The Third Man (1949)

Rating: 4 Stars (out of 4)

Lime Readings

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy The Third Man on DVD

Many believe that The Third Man (1949) is one of Orson Welles' masterworks, and that he directed it. In fact Welles had little to do with it, but that so many think so is a compliment to the film's style and timelessness. Like Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs; Welles stretched a small amount of screen time into a starring role. It's such an accomplished performance that his character, Harry Lime, becomes the movie's most charming and memorable, despite the fact that he's a despicable villain. You can see this delicious performance when The Third Man opens today at the Castro Theater in a new print of the European version, uncut.

Welles was in the middle of filming his brilliant Othello (1952) and took The Third Man as an acting job for the money. He was given the option of taking a percentage of the profits after the film's release. Strapped for cash, Welles took the money up front. But The Third Man was the biggest hit Welles was ever associated with and he lost out. He went on to do a Harry Lime radio show and the character was recycled again for a short-lived television series.

The leading characters in The Third Man are really pulp western writer Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) and cabaret actress Anna Schmidt (Alida Valli). It's just after WWII and Vienna is divided into four segments controlled by Russia, France, Great Britain, and the USA. Martins comes to Vienna to meet his friend Lime who has promised him a job. Upon arriving Martins learns that Lime is dead. He suspects something is up and sticks around to find out, but doesn't count on falling in love with Lime's former flame, Schmidt.

Welles stands out in this movie not only because of his own dashing performance, but because Cotten's and Valli's characters, Martins and Schmidt, are so dreary. Martins is a dullard, a drunk, and not above being an informant. And Schmidt is in mourning the whole time we see her. So, when we meet Harry Lime it's like burst of birthday cake. He seems almost in color. After watching Martins slog through his own muddled definitions of right and wrong, Lime makes it all clear for us when he asks from atop that humongous ferris wheel, "if one of those little dots down there stopped moving, would it really matter to you?"

This movie is a mishmash of many different talents coming together in a way that seems magical. It has a distinctly European feel and a tone of sadness, depravity, and longing. It's a crime movie and a film noir, but it is punctuated by comedy bits. The Third Man seems uncommon and unusual, not only because of its exotic setting, but because of the several untranslated languages spoken in it.

The Third Man was directed by Englishman Carol Reed who, despite making two other outstanding movies, Odd Man Out (1947) and The Fallen Idol (1948), was not one of the cinema's greatest visionaries. However, aided by his amazing crew, The Third Man was made with an extraordinarily atmospheric look to it, using tilted camera angles and the high-contrast climactic chase through Vienna's sewers. A great deal of credit for this look goes to Robert Krasker who won an Oscar for his black-and-white cinematography. The great screenplay was by the famous critic-turned-crime-author Graham Greene. But perhaps the most important ingredient is Anton Karas' Zither score. Audiences today may not be able to stomach the steely Zither sound, but back in 1949 and 1950 they were enthralled. The record of the music was a big seller and partially contributed to the movie's box office success.

I haven't yet mentioned actor Trevor Howard (Brief Encounter) who plays English police major Calloway -- a decisive rock of moral assurance. I've seen The Third Man five times and this is the first time Howard has really struck me. He's a great center to the film. But it is Welles you come away with and remember. And like watching one of Welles' own movies you feel like you've really seen something great.

Also available on Blu-Ray.

Starring: Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, Trevor Howard
Written by: Graham Greene, Alexander Korda, Carol Reed (uncredited), Orson Welles (uncredited)
Directed by: Carol Reed
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 104 minutes
Date: August 13, 1999