Allan Watched "The Third Man"
Widely considered the greatest British film of all time, The Third Man is a fast-paced, cinematic masterpiece that would be great in any era. In 1949, it was a cutting-edge, post-war success that captivated audiences with unique camera angles and brilliant lighting, even in black and white. In 2018, it is still a great achievement in cinematography and writing that feels unique even 70 years later.
Gut Feeling
What an absolute joy to watch. I’m so happy this was suggested to me, because it was not a movie that was ever on my radar. I think on a larger scale this movie gets over looked as well, competing with the many all-time great films that came after World War II.
First off, the pacing is incredible. I got great satisfaction going scene to scene, quickly peeling back each small layer of the mystery with Holly Martins, played by Joseph Cotten (Citizen Kane, Portrait of Jennie), as he tries to solve the mystery behind his best friend Harry Lime’s (Orson Welles) death. It made me crave more post-WWII films, so if you see a bunch of reviews in black and white over the next week, blame The Third Man.
Overall Performances
There are no weak performances in this film. Cotten sets a great precedent early in the film with some great physical acting, as he pours himself drink after drink with a man he doesn’t realize is the cop investigating Lime’s death. His first few encounters with Lime’s lover Anna Schmidt, beautifully played by Valli (The Paradine Case), give you a hint that the mystery runs deep with Lime, and Valli portrays Anna as a strong, secretive woman who you never really can trust throughout.
Welles is obviously brilliant, and even though he is only in a handful of scenes, he is a bolt of lightning, dominating the screen it the films most intense moments. Overall, this multi-national cast makes every line, from Welles to the most minor character, truly magical.
Production/Direction
Mainly filmed in Vienna, The Third Man captures the ruins of WWII, with plenty of action happening up and down bombed buildings and rubble. Robert Krasker won Best Cinematography (black and white category), and was lauded for his creative angles and brilliant lighting. In one of the most tense moments in the film, the way he captures a man’s shadow as he walks down an empty road is breathtaking, and is one of the most memorable uses of shadows I have ever seen in a film.
As for the script itself? Perfection. Graham Greene wrote a source text in the form of a novella in order to create the world he would be putting into the script, and it’s magically done. Every scene introduces new information about a mystery that gets more curious at every turn, and the twist at the beginning of the third act is surprising and gives the sprint to the finish a great energy. The ending, which brings us back to the beginning in a very satisfying way is equally effective as it was beautifully captured on camera, with Anna walking away and Holly flicking one last cigarette as leaves fall to the ground.
Music
The score of the film is so much fun and captures the movie perfectly. The opening narration is matched with the energetic picking of a zither (stringed instrument) that has you toe-tapping while face-to-face with the ruins of WWII. I didn’t know how much I needed a zither in my life, but now I know that I do.
Random Thoughts
One thing that bugged me is that during this investigation, they let Holly, who is just some American guy who writes shitty books, in on the whole investigation with access to evidence and everything!
That little kid who says Holly is the killer of a random person is a little narc and I did not like him. I believe he was 4. But he was pure evil.
I wonder if hiding in a movie theater when being chased by the cops was already a cliche in 1949? If it wasn’t, it probably wasn’t long after that it was played out.
Speaking of 1949, look at the list of actors who made their debuts that year: Julie Andrews (The Singing Princess), Richard Burton (Women of Dolwyn, whatever the hell movie that was), Tony Curtis (City Across the River), Jerry Lewes (My Friend Irma), Liza Minnelli (In the Good Old Summertime), James Whitmore (The Undercover Man), Max von Sydow (Only A Mother) and Patricia Neal (John Loves Mary). Pretty good year for debuts!
Quick Hits:
How many times have I seen this movie?
First time!
Where was I watching it?
I gave it my full attention on the couch. I went on Twitter because one of my tweets was going viral (nbd), but other than that I was not schooling people on NBA2K for that hour and 45 minutes.
Did Kellye Watch it? If Yes, did she like it. If no, would she like it?
She did not watch it with me, but she would love it! Kellye loves a good old-timey production, and my guess is she would love the zither.
Favorite fact I learned from Wikipedia
“The Third Man Theme” was released as a single and went to number 1 on the charts! Zither was fire emojis in the 40s man.
Favorite part
The shadow of the man walking down the street with the balloons was breath taking.
Least favorite part
That little narc sucks AND he was wrong. Screw that kid.
Would I recommend this movie and why?
100%. So much fun. So good. So tense. What a gem.
So What Does Allan Give It?
Two gold thumbs up!! A true masterpiece! Overall, a score of 93.
