Review of The Third Man (1949) by Melvin W — 25 Apr 2012

Harry Lime: What did you want me to do? Be reasonable. You didn't expect me to give myself up... 'It's a far, far better thing that I do.' The old limelight. The fall of the curtain. Oh, Holly, you and I aren't heroes. The world doesn't make any heroes outside of your stories. .

"You've never met anyone like him!".

Film Noir is a genre that I really enjoy, and when I see a really good one, like The Third Man; it is an extreme joy. This not only rivals any Noir you could name, but probably exceeds it in just about every category imaginable. This is brilliantly conceived and executed stuff, with some of the best scenes I have seen from any film. The final chase scene was really well shot and definitely sits as one of the better chase scenes in film history. I'm someone who can get bored two or three minutes into a chase scene, but I could have watched this one all day and never have gotten bored. Along with how well shot the film is, it also has one of the more unique musical scores I have heard. It isn't your typical thriller score, and adds an element to the film that others in the genre just don't have.

The Third Man is also brilliantly acted. Joseph Cotten plays the lead, Holly Martins extremely well. Holly comes to Vienna to work and stay with an old friend, Harry Lime. Upon arriving there, he is told that Harry is dead and arrives just in time to see Harry's funeral. Holly then begins to investigate the death as things just aren't adding up. The start of the film is good, but when Orson Welles makes his first appearance as a shadowy face on a dark street, the film takes off and soars to not only classic status, but masterpiece status. The film is smart, funny, suspenseful, and entertaining beyond what you could think. .

If you're a film buff, this is one of the must, must sees. It's one of those films you must see before you die and if you don't, well, you missed out on something special. Now that I've finally seen the film, I'll probably end up watching it a good twenty more times in my life. It's that good. I could also see it being potentially more fun to watch a second time around knowing everything that is going to happen. .

I'll end with a quote from Roger Ebert on The Third Man.

"Of all the movies I have seen, this one most completely embodies the romance of going to the movies.".