Product Details

• Actors: Joseph Cotten, Orson Welles, Alida Valli
• Directors: Carol Reed
• Format: Black & White, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Special Edition, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Criterion Collection
• DVD Release Date: December 16, 2008
• Run Time: 104 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (292 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001EP8EKS
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,882 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #12 in	Movies & TV > Mystery & Suspense > Film Noir
  #18 in	Movies & TV > Art House & International > British Cinema > Mystery & Suspense

• For more information about "The Third Man [Blu-ray]" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

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Product Description

Pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, black-market opportunist Harry Lime and thus begins this legendary tale of love, deception, and murder. Thanks to brilliant performances by Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, and Orson Welles; Anton Karas s evocative zither score; Graham Greene s razor-sharp dialogue; and Robert Krasker s dramatic use of light and shadow, The Third Man, directed by the inimitable Carol Reed, just continues to grow in stature as the years pass.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

160 of 178 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great surrealist drama of truth and loyalth, February 17, 2000

By	[e-mail] "[e-mail]" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Third Man (50th Anniversary Edition) - Criterion Collection (DVD)

It was with great anticipation that I viewed The Third Man recently. I had last seen it nearly 25 years earlier. At the earlier viewing I was impressed with the atmospheric treatment of Vienna and the mystery surrounding Joseph Cotton's search for the truth about his friend Harry (Orson Wells). However, though I then thought of it as a very fine movie, I did not think it would rank in my top 20. Now I see what I missed as a younger person. I can also see why this film would rank as number one on a British list of greatest films of the 20th century.

The film is a surreal examination of the tension between loyalty, love, and friendship on the one hand, and truth and justice on the other. The Viennese are suffused with the cynicism of a destroyed continent and damaged culture. The British know only about the truth and justice side of the equation. The American writer of simple westerns still is naïve enough to care about friendship and truth, and follows both wherever they lead. At the same time, Carol Reed scarcely shoots a scene in which there are right angles. Nearly everything is tilted. Close-ups of faces exaggerate their features. The black and white of the film emphasizes the shadowy nature of the story and its moral underpinnings.

At first Holly Martins (Cotton) thinks he is helping his best friend, Harry Lime (Wells). At the same time he becomes Harry's rival for the woman, Anna. When Harry realizes that Holly has discovered his true evil scheme, Harry has a chance to murder Holly and make it look like an accident. What stops him? Friendship? And why does Harry accept Holly's invitation to meet? In the penultimate scene in the underground sewer tunnels, does Holly fire the final and fatal shot, or does Harry kill himself?

This magnificently filmed and wonderfully acted masterpiece has remained in my mind for days after seeing it. If you are a lover of cinema and not merely of movies, please get this classic. It richly deserves its reputation. Highly recommended.

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Time for Lime, April 27, 2007

By	Galina (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Third Man - Criterion Collection (2-Disc Edition) (DVD)

Who was Harry Lime (Orson Welles)? An evil man, devil in the flesh who was responsible for the unspeakable crimes, yet brilliant, cheerful and charismatic. His most famous words, a short speech written by Welles himself, say a lot about his character and motivations:

"In Italy for 30 years under the Borgies 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, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

No wonder, we like him, even though we know what he'd done...

It has been said thousands of times about the greatest movie entrance ever - but what about his 'exit' - the fingers on the street? I think it is one of the greatest, too...

A beautiful mysterious girl with tragic past was in love with him and the unforgettable ending, so anti-Hollywood, so true to the film - was about her love that goes beyond the grave. I read that both Selznick (the producer) and author Graham Greene had initially argued for something more upbeat (Holly and Anna walking off arm-in-arm), but Reed disagreed. I am so happy that Reed won (I am sure millions of fans are, too). That was the way to finish the movie and make it much more than just typical noir. Makes the viewer think about love, friendship, betrayal, loyalty, the price one pays for them.

Amazing film - perfectly shot; almost flawless. It looks and feels like Welles himself could've made it. The influence of Citizen Kane is undeniable. The only problem I had - the music. I like it but it was very strange to hear it in the film like The Third Man. Maybe that was a purpose - instead of somber, moody, and ominous music that would be expected for the noir film, something completely different and out of place - cheerful but melancholy in the same time...

Criterion DVD is wonderful - the restored version of the film shines. There are two openings of the film available - British and American, and a lot of extras.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have DVD for film noir fans!, July 28, 2000

By	W. Oliver (Alabama) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Third Man (50th Anniversary Edition) - Criterion Collection (DVD)

I have always seen inferior prints of this film until I found this Criterion DVD and I must say, it was like watching a completely different film. The crisp b&w photography has been restored to the original pristine quality and one can easily see why this film took home the Oscar for best cinematography. The sound is also superb. The DVD is loaded with extra features such as the original opening monologue to the British release (voiced by director Carol Reed), a reading of the novel by author Graham Greene, archival footage of the sewer system "police" in Vienna (which plays a significant part in the film), and numerous stills with tantalizing behind the scenes information (like the fact that Orson Welles was so put off by working in the actual sewers that he refused to return and the crew had to build a sewer set at Shepperton Studios). There are many other extras as well, actually too many to remember. Bravo to Criterion for their amazing work on this classic film!