Review of The Third Man (1949) by Campbell W — 02 Sep 2009

"But wait, zer was a third man." I don't understand why there was ever any speculation about who made The Third Man. It is undoubtedly a Carol Reed film. It is often referred to as an "Orson Welles movie" but that's not really accurate.

Third Man is a British film directed by Carol Reed and shot on location in Vienna, Austria. Joseph Cotten plays the leading role- Holly Martins, and Orson Welles occupies a supporting role as Harry Lime.

Welles' screen time is very limited even though his character is referred to throughout the film's dialogue. Welles later said this is what attracted him to the character of Lime; a character that is talked about by the other characters for much of the movie before he is actually seen.

However, Lime's presence is felt from the beginning of the story because he motivates all of the characters and action. Welles must have known that Harry Lime was going to be one of the greatest cinematic supporting roles of all time, almost Shakespearean in a way like the great supporting roles of Lady Macbeth, Aaron the Moor, or Volumnia.

Naturally, Orson Welles plays it perfectly, and when he finally appears you can't take your eyes off of him. In all, the acting in The Third Man is incredible: Bernard Lee, most recognizable as "M" from the early Bond movies, plays an almost childish brute, and the ongoing antagonistic dynamic between Trevor Howard and Joe Cotten is flawlessly performed.

Their petty tit-for-tat conflict is perhaps my favorite aspect of the entire story. I particularly appreciate Howard's line in response to one of Cotten's insults, "My name is Cal-lo-way, not Callahan.

I'm English, not Irish!" It's these little nuances of great screenwriting interpreted by great performance artists that make The Third Man a masterpiece.