The Third Man (1949)
Joseph Cotten, Alidia Valli, Orson Welles, Trevor Howard; d. Carol Reed; A

The Third Man takes place in bomb-battered post war Vienna. Losing its glory during the war, the city has been separated into five different military states and has plunged head first into the world of the black market. Unknowingly thrown into this world is American writer Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten), who has come to Vienna to visit and live with his friend Harry Lime. When he arrive at Harry's appartment building, he learns that Harry has died in a car accident not too long before. When he goes to Harry's funeral, he sees a beautiful woman (Alidia Valli), whom he does not know or recognize. He also encounters British military Major Callaway (Trevor Howard), who, cooly, tells Holly that his friend, Harry, was a heavy dealer in the black market. Holly refuses this assesment, but no doubt he is intruged by it. He begins his own makeshift investment on Harry's death, questioning the landlord of Harry's appartment and likewise questioning (and falling in love with) the woman at the funeral, Harry's former girlfriend Anna Schmidt. He gets the pieces to the puzzle but doesn't quite know where to fit them: At the trial concerning Harry's death, nobody but his friends and his doctor were witnesses. Apperently, there were two people who carried Harry's body to the statue, but according to the landlord, there was a third man, making the case all the more confusing for Holly. Things get even more wild when the landlord turns up dead, and Holly is the one who's considered to be his murderer! And just when it seems that nothing could get any wilder, with Holly being a murder suspect and Anna being grilled because of her fake passport and papers, Anna's loyal cat leads a drunken, confused, and fustrated Holly to a surprising revelation...

A masterfully shot film noir, The Third Man will no doubt have your eyes (and ears) in total amazement, with its breathtaking black and white photography, expert camera movement, and a wonderfuly catch score by Anton Karas, played entirely on an instrument called a zither. The Third Man's look may remind you of another movie staring Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles, Welles' own Citizen Kane. The akward camera angles and expert lighting have no doubt been influence by that movie. The score is the most memorable part of the film. While the bouncy and light zither music may seem an odd selection for a film noir, it works perfectly.

The Third Man offers several great performance, including those of Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles. Yet again, Cotten and Welles play perfectly off of each other as two old friends who have suddenly had a wrench thrown into their relationship. If you haven't figured out already, Welles plays the evasive Harry Lime, whose entrance into the film is one of cinema's most memorable. His character is also as memorable. Harry is a cold man who has no remource over the crimes that he's done, nor does he have any compassion for the human race. Trevor Howard is also noticable for his potrayal of Major Callaway, a character that seems to also have the same insensitivity to the human race but has a compassionate heart underneith his hard, wise-cracking shell. The Third Man is an excellent film that should not be missed, especially by film music and cinematography enthusiasts.

© Vert A Go Go Reviews 2001