Over the years, as I've watched and re-watched The Third Man, I've grown to enjoy the contrast of tone the zither provides in this film. Regardless of how much you like the soundtrack, though, you have to admit that scoring this movie with a zither was a distinctive choice.
Holly Martin (Joseph Cotten), a none-too-successful writer of American Western dime store novels, has just arrived in post-World War II Vienna to meet up with his childhood friend, Harry Lime. Harry has offered Holly a job, which is good because he has just about zero dollars. Unfortunately, Harry died just the other day; he was killed by a car when crossing the street. After the funeral, Holly is approached by someone claiming to be a friend of Harry's, who offers to pay for Holly's flight home. Similarly, the local British MPs seem keen to ship Holly back home, too. Since he has no money and no prospects for making any, Holly is ready to leave --- he just wants to commiserate with Harry's grieving girlfriend, Anna (Alida Valli), first and get a clear picture of his pal's later life.
Commiserate, be a creeper --- to-may-toe, to-mah-toe |
"You're probably not the third man, but I'd like to do some more inspecting" |
For the most part, I don't think the acting in The Third Man is anything terribly special. Nobody is bad, but there is only one truly great character in this film. Unfortunately, that character is not Holly; thus, Joseph Cotten's acting here takes a back seat to the thankless task of propelling the plot. Cotten turns out a solid performance --- aside from his unfortunately cartoonish drunk scene --- but his innocent character was never intended to be the focus of this film.
Tip to appear drunk: Don't maintain the flawless quaff |
Or a cross between the two |
What does stand out, though, is the direction of Carol Reed. Reed, along with his cinematographer Robert Krasker, made one of my favorite movies to just...watch. Sure, there are probably too many angled shots, but they are all framed gorgeously; I (obviously) haven't been to post-WWII Vienna, but they captured an interesting blend of majesty and rubble.
The Third Man is, quite simply, one of the most visually alluring films I have ever seen. I love when a director adds little bits of flair to imply intent, and this movie is absolutely brimming with examples. Thanks to the importance of those shots, there are many moments that have become iconic, and deservedly so.
Gorgeous. Simply gorgeous. Even if he is peeing. |
The Third Man is, for me at least, one of the best film noirs ever made. Exactly what separates it from, say, The Maltese Falcon or Double Indemnity? I think that boils down to just two scenes. The first is the Ferris wheel scene. Aside from being a great image, this scene also has a fantastic monologue from Orson Welles, one which has been referenced a number of times since, even in two separate episodes of Law & Order.
Moral: all ants need to die, and die horribly |
This film also bucked tradition by being filmed on location --- which was still decades away from being a standard practice --- and sticking with an ending that isn't exactly all wine and roses. For all these reasons and more, I highly recommend this movie. The only thing keeping it from being a perfect "10" in my book is the fact that the main characters are not terribly interesting. Even with that as an obstacle, this is one of the true cinema greats.
And check out this cool The Third Man poster made by some random dude on the interweb! It's good stuff.
Find more here |
I have only seen this movie once, probably about five years ago. It did not knock me over the head, but I guess I will have to give it another go. You mentioned that you have seen it multiple times, did you come to enjoy it more?
ReplyDeleteWelles is able to really fill up a screen with his presence. I have always been a big fan. I wonder how his acting was respected by contemporaries. Maybe they loved it, but over the years it is only the directing he is remembered for. I would really like to get your take on The Lady From Shanghai, if you have an opportunity to watch it. I think it is fascinating.
Lady From Shanghai is on my list, but reminding me about it makes it a hell of a lot more likely that I will get to it in a timely fashion.
DeleteI enjoyed this movie more with multiple viewings, most definitely. The first time around, I was impressed by the cinematography. The second time around, I really appreciated Welles. Since then, I've started enjoying the odd little nuggets here and there, like how hilarious it is that the bad guys are so OBVIOUSLY evil or how odd the zither music feels. I'm definitely a bigger fan of the deliberateness of the direction (is there a better build-up and reveal of a character than in this movie?) than the main character.
I may be overrating this movie just a little bit, but it's definitely worth another viewing.