Third Man

Pros: Astounding Cinematography; dark , morally ambigious, thought provoking, Welles, Cotten, Valli
Cons: British cadence; disturbing premonition of the birth of the "ugly American".

Wandering through Orson Welles biography a few weeks ago, I found this movie. And although it has a dark, morally ambiguous tone, it has cinematography that achieves genius in black and white filmography, a mystery that captures your attention, although...

Pros: Script, Cinematography, Score, Cotten, Welles, supporting Cast
Cons: None

The Third Man (1949) Director Carol Reed’s "The Third Man" is an amazing tale of post-WWII cold war Europe. Set in the then present-time in bombed out Vienna, it stars Joseph Cotten as hack writer "Holly Martins". The ...

Pros: Orson Welles's magnificent entrance and cuckoo clock speech; great soundtrack, cinematography, script, directing, and performances
Cons: None, really

In Italy, for 30 years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love. They had 500 years of democracy and peace, ...

Pros: Cast, story, cinematography, musical score
Cons: Storyline might be confusing for some people

I admit. I haven't watched many old movies.....but I really like them. Don't know why. I've just had an interest in old movies. So when my "Film Appreciation" teacher told me to watch The Third Man, I decided to watch it.

I have to...

Pros: A "happy accident," in terms of acting, direction, writing, cinematography and, of course, score.
Cons: Unsentimental story may turn some away. Be sure to get a late, restored edition.

The following review was originally published on August 14, 2002. I have felt, however, that it needs revision, especially since a lot of the older review was a plot summary. Also, being an uncreative hack, I did not have a creative entry point to ...

Pros: visuals, images, entertaining film noir
Cons: the unique music may not be for everyone

The divided and devastated post-WWII Vienna of Carol Reed's 1949 classic, "The Third Man," is one of ...

Pros: Brilliant direction,stellar cast and the magnetic screen presence of Orson Welles.
Cons: Nothing really!

This film is a classic and stands up to repeated viewings no matter what your age. I first viewed this film as a student and was blown away by it. The black and white format adds to the genre of this film-film noir- and Vienna acts as the perfect...

Pros: Wonderfully acted and directed
Cons: Hard to find a good print

Let me begin with a warning. Much of the joy of watching Carol Reed's The Third Man comes from something quite unexpected that happens. I will give that twist away. If you haven't seen the film this review will spoil it for you. You should see the...

Pros: The pros are infinite
Cons: A few dated fade-transitions, but nothing big.

The Third Man is a brilliant film noir picture filmed on location in post-war Vienna. Joseph Cotten stars as a dime-novel writer from America, Holly Martins, who travels to post-WWII Vienna in response to his college friend's invitation, Harry Lime...

Pros: Truly suspenseful story, fine direction and acting
Cons: The music is jarring with the visuals now and then

Carol Reed's suspense classic is the most Hitchcockian film not made by Hitchcock. It features a complicated, twist-filled plot surrounding the death of one Harry Lime, and the aftermath of the event. His friend, Holly Martens, arrives in Vienna...

Pros: Just about everything.
Cons: Just about nothing.

By Max Scheinin.

In The Third Man, Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) journeys to Vienna in search of his friend Harry Lime, only to find that the man has recently passed away. And yet, something, he senses, is not right -- something must be outed....

Pros: beautiful, exciting, fine acting
Cons: viewer can be confused if not focused on the plot

For his maybe 10 minutes of film, Orson Welles shines brighter than he perhaps ever has in the pivotal role of Harry Lime in this Carol Reed-directed adaptation of the Graham Greene story.

This film, which is best viewed on the big screen,...

Pros: Thought-provoking performances and a very strong script
Cons: The midgame is somewhat muddled.

Carol Reed's The Third Man is usually described as film noir, but perhaps a better term would be film fatale: a sense of betrayal and loss hangs over the movie like a fog. A post-war movie that reflects the bitterness and...

Pros: Everything
Cons: Nothing

"She ought to go careful. Everybody ought to go careful...in a city like this."

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Warning: You are advised not to read this review unless you have already seen the film, for I will...

Pros: Brilliant in all respects
Cons: None

The Third Man, directed by Carol Reed, is a brilliant film of corruption, faith, and friendship. It isn't nearly as well-known as it should be.

Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten), a down on his luck pulp novel writer, has travelled to Vienna at...