Classic, film-noir mystery has American man going to meet his friend in post WWII Vienna. When he arrives he finds his friend, Harry Lime, has been killed in a traffic accident. But what really happened? Who killed him? Was it an accident? And who was Harry Lime? So begins one man’s odyssey to discover the truth. Extremely arty film is not an eager crowd pleaser, but rather an atmospheric, expressionist mood piece that slowly draws you into its world. The black and white cinematography won an Oscar.
Menu
One Response
Well, okay, but the underlying theme and the way it gets developed are crucial to getting the most out of this film. You can probably think of some pretty good movies (Serpico, Prince of the City, Donnie Brasco, Goodfellas?) where the decision to inform on one’s friends is at the heart of what’s going on. “On the Waterfront” and “The Third Man” manage to turn that particular dilemma into two of the best movies ever made. I’d certainly pick the latter as the best thing Welles ever did as an actor and Carol Reed as a director. And who would have thought from the other movies he’s been associated with that Graham Green was remotely capable of creating a plot and dialog of the order he produced here — one truly memorable scene after another. And both visually and as a summing up of the way Lime’s two closest friends chose to treat him — that shot of Valli walking past Joseph Cotten has got to be about the best closing sequence ever.