Review of The Third Man (1949) by Andrew L — 15 Nov 2009

After receiving an invitation from an old friend, Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) enters Vienna to find that his pal has died. Martins, author of detective stories, gathers information surrounding the death of his friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles) and notices that certain statements do not coincide. The pulp fictionist decides to investigate the matter further only to find that Mr. Lime was involved in the black market and that, even more shocking, he may not be dead after all.

Cotten?s performance ranks among his very best, but the true treat of this film, the real delight, is watching wide-eyed one of cinema?s finest artists, the man Joseph Cotten worked with extensively, Mr. Orson Welles. Despite his little screen time, Welles adds such depth to his villainous character that we view him not merely as the antagonist, the enemy of the respectable Holly Martins, but also as his former friend, if not, currently, his only friend?exhibited especially, this is, in the famous Cuckoo Clock scene: intense and intimate, their conversation. With it?s dark theme, seedy characters, use of light and shadow and sharp angles, Carol Reed?s The Third Man is a perfect example of the film-noir genre common to the 40?s, and one which today?s generation can enjoy and lavish analytical attention on as well.