Third Man, The, is a classic motion picture about black market activities in Vienna, Austria, soon after the end of World War II in 1945. The film is often ranked among the greatest movies ever made because of its gripping story, atmospheric photography, skillful directing by Carol Reed, and brilliant acting. In particular, the American actor-director Orson Welles won international praise for his performance as the charming but unscrupulous black marketeer Harry Lime.
The Third Man was released in 1949. The screenplay was written by English author Graham Greene, who adapted the story into a popular 1950 suspense novel, also called The Third Man. The film vividly re-creates the shadowy and dangerous world of postwar Vienna. The central character is Holly Martins, an American author of cheap Western novels. He travels to Vienna in response to a job offer from Harry Lime, an old school friend. On his arrival, Martins is led to believe that Lime is dead. Eventually Martins discovers that Lime is still alive. He faked his own death to avoid the authorities who were seeking him for his illegal dealing in drugs.
The film photography makes vivid use of Vienna’s historic baroque buildings and narrow, winding streets. Carol Reed emphasized the drama of the fast-paced story through the use of deep shadows and sharp camera angles. Highlights of the film include a tense scene between Lime and Martins on a giant Ferris wheel, and a chase through the gloomy sewers beneath Vienna.
Welles does not appear in The Third Man until halfway through the picture, yet his acting dominates the film. There are also outstanding performances by Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins, Alida Valli as an Austrian actress who loves Lime, and Trevor Howard as an English military officer tracking Lime down. The film’s mood was enhanced by a memorable musical score played on a zither by Austrian musician Anton Karas.
See also Greene, Graham ; Reed, Carol ; Welles, Orson .
