The Third Man

The first copy of "The Third Man" I owned was an old video found in the garage of my Grandfather. He was getting rid of a bunch of stuff and he knew I liked old movies, so he thought I might like it. As a kid it was liking finding treasure, "The Third Man" was a legend to me, I had heard of it, I've known of its stature in the annals of film noir, but I had never seen it. I made a friend of mine at the time extremely jealous by having my very own copy.

I mention this little anecdote, because it taught me the joy of finding old and discarded things that that can be priceless to someone who know its value. "The Third Man" is indeed one of those films which hold value to me, it is one of those films that remain entertaining no matter how many times you see it (Some day I must make a list of those kind of films). It deals with dark subject matter, but it's easy to forget that and get lost in its atmosphere, it's wit, it's music, and the indomitable force that is Orson Welles.

For those not schooled in "The Third Man", here's a brief synopsis, I don't want to restrict myself to spoilers so be forewarned as you read this. The story starts off with the arrival of Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton), a pulp fiction writer to Vienna. Holly is meant to meet his good friend Harry Lime, who has offered him a job and a place to say, but he finds out Harry has been in an accident and was killed.

At Harry's funeral, Holly sees a host of mysterious characters, and he is picked up by a Military Policeman Major Calloway (Trevor Howard). Calloway explains Harry was involved in the black market and was one of the most wanted men in Vienna. Holly doesn't believe Calloway and decides to conduct his own investigation. He finds many things regarding Harry's accident don't add up and comes to the conclusion that he was murdered.

The only person who witnesses the accident is a porter who worked in Harry's building. In the police report it was told that two people were around Harry when he died, but the porter remembers seeing the third man who pertains to the title. Holly tries to track down this third man with the help of Anna (Valli) who was Harry's girlfriend and who Holly now finds himself falling in love with. But the porter is soon killed, and Holly now finds himself fearful of his life.

What I've explained is basically the first hour of the film, I haven't even gotten to the famous entrance of Orson Welles, who, yes, plays Harry Lime, the dashing criminal and without a doubt one of the most charming and ruthless ones in film history. Welles' contribution to the film is felt throughout, no doubt director Carol Reed had seen "Citizen Kane" which is clearly an influence from the lighting to the tilted camera techniques right down to having Joseph Cotton and Welles as long time best friends.

"The Third Man" is all about this mystery that is unravelling, it's based on a book by Graham Greene, who also wrote the screenplay (There are rumours Welles himself wrote some of his own dialogue along with his famous Cuckoo clock speech), but like all great films, there's so much more to it.

"The Third Man" has its own feel which separates itself from other film noirs of its era. Let's begin with the music by Anton Karas, who uses a classical guitar to depict the different moods of the film. Karas uses it very sparingly sometimes to evoke playfulness, sometimes dread, and sometimes sadness. The soundtrack to the film itself became a popular seller in its day.

Reed also gives great effect to the black and white cinematography, particularly the scenes where we see Harry running in alleyways, only seeing his exaggerated shadows on the wall. You see those shots and they remind you why black and white film is such a useful tool.

The performances themselves are unforgettable; Joseph Cotton makes for a sympathetic hero, at times sad, and self loathing, but often witty and self deprecating. As Anna, Valli is a vision of loveliness, she finds herself utterly devoted to Harry no matter what he has done, we can see why both he and Holly fall in love with her.

But the film really belongs to Orson Welles, although the amount of time he spends in the film could be described as a glorified cameo, but Welles' scenes are what make this film iconic. We can see part of Harry Lime in Welles, much like we could see Charles Foster Kane in him as well. He's part charmer, part scoundrel, in a way you route for him, he's the kind of villain you wish could get off scott free despite his atrocities just because you may want to see another film with him again.

"The Third Man" is the kind of film that doesn't need to tell you it's a classic, I saw it as a young boy and I knew back then it was a very special movie. I don't get tired of it, it can still put me under its spell with mystery, and intrigue, like all great detective stories, and transport me to that world only the greatest films could concoct. To say you are a fan of film and not see "The Third Man" doesn't make sense to me.