Customer Reviews

The Third Man [VHS]

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This is a rare film that is flawless in every respect. It combines great acting and memorable characters with a fascinating story, taking place in an interesting setting and adding a creative musical score. "The Third Man" is remembered for many things - for Orson Welles' wonderful performance in his appearances as Harry Lime, for its wonderfully appropriate musical score, and for its nicely conceived plot surprises. Adding to these is Joseph Cotten's fine portrayal of Holly Martins, which holds the rest of it together - it is his character who initiates most of the action, and also through whom we view everything and everyone else.

The story starts, after a nicely done prologue, with Martins arriving in Vienna, and finding out that his friend Harry is not only dead but is accused of running a particularly destructive black market racket. Martins sets out at once to prove his friend's innocence, getting into an immediate scuffle with the police, and it seems at first to set up a conventional plot about clearing the name of a friend - but the actual story that follows is much deeper and much better. It is just right that Martins is an innocent who writes cheap novels for a living, and he gets a pretty memorable lesson in fiction vs. reality. There are some great scenes (the Ferris-wheel confrontation being as good a scene as there is in classic cinema) leading up to a memorable climactic sequence, and a good supporting cast, with Alida Valli as Anna being very good in complementing Lime and Martins. The setting in crumbling post-war Vienna and the distinctive zither score go very nicely with the story.

This is a fine, flawless classic, and while obviously belonging to an earlier era, it deserves a look from anyone who appreciates good movies.

Unfortunately, ELP and LP-recorded budget-label VHS tapes don't do proper justice to such a superb motion picture, thus this product is NOT recommended.


Orson Welles once explained to Peter Bogdonovich that a true star role is one where others talk about an unseen person for 45 minutes before he finally appears. Perhaps Welles was defining in this bit of philosophy his own status as Harry Lime in THE THIRD MAN.

It's difficult to think of Harry as a star role, for the man is an unmitigated and unrepentant scoundrel who sold diluted penicillin to hospitals-- tampered-with medicine that caused the death or permanent disabling of dozens of children and adults. Even as Harry looks down from the height of a Ferris wheel at ant-sized people he expresses to friend Holly Martins (Cotten) his disdain and unconcern for humanity. Lime is a classic sociopath, and yet the "star" of this Carol Reed picture? No, that honor must go to Mr. Cotten, who's in almost every scene and raises a fine movie to the level of a genuine classic.

Original zither music by Anton Karas is unforgettable as is cinematography of war-scarred Vienna, battered but still beautiful and at times forbidding. Kudos to Alida Valli as a Czech refugee actress who fears deportation by the Russians. Her unshakeable devotion to Harry defines blind love and makes this girl easiest to sympathize with. Trevor Howard brings to his British major a perfect mix of business-like military demeanor and well-masked concern. Minor characters like a so-called 'Baron' and other shady types keep Holly and us always on our toes.

This noir classic well deserves its Top 100 Movie status. Highly recommended to all!


Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 imdb viewer poll rating.

(8.5) THE THIRD MAN (UK-1949) - Joseph Cotten/Alida Valli/Orson Welles/Trevor Howard/Bernard Lee/Paul Hörbiger/Ernst Deutsch/Wilfrid Hyde-White (uncredited: Lee Strasberg)


Two years before his turn in THE THIRD MAN, Orson Welles directed THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (DVD). Starring in this fascinating film noir is glamorous Rita Hayworth, who attempted unsuccessfully to reconcile with co-star and estranged husband Welles during this story's production.