MUBI

A bit overrated by everyone and their mother, this film is a masterpiece, in ALMOST every sense of the word. Yes, I had a problem with the film, although it’s not a major one. The sound. There were multiple scenes in the film which were detracted from, in my mind, because of the sound choices. There were points where the mood should have been dark and eerie, but instead the music was comical and upbeat. It wasn’t right and drew me out of the otherwise fantastically captivating, and intensely brooding film noir. It’s still a masterpiece just not in the sound department. It deserves all its praise.

The performances stand out as some of the best of its decade, and maybe some of the best of all time. Orson Welles cements himself as an all around master of cinema. His performance slowly builds on itself throughout the film even when he is not in the story. Every other performance delivers in being the mysterious character they needed to be. They build suspicion and bring to light questions in the audience’s mind.

The screenplay also stands as one of the best in film history. I usually have the upper hand on any mystery story and can figure the story out before a twist happens. This film however had me on the edge of my seat and awe-struck by the plot twists. Coupled with fantastic cinematography, this film stands above decades and decades of cinema.

Beautifully sinister noir about a mystery, possible murder, and of course, an elusive third man who no one seems to be able to identify. This film won the Oscar for cinematography and it’s easy to see why. The shots, scenery and camera angles are all beautiful. The gritty black and white, and terrific use of shadows and sound really define this classic film. Joseph Cotton is very good, likeable and real, and Orson Welles gives an amazingly fun and lively performance to a character that you shouldn’t like, but do straight off the bat. He has one of the great introductory scenes in all of cinema. The story is very well done, keeps you on your seats’ edge, and the acting is great all around. It’s very easy to see why this film is so highly critically acclaimed and why it has stood the test of time.

Post-WWII Vienna is the perfect setting for Carol Reed’s gorgeously filmed The Third Man. I have now watched it twice and I can’t get over the cinematography, especially during one-on-one dialogues. The camera angles are either tilted right or left, leaving me with this uneasy feeling, at the same time capturing my attention to the screen. Wow.
The slickness of the european cobblestones makes me want to watch my step, they are so well-lighted—-and yet dark. The perfect chiaroscuro.
Everyone raves about Orson Welles; but the real stars of the film are Reed and Graham Greene. Excellent dialogue that never bores. This film is a landmark of cinematography and editing.
Brilliant in every way.
Recommended.

I’ll be honest…I don’t find this film overly interesting until it reaches around the 1 hour mark. From the films in this era I always expect wonderful dialog, and really it’s not until Welles shows up that we actually get anything worth repeating. But it does really pick up after he enters the picture…and what an entrance!!! I enjoyed the music too. But overall for me it wasn’t the characters or the story that made this film worth watching, but rather it’s intoxicating visuals. Quite frankly this film has some of the most beautiful shots I’ve seen in all of cinema. That chase through the sewers was simply brilliant! The use of shadows are almost none existent in films these days, so it’s always a pleasure viewing them at their best in a film like this.

(Friday, June 5, 2009 9:24am)

If you have ever seen Citizen Kane and The Third Man, there is no doubt you will notice that neither films is much different—-screen wise. Robert Krasker’s brilliant lighting made the characters come to life as well as the location in this splendid, gorgeous film.The mentally deranged score by Karas is one of the best, if not the greatest score ever put on film noir screen. And of course give credit to the vivid directing of the unrivaled Carol Reed. After their success in Citizen Kane(1941), Welles and Cotten were united to make the “Third Man” a first-rate film noir. A remarkable film to see. 9.5/10.

I thought Alida Valli died this past year, if I am wrong her death is still fresh with me—-The final scene is haunting—She in the final scene is the personification of all women in film. I want to compare the last scene to that in The Verdict—-but I wont. I have to say I adored Orson Welles and it was always tough for me to see his hands coming up from the sewers after seeing him so magical earlier in the movie.