moral code imposed by the social contract. The dialogue between Wells and Cotten in the ferris wheel poses the moral dilemma quite vividly (do you really care about those little dots moving along the ground below?). Also there is a great deal of suspense during this scene as to what Wells will do. One of the great scenes in the history of film.
The girl friend adopts a simpler code of absolute fealty to friendship (at the expense of society's code). This option is compellingly portrayed and cannot be rejected out of hand.
Greene's book has a far happier end, and I prefer it to the film's ending. In fact, I think the girl should get together with Cotten at the end -- it is not an unrealistic Hollywood ending, is more upbeat given the moral stance of the story, and is consistent with the moral code of the girl that love conquers all. Director Carol Reed seems to have felt that the we need a downer ending here to preserve the gravitas of the film, but I think he was just wrong on that score. It's not a nihilistic film and is a morality affirming film -- so why not have Cotten and the girl get together at the end?
Cotten is perhaps the most underrated actor on the century. His work is truly great. And Wells is perfect in his portrayal of Harry Lime. He has a way of smirking that portrays Lime's moral stance as well as anything can.
The chase scene in the sewers of Vienna is also pure genius.
On the other hand, the story unfolds far too slowly. In fact, it's hard to sit through the first third of the movie without the advance knowledge that this is truly one of the greatest films ever made.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Behind the shadows lies a magical cinematic experience...
Comment: When I first saw `Citizen Kane' I was completely smitten with Orson Welles and his brilliant performance. I had always heard wonderful things about Welles, but I had never really gotten around to delving into his filmography. The other night I picked up this classic film for the mere fact that Welles was in it, and what I found was one of the tightest film noirs I've ever seen; a film that I'm sure will steadily climb my favorites list for it is seriously one of a kind.
The film follows author Holly Martins as he arrives in Vienna after his old friend Harry Lime sends him a plane ticket. Upon arriving though, Martins receives some disturbing news. Harry has died, been hit by a car, and is being buried. Instead of getting on the next plane and returning home, Holly decides that he is going to look into his friends untimely death for he's not so sure it was an accident as so many around him claim it to have been. Holly struggles with Major Calloway, a British cop convinced that Lime was an unsavory character, not to mention trying to gather information from those who knew Harry, especially his beautiful girlfriend Anna Schmidt. What Holly uncovers is far more than he expected, and much worse than he could have imagined.
Writer Graham Greene and director Carol Reed have crafted a marvelous film noir in `The Third Man', a film that is so superbly constructed it will never leave your mind. Reed's effective use of lighting and sound is marvelous, and the rich black and white just elevates the mood of the film. Seriously, I'm beginning to question why we ever moved over to color in the first place. That zither score is unique and, while at first I didn't think it would work, ultimately it proves to be one of the films greatest facets.
The film instantly draws you in to the characters that their situation and manages to keep you guessing and ripe with anticipation as you uncover, along with Holly, the tragic truths behind Lime's fate.
Aiding Reed and Graham are the entire cast, Joseph Cotton stepping into the lead role of Holly Martins, and doing a fabulous job at that. Cotton gives Holly a real sense of spark and determination, proving to the audience the importance within his motivations. As the film spirals towards its dramatic closing we see the layers stripped away from Holly and are allowed to see his humanity battling itself, which is something I always love to see plaguing my actors. Alida Valli is drop dead gorgeous as Anna, but she is far more than just window dressing. She captures the struggle of a woman in love who cannot bear to accept all that her lover really was. The single shot of her teary eyes is probably my single favorite scene in the film; a beautiful example of Reed using her actors to the full. Trevor Howard also turns in a grand performance as Major Calloway, a man that is easy to dislike yet the only one you can truly trust. He understands the true meaning of a supporting role, allowing Cotton to shine brightest yet never allowing his own character to suffer because of it.
And then that leads me to Welles, the `third man' from the title. Welles single-handedly steals this entire film with a mere ten minutes or so of screen time. When we first see him standing in the shadows (one of the greatest cinematic entrances of all time) we are intrigued, but when his character finally meets Holly face to face we are presented with Welles undeniable presence and ability. He acts circles around Cotton and delivers a superb, undeniable performance that becomes the highlight of the film. He is unforgettable in every sense of the word.
`The Third Man' truly lives up to the hype surrounding it. The classic use of shadows throughout creates a vibe of uneasiness that elevates the drama and helps instill in the audience a mystery that is slowly unfolding before them. When you add to this the immaculate script and the sublime performances you have a film that is not soon forgotten. I saw this movie for the legend that is Orson Welles, but I kept watching because of everything else that so perfectly creates a marvelous cinematic experience. There are few movies that come along like this one, movies that cannot be improved upon.
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Editorial Reviews:
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The fractured Europe post-World War II is perfectly captured in Carol Reed's masterpiece thriller, set in a Vienna still shell-shocked from battle. Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) is an alcoholic pulp writer come to visit his old friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles). But when Cotton first arrives in Vienna, Lime's funeral is under way. From Lime's girlfriend and an occupying British officer, Martins learns of allegations of Lime's involvement in racketeering, which Martins vows to clear from his friend's reputation. As he is drawn deeper into postwar intrigue, Martins finds layer under layer of deception, which he desperately tries to sort out. Welles's long-delayed entrance in the film has become one of the hallmarks of modern cinematography, and it is just one of dozens of cockeyed camera angles that seem to mirror the off-kilter postwar society. Cotten and Welles give career-making performances, and the Anton Karas zither theme will haunt you. --Anne Hurley
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