I believe Reed went against Selznick, the producer, who wanted a happy ending. He admitted he was wrong. Reed's choice to have Anna walk past Holly without saying a word was the perfect ending.
It's a classic, it was done that way for a long time as we know and we are used to it , if this would have been done any other way , you will go with that too
This film is also historic in a very real sense. Filming on location in Vienna took place during 1948, not more than two or three years after the end of WW2. The devastation was real. The four allied powers were still in occupation of Vienna as this film was being made.
I wish you had elaborated more on the character of Anna, and how she exemplifies the amorality of love - how one can be in love with a person no matter how wicked, and how being morally "good" like Martins does NOT necesssarily earn you the right to someone's love. This is such a modern, timeless idea, almost NEVER illustrated honestly anywhere in stories, etc. This deeply cynical truth helps make The Third Man so relevant - as the movie gets older, it NEVER feels dated! It has aged beautifully!
That is the absolute best review of a film I have ever watched on UA-cam. The way you intertwine world history, theology, and the technical aspects of cinema is flawless. You said more in 13 minutes than some people can say in an hourlong review. Great analysis. Keep up the good work!
Orson Wells ..? As the Americans say all the time? Awesome Wells🇺🇸🎭 a great man for he's own achievements, said he was the only director of witch he never found fault to argue with 🎬🤑🎟️🗣️📢 praise indeed✌️💪 As a LONDONER 🇬🇧💯 Living by Battersea Bridge 🌉 it's only a short walk to the last home he lived in?? It's on The Kings Road. He directed Oliver while living there🙏🎬💞 and of course 🆘 found a job for his nephew who didn't let him down.. A one Oliver Reed🇬🇧💯🌉 Regards from LONDON 🤩💋🎭👁️💥👁️💪✌️🧐
@@ausbrum, he never directed himself in the film. You are incorrect in saying that. He did write or improvised the line about the cuckoo clock. However, this is even disputed
@@garybrockwell2031 yes, indeed! The 1968 musical Oliver! is one of my favorite films and Oliver Reed was and will ever be the definitive Sikes. Furthermore, Carol Reed’s The Fallen Idol and Odd Man Out are both superb and highly regarded. BTW, I’m a Yank and do praise Welles, but this film classic is not his work
I viewed this films many times before I went to Vienna in 1989. Then there was a movie house that showed this film on a constant loop. I watched the movie (again) and then went to ride the "Big Wheel". Best experience ever!!!
When I went to Vienna, because of my memory of this film, I felt compelled to go on a ride on the Reiserad although I don’t normally like big wheels because I have a fear of heights. Looking down from the top point my fear seemed to melt away.
I have just gotten back from visiting Vienna August 24. We had to visit Prater Park to see the big wheel. Would love to be able to track down the various locations used in the film and present day, as the gothic style buildings and statues are still very much a presence.
Hey rullvox5912--do you remember that scene in Shadow of a Doubt when Uncle Charlie (Cotton) looks straight into the camera and talks about the ugliness and uselessness of old ladies, etc.? So scary. The whole time, I'm thinking, "Why can't his family see that he's a MONSTER??" LOL
About four years ago we went on a "Third Man" walking tour. Our guide told us that her grandfather had bought some black-market penicillin just after the war to treat his very sick son. Luckily is was not like the stuff Harry Lime was dealing with and her father survived
I like your theological application - Graham Greene incorporates several redemptive themes into his stories. I don’t agree however with your conclusion as to who the third man was . Adam then first, Christ the second and then then “the NEW MAN” restored through faith in Jesus Christ. A new man who has been reborn or resurrected from the sewers of life. That’s why Harry Lime couldn’t make his way out of miry bog. All men like Adam are born in the filth of sin - man as he is in Adam with his original and actual sin. Then there is Jesus Christ, the perfect man who fulfilled all that Adam should have bee - the second or last man. Only faith in Him will resurrect Yu from the sewer through faith in Him through the working of the Holy Ghost Who, as the wind, blows asmHe pleases upon whom He pleases. Lime wasn’t one of them and that’s why he couldn’t make out of the sewers but perished in hell
@@randolphpinkle4482 Maybe the Swiss did not create the cuckoo clock but there are shops in cities like Lucerne that sell cuckoo clocks and very little else. We're talking five or six hundred of the damn things.
I first saw this film years ago, before its restoration. (Thank you, Criterion!) So I was unimpressed at the time; everything was muddy and dark - I couldn't even tell that the cat was playing with somebody's shoelaces (a very important shot). But then I saw the restored version, and...Wow. For my money, this is the finest film ever made. It gets full marks for plot, theme, characters, cinematography, setting, dialogue and details: Crabbin, always trying to keep his mistress out of view; the dog, belonging to both Kurtz and Winkel; Holly trying to evoke Harry's past for Anna, and only being able to come up with examples of betrayal and dishonesty. Finally, the scene on the roof of the cafe, where Harry's hat, lit from below, disappears against the dark sky, and all that shows is the white lining on either side of his head, like Satanic horns. You've done a wonderful job with this review! While I'd already noted the connection between the sewer and Harry's soul, I never knew about the Biblical implications of the 3rd man, and I totally missed the God symbolism on the Ferris wheel - Brilliant! You should teach a course!
what makes the story great is everything, the camera, angles, the lighting, the sets, the actors faces, the story, good versus evil is stronger than friendship or love.. The symbolism. I mean, Harry actually uses the sewers to get around. I can still see his fingers trying to lift the manhole cover. Harry asked martin’s to shoot him. The movie is a microcosm of the real world.. The hunt is over, everyone is resigned to the fact that Harry was no damn good, and he’s better off dead. And then, Harry makes the greatest appearance in movie history. With that classic smirk, only Orson Welles could deliver. That movie can never be colorized , because the characters are completely polarized. they see the world as black and white, yes, or no, bad or good.. goverments have their five year plan And Harry had his
I absolutely love this movie. In some ways, I like it more than Citizen Kane. Everything from the directing, to the acting, to the cinematography, to the lighting, to the writing, to the score is an undeniable 10/10. The part that takes it over the top, however, is when Harry Lime shows up and steals the show. Wells' entrance is shocking and sublime. There's just something about that grin. It's thrilling and enigmatic, and every time I watch it, it's like the first time watching it. He conveys in just a few seconds what some actors cannot show over the course of an entire film. He was a true master of his craft. As his scenes continue, he exudes an air of smooth-talking, free-wheeling charisma and pure, larger then life confidence that has never been topped since. Even after you wince through the scene where the police detail his crimes, one still can't help but be impressed by his character. You want to hate him, but by his last scene, you still can't help but empathize with him, if only a bit.
And in that way, Welles performance is almost opposite of Citizen Kane. With the exception of his ferris wheerl speech, he does his acting with little to no dialogue here, where as John Foster Kane, he is all about the spoken word.
The story of an average despicable yank who, like all yanks, sticks his ugly nose into other people's affairs, and in the process, betrays, kills, & plunders for his own gain!
Brilliant movie -- in all respects! What a cast: Joseph Cotten (entirely different from his shady, clever, murderous character in "Shadow of a Doubt"!), Orson Welles (Harry Slime, perhaps?), Trevor Howard. Great analysis, too! I have always loved the zither music and how it sets a unique, forlorn tone for the film. The setting is amazingly depressing, too -- but you cannot get enough of it. Darkness, mystery, nothing level -- from the cinematography to the damaged buildings, streets, and steps (watch your step!). Everywhere you look for normality and some daylight, but so little of it is there. You feel dizzy. And the feeling of being trapped and insignificant in the occupied city and it's zones. You can trust no one. I found it breath-taking: You're grasping and gasping for something normal, something cheery, but it's all bleak. And the city had to endure this purgatory for a decade, until 1955. How do you breathe at all?
I remember how lucky I was spending a semester studying overseas in Vienna. One day, I went on a "Third Man" tour with our class, visiting some famous scenes in the movie. One of the coolest things was walking the underground sewers and seeing the places where Harry was being chased (like that "waterfall" area he runs across). These days, it's no longer a sewer system. It's just an unused underground system of passageways that's blocked off to the public. That tour was one of the gems of my study abroad program in Europe that I'll never forget.
Apparently she did, but perhaps not as clearly as Martins. Anna shrugged off Lime's crimes one suspects because Anna also would do anything to survive during that time.
it's my favorite film of all time, just ahead of la jetee. i love it for the stark geometry and light and shadowplay, the humor, the sinister vibe, the music, the acting, and the witty dialog. it is a perfect film. i could watch it every day and never tire of it. it's better than citizen kane or any of the other films typically held up as the best ever.
There's another theory about the title. As you know, Greene was in MI6. In espionage history, Kim Philby was called the Third Man -- the third in a trio of Soviet spies who had infiltrated British intelligence. There's an essay on the net (I wish I could link to it) which argues that the screenplay was actually Greene's way of identifying Philby. It's a long story, but basically the allegation didn't stick to Philby -- yet twelve years later he escaped to the USSR to avoid arrest.
@@LearningaboutMovies Third Man is also a fielding position in cricket, so the title has a special resonance that eludes most Americans. His job is to limit the damage that the opposing batter makes; he prevents boundaries (the cricket equivalent of one-run homeruns). Similarly, Holly minimises the damage caused by Lime.
Hi Josh, I just finished watching The Third Man (it's my favorite movie of all time and I've seen it many times), and I wanted to express a few points about the Holly and Harry characters you discussed. First, your summation of Harry, one of filmdom's most chilling killers, devolving from his lofty spot in the ferris wheel to the underworld sewer is, as you pointed out, a very fitting--even satisfying--conclusion. Wells really was incredible in his role, as his smug, off-handed dismissal of the "dots" below him--not to mention his betrayal of Anna--captures the epitome of a self-styled god; yet, once trapped in the sewer, we certainly see Harry's desperate, rat-like expression as he tries to escape his current reality. Cotton's portayal of Holly is equally impressive, because you watch this bungling, not-too-bright optimist practically fold into himself as he learns the awful truth about his old friend. In the latter part of the ferris wheel scene, Holly is sitting down, totally deflated, looking as if someone had just punched him in the gut. Thank you for the analysis of these characters, and of Graham Greene's perspective on good and evil in this terrific story.
Few would agree but I believe Green took his story line from Conrads "Heart Of Darkness" at the end of the story because the woman still loves Kurtz even after she knows he was evil.
the camera work, the pulp story, the setting of vienna. the music is phantastic. the plot is interesting too. the actors worked spot on from the main actors to the most side characters
Love this! Am happily introducing my 20 year old to classic movies, and this is next up for him. I did an entire year of coursework in college on the theological underpinnings of Graham Greene's work - I remember how Brighton Rock, also made into a movie although nowhere near as masterfullyu as The Third Man, caused me to rethink everything I had learned in Sunday School, lol.
Possibly my favourite movie. Well, it's up there, anyway. Thank you for your slant on my understanding of it, Josh, a/some new thought/s that I can take into my next viewing of this wonderful work. Yes, I too have had ideas that spin around the theological aspects of the film, though I had always thought of Harry in a more Miltonian sense of the corrupted, fallen angel (the cherubic introduction of the character, wreathed in shadow; his dialogue on the ferris wheel, as you mentioned, about the inconsequentiality of man; trapped in the underworld, his desperate, clawing attempt to pull himself back into the light). One of my other readings sees it as a critique of the "modern" world, the rise of businesses with more compassion for money than of man. What, I wonder, would Greene have made of the 21st century, where we seem hellbent on destroying our future for the temporary comfort of profit? Holly, with his romantic ideas of black and white hats, represents a lost past whilst Harry is the now and the future, he is big pharma, fast food, the corporate world; he is the water company spewing sewage into the rivers, the soy farm burning the forests, the arms manufacturer selling child-friendly, brightly coloured automatic weapons. Oh, and The Third Man is also a damn good mystery and a cracking watch to boot.
...... and the majority of us becoming unemployed inconcequential dots on the map as the means of production steadily concentrate and cenralise in the hands of private global capital. Greene was a very prescient writer. John Pilger claimed that the best briefing he received on Vietnam was Greene´s novel The Quiet American
8:40 - Lime's perspective is almost that of somebody flying a bomber - in WW2 and indeed more recent conflicts, they were often callous about the effect their bombs had on those beneath.
Fun fact: You can take an actual tour of the sewers of Vienna where the Third Man was shot. And it's called Die Dritte-Mann-Tour (The Third Man Tour). It's an interesting experience. (And no, it doesn't stink down there at all.)
I showed this movie to some friends and got a lot of honest feedback. Some found it incredible and a great movie, others didn't like it because it was black and white, and a couple even said they found it too weird/strange to really enjoy it. When I first watched it as a teenager, this was my initial reaction until the story made me forget all about it!
The postwar sadness in this film is overwhelming. What people had to live through and then think about the evil that permeates life at that time. I am a little puzzled at how "nice" the police were to Joseph Cotton, was it because he was American?
I saw it recently and while I wasn't very invested in the story, there's so much to love; the lead actor, Welles and his introduction, the tilted shot and the film's look overall, the ending and the score. Definitely going to rewatch your review before I rewatch it and I'll probably enjoy it even more.
Funny thing about The Third Man. Welles' performance as Harry Lime was so extraordinary and so charming -- defying his actual character -- that, during his lifetime, he was more identified with THIS movie than any of his own, including Citizen Kane. In the 50s, there was a radio series sorta, kinda, based on the movie. Actually, it just took the character, removed most of his less savory aspects, leaving only a con man who accidentally finds himself on the right side from time to time. Had some good episodes, but Welles' narration style (fast and furious) might rub listeners the wrong way. Then we had the TV series with Michael Rennie and Jonathan Harris as his sidekick, which removed whatever remaining unsavory aspects the character retained, and he became your typical independent investigator so familiar with 50s detective TV series. Only Rennie and Harris kept our attention here - they had great chemistry together, and Harris is actually acting here, as opposed to what would become his camp style later. A reminder how subsequent interpretations can water down an interesting character. La Femme Nikita worked the same way in its transformation from French movie to American remake to TV series.
I really enjoyed your review. It made me think. I recently watched this movie - it's a long time favorite. Some things I noticed: (1) the theme and its use throughout - I actually bought the soundtrack at one point because this music is so effective and unique; the darkness of post-war Vienna with Joseph Cotten's world - also the fact that Cotton wouldn't notice his naivite because as a writer of westerns he would think he's macho, etc; the effective use of black and white - this movie would not be nearly so effective in color but using black and white not only keeps you centered in the past but allows a focus on the darkness of what is going on in the story; the use of little details - you know right away that the shoes in the dark doorway are on Harry Lime because the cat is sitting on them and we've been told that Harry Lime is the only person the cat likes; the strictly by the book gonna get this right attitude of Trevor Howard is also a contrast to Cotton's naivete and Welles' corruption. I'm glad you pointed out the links to the man with the balloon because that has never made sense to me but it will from now on. And thanks for the references to literature and the bible; I hadn't connected those either. I'm a fan of Graham Greene too. I recently watched his Our Man in Havana so now I'm wondering what I missed in that one. Anyway, after watching The Third Man, I bought the book so I can compare the movie with its source. So, thanks again. You've got me thinking.
Spoiler alert. One thing that made this movie so dark and beautiful to me is how Graham Green showed the pleasure of a chance for love, and a person wanting more than anything to be loved, but she can't let anybody love her. A lot of people who went through the trauma being conquered and saw death and destruction in WWII struggled like that.
I'm so glad to hear someone point out the homage to Fritz Lang's M! Also the child with the ball. That always seemed so obvious to me but you're the first I've heard mention it. Granted... I'm not searching film reviews but I was much delighted to hear. This film... oh heavens what an amazing amazing creation. The star of the film is obviously Vienna in its extraordinary post war state of ruin. I believe I heard somewhere that Greene was brought in to create a screenplay about this divided city... The British/American/Russian and International zones. I could be wrong but I believe that was the origin. The book came later... this was Greene starting with Reed's film. Did they do that for The Fallen Idol as well and was that filmed earlier? Also, just beautiful. Reed was exceptional in directing children. I could go on and on about this... truly a masterpiece. But what seems most remarkable to me what the "moment" of it... that everything came together. Wasn't there some story about the music... that Anton Karas was playing in some cafe (just like those in the film) and was discovered by Reed? I could be wrong but this film has kismet all over it and it shows. Oh those Weimar supporting actors! (Even though I understand Welles was a pain in the ass and refused to film in the sewers... thus costing the production mucho to create the scenes he was in back in the studio. Oh but no one else could have played Harry Lyme so... to genius all round! Bravo & gratitude!!
@@phylis3917 Oh thanks for your response! Actually Freaks was a pre-code American film directed by Tod Browning. But it's understandable you'd think it German as the lead actress was European (or Russian??) and it has a German Expressionist quality. I recall hearing others on the set were uncomfortable with the actual circus people who starred in the film and didn't want to eat with them in the cafeteria. How sad. It's a truly visceral, remarkable film. Was this MGM? If so Thalberg?? Ugh! I think that might be the case as I recall hearing it was heavily edited... a Thalberg touch. Just think what he tragically did to Stroheim's Greed. One of the greatest films ever made ruined by that jerk. But yes... I think the power of The Third Man was the multi-layering of meaning & reference.... which of course, by starting with a story by Graham Greene you're already in the deep water. Have you seen The Fallen Idol? Take a look, It's well worth it. Exceptional performance for the little boy... which I read once Reed coaxed out of this child by creating a remarkable bond with him. But I digress.
Just watched it again - colored. And it's probably an ambivalent experience. On the one hand, it is fascinating to get a more direct experience of how the colors and thus the whole sort of looked like in Vienna back then. After all, life was in color even then. But on the other hand, one of the most powerful, telling and alluring tools in the original film is precisely the effect in black and white and including all the different shadows. And the film is, after all, also a work of art created with black and white film in mind. So I prefer it in black and white. But is drawn by it in colors.
I have seen this film too many times, and each viewing experience is fresh and riveting. I could not possibly detect any flaw. I loved Joseph Cotten and Alida Valli's performance! Orson Welles' [about] 10 minute presence in the film was just memorable. The music, cinematography, the ending --- just WOW! Going to watch it again for the nth time.
I'm not sure I follow your theological impressions, but otherwise it's a Great Review, I also like your Dostoyevsky slant. I also agree that the film and the music are among the all-time greats
I can not think of any movie with more iconic images: the first appearance of Wells, the Ferris wheel and the dots below, the fingers reaching up through the grate, the woman on the road in the ending scene, and more.
Prominent Bosniak Adil Zulfikarpašić was the screenwriter's inspiration for the main role. During those years he lived in Vienna. After fighting as a partisan in WW2, and then briefly being part of the government, he left Yugoslavia at the time. He lived in Zurich for decades. Played a significant role in the Bosniak diaspora and national revival.
Have to commend you for your perspicacious review of a film that I regard as perhaps the most absorbing ever made . At every artistic , technical , and homiletic level this film is exquisitely crafted . Infinitely better than the amoral characterizations and the overriding sensory style that usually comprises today's movies , rather than the intellectually provocative and edifying narrative that typified the theme of films back then .
I had visited Wein, Vienna, twice when I studied, and traveled in Europe during 1989-‘90. I got into music, novels, films, art after visiting so many nations that year, in addition to all the I was doing in college when I returned to Ohio. This film is one, that I discovered. The vhs, I borrowed from the library of “3rd Man” was really low contrast. Films were not often restored for vhs release, and the film of “3rd man” was not good. I liked the film, and it’s noir style. When DVD was the new thing in the later 90’s - a better copy of “3rd man”. I’ve a Criterion disc now - brilliant.
Great video. Your take reminds me of something Sherlock Holmes says in an episode of the Granada TV adaptation (can't remember if it's from Conan-Doyle's original) 'When man tries to rise above nature he invariably falls beneath it'.
This is a great film - the cinematography, the acting, direction - all of it. I love Graham Greene's novels; my favorite, being 'The Quiet American', which has some of the same themes: a man justifying the deaths of others, American characters' involvement in foreign countries either having just experienced a war, or going into one, and the growth and maturing, even, of another character. A terrific film was made of it, with Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser in the early 2000's.
Yes... I loved "The Quiet American," too. It brought back many memories, some happy, some sad. Watching it, I had a distinct déjà vu experience, as I occasionally would go to the Hotel Continental (1970 - 1971) if I was off duty on a Sunday (was assigned to the Navy Seabees) and sip a beer on the veranda across from the old opera house just opposite from where the bombing scene occurred in the movie. I still occasionally look at some of the old photos I took more than a half-century ago.
I understand that it was filmed in Vienna in order to use personal money still held in Austria from pre war, that the Director was not permitted to take out of the country. It paid off. Such a superb film.
It was surely a very good movie. Having Orson Welles not even show up until 2/3rds into the movie was effective. The Harry Lime in the TV show with Michael Rennie had a totally different persona than Orson Welles. It was a great movie!
Thanks for a great analysis. Carole Reed was a genius - matched with Greene's story and screenplay. The sense of light and dark in the movie is, as you rightly point out, one of its strongest themes. The only other film I can think of with this kind of very strong symbolism off the top of my head is Insomnia, with Pacino and Robin Williams. The cemetary shot at the end of the Third Man is absolutely brilliant.
Wonderful insights! It's an all-time favorite, yet I've never heard it examined in quite this way. BTW, I had a chance to take the Third Man walking tour of Vienna when I was there, and saw several locations, some still as seen in the film, ending in a little cafe with a zither player. (Maybe a little corny, but we loved the experience. ) Recommended if you find yourself there!
This video is an excellent introduction to this movie, great job. I had no ideas about the themes, and had never watched it before (even though i have heard its a great movie)... but i will do now.
Good critique , but don't exagerate the destruction of war time Vienna. Due to the distances Vienna got off relatively lightly as one of the major Nazi cities, in terms of ariel bombing and ground forces collateral damage. Don't forget many leading Nazi Including Hitler were Austrians
Yeah, compared to cities like Dresden, Cologne, Hamburg..., Vienna was not very much impacted, none of the main sights suffered major damage (except for St Stephen's Cathedral that caught fire in the last days of the war and burned down, but even that one wasn't bombed).
Yes I agree it’s a fabulous movie. I enjoyed the beautiful actress. The little kid who kept calling “Papa”. It’s marvelous set in Bombed out Vienna. I’m left to wonder how he swapped the dead man.
The dead man, Joseph Harbin, had his head so bashed in in the "accident" that he was passed off as Harry Lime and buried as such. The Third Man at the accident scene was Harry Lime, who then went into hiding.
Great stuff Josh. Trevor Howard is also good as the cynical Intelligence officer. The escaping the sewer scene is echoed in the last part of Wajda's 'Kanal' Love this film. Have you seen 'Odd Man Out' directed by Reed? Some great photography and scenes in that film, set in Northern Ireland, as well. Keep it up.
Thank you. Odd Man Out is pretty good, though I watched it in an odd way (the exercise bike, in three parts). So probably I should give it a full sit-down viewing with full attention. It's surely recommended for anyone reading through the comments: also watch Odd Man Out by Carol Reed!
@@LearningaboutMovies Thinking about Howard's cynical intelligence officer - Cotton, the naive American romantic, Welles, the amoral and exploitative American, and Howard, the world weary and cynical European Englishman - British reaction to their joint victory and fears for the future of Europe? Could be topical.
One of my favorite films. Thank u for the "sliver" you presented so wonderfully. I really enjoyed the theological emphasis. Graham Green is a superb writer. A true belief in God should shape and determine how we look at others. People are just dots in the universe of an immoral and evil point of view. Keep up the great work! Movies are a magnificent form of art. I love your channel and enthusiasm.
Having really viewed this film in its entirety for the first time ever recently, it struck me as illogical that a successful writer with many published novels should be penniless in Vienna looking for work. He's well dressed, well-mannered. So many people know his name and his work. Why is he broke? The great character actors and authority figures Bernard Lee and Trevor Howard paired together -- they almost seem like brothers, if not twins. Vienna is of course a very different city today. I checked it out a couple years ago.
Interesting: I never thought about the theological implications. Can't say I agree with all of that This is my favorite movie. I love the cinematography; the atmosphere; the tentative romance; the intrigue; the acting and the wonderful music. Maybe you're reading a bit too much into it?
@@LearningaboutMovies OK. I can see the parallels between Heaven and Hell. I can see Lime's cruel capitalism. I need to be convinced further, though, than you just saying No. That said, let's not fall out over a film which we both love.
@@LearningaboutMovies Would the sewer be a metaphor for hell and Limes' drawn out attempt at escape and survival be his sentence to die there? One interesting thing about your well-done review is that you never mention the lead actor, Joseph Cotton. But Orson Welles really is the focus even though he's only in three or four scenes. What a magnificent actor he was.
That's part of the beauty of the film. You don't need to see the theology in the film to enjoy it. It is great enough simply in its presentation of humanity. I have seen the movie perhaps 5 times in 40 years, and i appreciate it more with each viewing, i think in part because i am a little wiser each time. I also remember enjoying Rocky and Bullwinkle when i was young and the more mature humor went over my head; with maturity (perhaps not so much wisdom) i enjoy the same shows more today than when i was a child; i see more now. Growing appreciation over the years of great old movies like The Third Man is something like that.
@@markmaki4460 There's a scene in 12 Monkeys, where they're hiding in a cinema.. Cole says:"I've seen this movie before, but it seems different. It can't be, though. It's a film. It's fixed in time. I must be different." Brilliant. I first saw The Third Man as a child and loved it. Now, in my mid-fifties, I still keep going back to it and I get something new out of it every time. An absolute Masterpiece.
Couldn´t agree more. First saw it, accompanied by a parent in 1950, when I was too young to get into the theatre alone. Also read the book, which Greene wrote in order to then write the screenplay. Lime´s 2nd burial reflects your sketch of the evil Lime, with Greene writing, of the mechanical diggers used to break the frost hardened ground, "even nature rejected Lime". Greene also confirmed in a later work that the "cuckoo clock" lines were written by Orson Wells. They don´t make movies like this any more.
This is very interesting. i saw this movie the first time as a kid (not that old, I saw it on TV), and I always liked it. I knew it is seen as one of Orson Wells better movies, so I knew that it has to be a great movie, but I couldn't divest myself from seeing it as a kid. By the way, for the longest time I thought "Es geschah am hellichten Tag" was "M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder." I saw Es geschah as a kid, too, and for the longest time had nightmares of Gerd Fröbe holding out his coat. The set ups are similar enough that it took quite a while for me to realize that I didn't see M. That changed when I heard that M had lorre in it, and I was a fan of Lorre from "Arsenic and old Lace" and "The Maltese Falcon," so I rushed to watch it and, wouldn't you know it, it is one of the greatest movies of all time. I still shudder when I see Fröbe with a great coat, though. And another by the way, after growing up I realized how blessed I was by seeing great movies as a kid and youth, many of them criminally unknown today. I saw most of Grant's screwballs as a kid, along with "Man's Favorite Sport?," "The third Man," "One, Two, Three" "Die Brücke" [sic, as a kid] and others. In my youth "The Wages of Fear," "The Maltese Falcon," "Casablanca," "Suspicion," "Rope," "La Strada" and more joined the ranks. It is very sad that today it is downright hard to get people to even watch black and white movies, so many ingenious movies are only watched by so few people. And even if one gets people to watch them, they tend to not like them, I forced my friends to watch "Bringing up Baby" with on my birthday this year (followed by probably my favourite movie, "The last of the Mohicans") and they didn't like it much. I first wanted to do "Operation Petticoat," but then I went with the generally better judged movie, since I thought general appeal should trump personal preference in a case like that. I should've trusted my instinct. This kinda got away from me :-)
Thanks for a great review.I must admit I had not fully taken on board the religious aspect of the film .But as you say with Graham Greene it will be there.I remember at school we studied The Power and the Glory where the religious aspects are to the fore ,with catholic guilt etc . Re the third man reference from a religious perspective ,I do wonder whether Lime is in effect Satan .As in the former right hand man to God who then fell from grace (not the fire and brimstone of popular culture) .In the Ferris wheel he almost tempts Holly Martins with promises of riches for what downside,guilt? In sewer,Lime is in effect in his personal hell ,trapped and unable to get back to what he sees as his rightful place in the outside world ,not trapped in the underworld . It is in any event one of the greatest ever films (I think it was voted the best British film of all time )Many thanks for the review ,and I like your others as well . If you do see this ,have you done the Train (Burt lancaster John Frankenheimer) ,a fantastic film based on a moral conundrum .
thank you for the comment. I've not done a video on The Train. A master page of films discussed in videos so far is here: joshmatthews.org/what-makes-this-movie-great-list-of-videos/
@@LearningaboutMovies Thank -you very much for replying ,I was not expecting that .Many thanks for the list of films ,which is certainly comprehensive .By chance I commented on the Iron Giant today on another link about it being one of the last great animated films . Clearly you have excellent taste in films and I will say that all of them are superb (the ones I have seen ) but I give a call out for the Lives of Others/Babettes Feast/Paths of Glory /and Breaker Morant .They are films i watch regularly for different reasons .Of course the Conversation .Goodfellas are superb etc ,but these are perhaps not so appreciated,and you are clearly bringing them to the fore. Cheers W
I just finished Third Man. (First viewing). Agreed. There were several moments that reminded me of M. For example, there's also the child's ball in M, as well as the little boy's ball in Third Man. Also, there's the scene in M when the mob chases Peter Lorre (because a child gave him away?) like the crowd chasing Holly and Anna.
During WW2, Graham Greene and Harold 'Kim' Philby worked together for MI6. The name "Harry Lime" is an amalgamation of their names: Harold or Harry and Greene or Lime.
The music. I watched this movie because earlier I had heard its theme performed on a zither during a concert. I found it catching and puzzling and got curious what the film itself might be like...
I am a Michael Jackson fan who learned that his “Moonwalker” musical film was highly inspired by this film “The Third Man” now seeing the comparisons it’s very true!
I've watched the film a couple of times in years past and could never - dare I say - cotton to it. Today I gave it another go on a whim and loved it. I came here almost immediately to check out your comments. Great as always. Especially your aligning it with the ideas in 1 Corinthians. That bracket gave new meaning to hearing Lime repeatedly call Martins "old man" - which is somewhat innocuously condescending, until you put it against 1 Cor and realize (possibly) that "old man" is Lime asserting his "new man" status as some kind of snappily-dressed ubermensch, a representative of a new breed of man beyond morality. Then you know he has to go. Of course, a brilliant movie, and I don't know why it took me so long to realize it.
Also, happened to watch it back to back with Shadow of a Doubt - two movies that put Cotten in the position of having to give a pivotal speech that we never get to hear.
When I did national service in the early fifties after this film came out, in my group there was a guy who was one of identical triplets. He often said “I’m the Third Man “.
Josh’s title: “What Makes This Great?” Me: “Literally everything.” Seriously, people like Jordan Peele aren’t even worthy of licking Reed and Welles’ feet.
@@LearningaboutMovies Just that since Peele does thrillers and horror movies (Get Out and Us), people think he is a genius. I personally think he suck ass.
@@LearningaboutMovies I would've thought because he is quite the celebrated film maker today. Not for me, by the way, I'll never forget that he made Keanu, which was the first of his movies I saw. Dear Lord...
That's a little harsh. Different times, different points of view and ways of interpreting human experience. Reed and Welles 'broke the mold' for the genre. It doesn't mean future generations have no relevance.
Enjoyed your analysis, think it is right on. Definitely a movie you have to see if you are visiting Vienna. Sort of Citizen Kane goes to post-war Vienna. I think there is blending of fact and fiction (alluded to by the Romanian mobster in the movie) with the backroom deals by Allen Dulles et. al. that allowed Austria and northern Italy to cut a separate deal at the end of WW2, that look morally reprehensible on their face (allowing Nazis & collaborators to walk away with their stolen assets), but were viewed as necessary to prevent the Soviets controlling all of Europe and getting the Nazi technological advantage to the “good guys” who subsequented nuked Nagasaki/Hiroshima. And is there the suggestion that maybe the deaths of FDR and Patton seem suspicious also?
The "subterranean labyrinth" that is symbolized by the network of underground sewers in Vienna. What could be a more fitting metaphor in the film for the underlying decadence and fouless that resides beneath the thin veneer of "civilization." The amazing ending, in which, society is portrayed as having succumbed itself completely to "the sewer." The chaos and insanity that plagued and was post-war Vienna. Is it all meant to go by way of the sewer? In the end, 'The Third Man' is one of the best film-noirs ever made and must be re-watched every handful of years!
@@LearningaboutMovies Couldn't agree more! I do rewatch it every couple of years and my love for it grows. One bit of trivia I recently discovered was that Carol Reed did the spirited VoiceOver at the beginning of the movie where the situation in Vienna is described so well. One other piece of trivia you might not know is that Welles was offered a healthy percentage of the movie to entice his participation, but opted for a flat fee so he could get the money he needed to make one of his own movies. As you know, the movie was a big international hit....his percentage would have made him a great deal of money and forever ended his desperate search for funding.
Thank you for your insights into this famous movie. If course I have known about its reputation for decades, and may have seen it eons ago, but did not remember it. So I just viewed it and was so disappointed by the plot, the irritating zither music, the stupid story line. Then I found your video explaining it. I feel better about it now!!
Everything was great about this movie - if it had been shot in colour it would not be quite so good. I'm British but live in Prague and a lot of the little street scenes remind me of here - unexpected nooks and crannies. I often think of Graham Green when I'm walking around with a zither playing in my head.
I saw the 3rd when I was a teenager in the 50ies and there is one scene that was made up to shock the audience but in a very clever way and that is where Trevor H. takes J.C to the babies ward , one can imagine what a sight it is because the camera shows only the bedside and that teddy bear hung on it.
I believe Reed went against Selznick, the producer, who wanted a happy ending. He admitted he was wrong. Reed's choice to have Anna walk past Holly without saying a word was the perfect ending.
You are correct , Selznick wanted a happy ending but Reed held out , thankfully.
One of my favorite films of all time. Great story, great direction, great cast. And that music! I love the movie and I adore Joseph Cotton.
It's a classic, it was done that way for a long time as we know and we are used to it , if this would have been done any other way , you will go with that too
The Third Man is a masterpiece of film noir. That first shots of Orson Welles as Harry Lime are iconic.
This film is also historic in a very real sense. Filming on location in Vienna took place during 1948, not more than two or three years after the end of WW2. The devastation was real. The four allied powers were still in occupation of Vienna as this film was being made.
It's so good. There are so many amazing touches throughout the movie.
@stephengraham11
@stephengraham11
One of the few things every member of the human race can agree on and sign.
I wish you had elaborated more on the character of Anna, and how she exemplifies the amorality of love - how one can be in love with a person no matter how wicked, and how being morally "good" like Martins does NOT necesssarily earn you the right to someone's love. This is such a modern, timeless idea, almost NEVER illustrated honestly anywhere in stories, etc. This deeply cynical truth helps make The Third Man so relevant - as the movie gets older, it NEVER feels dated! It has aged beautifully!
always good to know viewers want more. I could make a 30-minute video; or a 30-hour video on this movie.
You have acquitted yourself quite admirably under the circumstances.@@LearningaboutMovies
truth. especially at the end
First saw this when I was around 14 - just blew me away. The 'cuckoo clock' bit remains 100% epic!
That is the absolute best review of a film I have ever watched on UA-cam. The way you intertwine world history, theology, and the technical aspects of cinema is flawless. You said more in 13 minutes than some people can say in an hourlong review. Great analysis. Keep up the good work!
thank you. very glad I could help you.
Precise and to the point while showing us clips. Unlike another creator on here that vomits adjectives lmao
@@DREADL
Vomits adjectives! Now, I've really read something poignant.
@@charliewest1221 I made it up on the fly ahaha, does it not make sense?
@@DREADL
Absolutely! Um a football fan as well. Am also thinking of the Sky Sports commenitator, Peter Drury who falls into this category.
Sir Carol Reed is very underrated and his directing style is what makes this masterpiece work
One of many things. The writing, the soundtrack, the acting, the editing...
Orson Wells ..? As the Americans say all the time? Awesome Wells🇺🇸🎭 a great man for he's own achievements, said he was the only director of witch he never found fault to argue with 🎬🤑🎟️🗣️📢 praise indeed✌️💪
As a LONDONER 🇬🇧💯
Living by Battersea Bridge 🌉 it's only a short walk to the last home he lived in?? It's on The Kings Road. He directed Oliver while living there🙏🎬💞 and of course 🆘 found a job for his nephew who didn't let him down.. A one Oliver Reed🇬🇧💯🌉
Regards from LONDON 🤩💋🎭👁️💥👁️💪✌️🧐
@@garybrockwell2031 I think you'll find that Wells wrote his own dialog and also directed himself pretty much.
@@ausbrum, he never directed himself in the film. You are incorrect in saying that. He did write or improvised the line about the cuckoo clock. However, this is even disputed
@@garybrockwell2031 yes, indeed! The 1968 musical Oliver! is one of my favorite films and Oliver Reed was and will ever be the definitive Sikes. Furthermore, Carol Reed’s The Fallen Idol and Odd Man Out are both superb and highly regarded. BTW, I’m a Yank and do praise Welles, but this film classic is not his work
In a word -a masterpiece -I never tire of watching it -the photography is simply matchless .
I viewed this films many times before I went to Vienna in 1989. Then there was a movie house that showed this film on a constant loop. I watched the movie (again) and then went to ride the "Big Wheel". Best experience ever!!!
When I went to Vienna, because of my memory of this film, I felt compelled to go on a ride on the Reiserad although I don’t normally like big wheels because I have a fear of heights. Looking down from the top point my fear seemed to melt away.
I have just gotten back from visiting Vienna August 24. We had to visit Prater Park to see the big wheel. Would love to be able to track down the various locations used in the film and present day, as the gothic style buildings and statues are still very much a presence.
Joseph Cotton was a great actor, and very underrated. Shadow of a Doubt is one of my favorite classical Hitchcock movies that he's in.
Hey rullvox5912--do you remember that scene in Shadow of a Doubt when Uncle Charlie (Cotton) looks straight into the camera and talks about the ugliness and uselessness of old ladies, etc.? So scary. The whole time, I'm thinking, "Why can't his family see that he's a MONSTER??" LOL
@@melissakaudy9707 ..Yes I remember it, a chilling scene. But, narcissistic sociopaths can turn on the charm when it benefits them.
great actor who sadly turned to drink
Niagara with Monroe.
Shadow of a Doubt is the best.
About four years ago we went on a "Third Man" walking tour. Our guide told us that her grandfather had bought some black-market penicillin just after the war to treat his very sick son. Luckily is was not like the stuff Harry Lime was dealing with and her father survived
Joseph Cotton in the hospital could bring me to tears if I took it seriously enough.
I like your theological application - Graham Greene incorporates several redemptive themes into his stories. I don’t agree however with your conclusion as to who the third man was . Adam then first, Christ the second and then then “the NEW MAN” restored through faith in Jesus Christ. A new man who has been reborn or resurrected from the sewers of life. That’s why Harry Lime couldn’t make his way out of miry bog. All men like Adam are born in the filth of sin - man as he is in Adam with his original and actual sin. Then there is Jesus Christ, the perfect man who fulfilled all that Adam should have bee - the second or last man. Only faith in Him will resurrect Yu from the sewer through faith in Him through the working of the Holy Ghost Who, as the wind, blows asmHe pleases upon whom He pleases. Lime wasn’t one of them and that’s why he couldn’t make out of the sewers but perished in hell
@@arthurmiskin3689That's a really good interpretation, I think you're spot on.
Easily one of my top 10 films. It's amazing how Wells can portray a character so evil & yet so likeable at the same time.
I never quite thought of that, I was more taken by his charm, but yes, so evil.
Explain how to watch in original black and white
@@luarchitect-iu2hq Place hand in wallet.
Take hand out.
You can use the money to see The Third Man.
Everything about this film is exceptional. Also love Joseph Cotten in the Magnificent Ambersons.
Cuckoo clocks have not been invented in Switzerland. They are made in Germany's Black Forest region. 😉
Well, Switzerland did produce a couple of good tennis players!
@@randolphpinkle4482 Maybe the Swiss did not create the cuckoo clock but there are shops in cities like Lucerne that sell cuckoo clocks and very little else. We're talking five or six hundred of the damn things.
An absolute gem of a movie. Iconic in every aspect, an unforgettable movie that cannot be made in these days of dross and short attention span.
Aye, this be the age of excrement!
I first saw this film years ago, before its restoration. (Thank you, Criterion!) So I was unimpressed at the time; everything was muddy and dark - I couldn't even tell that the cat was playing with somebody's shoelaces (a very important shot). But then I saw the restored version, and...Wow. For my money, this is the finest film ever made. It gets full marks for plot, theme, characters, cinematography, setting, dialogue and details: Crabbin, always trying to keep his mistress out of view; the dog, belonging to both Kurtz and Winkel; Holly trying to evoke Harry's past for Anna, and only being able to come up with examples of betrayal and dishonesty. Finally, the scene on the roof of the cafe, where Harry's hat, lit from below, disappears against the dark sky, and all that shows is the white lining on either side of his head, like Satanic horns. You've done a wonderful job with this review! While I'd already noted the connection between the sewer and Harry's soul, I never knew about the Biblical implications of the 3rd man, and I totally missed the God symbolism on the Ferris wheel - Brilliant! You should teach a course!
The best thing about this movie is the directing shot of the appearance of the third man
what makes the story great is everything, the camera, angles, the lighting, the sets, the actors faces, the story, good versus evil is stronger than friendship or love.. The symbolism. I mean, Harry actually uses the sewers to get around. I can still see his fingers trying to lift the manhole cover.
Harry asked martin’s to shoot him.
The movie is a microcosm of the real world..
The hunt is over, everyone is resigned to the fact that Harry was no damn good, and he’s better off dead. And then, Harry makes the greatest appearance in movie history. With that classic smirk, only Orson Welles could deliver. That movie can never be colorized , because the characters are completely polarized. they see the world as black and white, yes, or no, bad or good..
goverments have their five year plan
And Harry had his
I absolutely love this movie. In some ways, I like it more than Citizen Kane. Everything from the directing, to the acting, to the cinematography, to the lighting, to the writing, to the score is an undeniable 10/10. The part that takes it over the top, however, is when Harry Lime shows up and steals the show. Wells' entrance is shocking and sublime. There's just something about that grin. It's thrilling and enigmatic, and every time I watch it, it's like the first time watching it.
He conveys in just a few seconds what some actors cannot show over the course of an entire film. He was a true master of his craft. As his scenes continue, he exudes an air of smooth-talking, free-wheeling charisma and pure, larger then life confidence that has never been topped since. Even after you wince through the scene where the police detail his crimes, one still can't help but be impressed by his character. You want to hate him, but by his last scene, you still can't help but empathize with him, if only a bit.
excellent, thank you.
And in that way, Welles performance is almost opposite of Citizen Kane. With the exception of his ferris wheerl speech, he does his acting with little to no dialogue here, where as John Foster Kane, he is all about the spoken word.
Beautifully put. Lime is showing how seductive Satan is.
The story of an average despicable yank who, like all yanks, sticks his ugly nose into other people's affairs, and in the process, betrays, kills, & plunders for his own gain!
Welles took a flat fee instead of royalties. Typical Orson.
Brilliant movie -- in all respects! What a cast: Joseph Cotten (entirely different from his shady, clever, murderous character in "Shadow of a Doubt"!), Orson Welles (Harry Slime, perhaps?), Trevor Howard. Great analysis, too! I have always loved the zither music and how it sets a unique, forlorn tone for the film. The setting is amazingly depressing, too -- but you cannot get enough of it. Darkness, mystery, nothing level -- from the cinematography to the damaged buildings, streets, and steps (watch your step!). Everywhere you look for normality and some daylight, but so little of it is there. You feel dizzy. And the feeling of being trapped and insignificant in the occupied city and it's zones. You can trust no one. I found it breath-taking: You're grasping and gasping for something normal, something cheery, but it's all bleak. And the city had to endure this purgatory for a decade, until 1955. How do you breathe at all?
Everything, its as perfect a movie that has ever been made. Everyone in the film was at the absolute height of there powers.
Someone put a coulourised version on UA-cam.........criminality!
A desecration of pure art.
The Third Man should never be colorized. The dark and light contrasts that make the film would cease to exist.
I remember how lucky I was spending a semester studying overseas in Vienna. One day, I went on a "Third Man" tour with our class, visiting some famous scenes in the movie. One of the coolest things was walking the underground sewers and seeing the places where Harry was being chased (like that "waterfall" area he runs across). These days, it's no longer a sewer system. It's just an unused underground system of passageways that's blocked off to the public. That tour was one of the gems of my study abroad program in Europe that I'll never forget.
Question: Did Anna know about Lime's evil deeds while they were lovers? She really is a paradox, is she not?
Apparently she did, but perhaps not as clearly as Martins. Anna shrugged off Lime's crimes one suspects because Anna also would do anything to survive during that time.
it's my favorite film of all time, just ahead of la jetee. i love it for the stark geometry and light and shadowplay, the humor, the sinister vibe, the music, the acting, and the witty dialog. it is a perfect film. i could watch it every day and never tire of it. it's better than citizen kane or any of the other films typically held up as the best ever.
There's another theory about the title. As you know, Greene was in MI6. In espionage history, Kim Philby was called the Third Man -- the third in a trio of Soviet spies who had infiltrated British intelligence. There's an essay on the net (I wish I could link to it) which argues that the screenplay was actually Greene's way of identifying Philby. It's a long story, but basically the allegation didn't stick to Philby -- yet twelve years later he escaped to the USSR to avoid arrest.
Great comment, thank you
@@LearningaboutMovies Third Man is also a fielding position in cricket, so the title has a special resonance that eludes most Americans. His job is to limit the damage that the opposing batter makes; he prevents boundaries (the cricket equivalent of one-run homeruns). Similarly, Holly minimises the damage caused by Lime.
Hi Josh,
I just finished watching The Third Man (it's my favorite movie of all time and I've seen it many times), and I wanted to express a few points about the Holly and Harry characters you discussed. First, your summation of Harry, one of filmdom's most chilling killers, devolving from his lofty spot in the ferris wheel to the underworld sewer is, as you pointed out, a very fitting--even satisfying--conclusion. Wells really was incredible in his role, as his smug, off-handed dismissal of the "dots" below him--not to mention his betrayal of Anna--captures the epitome of a self-styled god; yet, once trapped in the sewer, we certainly see Harry's desperate, rat-like expression as he tries to escape his current reality. Cotton's portayal of Holly is equally impressive, because you watch this bungling, not-too-bright optimist practically fold into himself as he learns the awful truth about his old friend. In the latter part of the ferris wheel scene, Holly is sitting down, totally deflated, looking as if someone had just punched him in the gut. Thank you for the analysis of these characters, and of Graham Greene's perspective on good and evil in this terrific story.
P. S. My apologies, I spelled Joseph Cotten's name incorrectly. :(
Few would agree but I believe Green took his story line from Conrads "Heart Of Darkness" at the end of the story because the woman still loves Kurtz even after she knows he was evil.
the camera work, the pulp story, the setting of vienna. the music is phantastic. the plot is interesting too. the actors worked spot on from the main actors to the most side characters
Love this! Am happily introducing my 20 year old to classic movies, and this is next up for him. I did an entire year of coursework in college on the theological underpinnings of Graham Greene's work - I remember how Brighton Rock, also made into a movie although nowhere near as masterfullyu as The Third Man, caused me to rethink everything I had learned in Sunday School, lol.
Possibly my favourite movie. Well, it's up there, anyway.
Thank you for your slant on my understanding of it, Josh, a/some new thought/s that I can take into my next viewing of this wonderful work. Yes, I too have had ideas that spin around the theological aspects of the film, though I had always thought of Harry in a more Miltonian sense of the corrupted, fallen angel (the cherubic introduction of the character, wreathed in shadow; his dialogue on the ferris wheel, as you mentioned, about the inconsequentiality of man; trapped in the underworld, his desperate, clawing attempt to pull himself back into the light).
One of my other readings sees it as a critique of the "modern" world, the rise of businesses with more compassion for money than of man. What, I wonder, would Greene have made of the 21st century, where we seem hellbent on destroying our future for the temporary comfort of profit? Holly, with his romantic ideas of black and white hats, represents a lost past whilst Harry is the now and the future, he is big pharma, fast food, the corporate world; he is the water company spewing sewage into the rivers, the soy farm burning the forests, the arms manufacturer selling child-friendly, brightly coloured automatic weapons.
Oh, and The Third Man is also a damn good mystery and a cracking watch to boot.
...... and the majority of us becoming unemployed inconcequential dots on the map as the means of production steadily concentrate and cenralise in the hands of private global capital.
Greene was a very prescient writer. John Pilger claimed that the best briefing he received on Vietnam was Greene´s novel The Quiet American
comment is better than the video
Thank you @@TheBillaro
8:40 - Lime's perspective is almost that of somebody flying a bomber - in WW2 and indeed more recent conflicts, they were often callous about the effect their bombs had on those beneath.
great comment and observation. thank you.
Fun fact: You can take an actual tour of the sewers of Vienna where the Third Man was shot. And it's called Die Dritte-Mann-Tour (The Third Man Tour). It's an interesting experience. (And no, it doesn't stink down there at all.)
How could anyone be ‘indifferent’ or ‘hate’ this movie?
Only the living dead are capable of hating this picture.
I showed this movie to some friends and got a lot of honest feedback. Some found it incredible and a great movie, others didn't like it because it was black and white, and a couple even said they found it too weird/strange to really enjoy it. When I first watched it as a teenager, this was my initial reaction until the story made me forget all about it!
Marvellous film in every way. Anton Karas music astonishing. Joseph Cotten and others great.
The postwar sadness in this film is overwhelming. What people had to live through and then think about the evil that permeates life at that time. I am a little puzzled at how "nice" the police were to Joseph Cotton, was it because he was American?
I saw it recently and while I wasn't very invested in the story, there's so much to love; the lead actor, Welles and his introduction, the tilted shot and the film's look overall, the ending and the score. Definitely going to rewatch your review before I rewatch it and I'll probably enjoy it even more.
thank you. I hope you enjoy it the next time! If not, fine, but I know a few people who need a second watch with this one.
Joseph Cotten is the lead actor here.
Funny thing about The Third Man. Welles' performance as Harry Lime was so extraordinary and so charming -- defying his actual character -- that, during his lifetime, he was more identified with THIS movie than any of his own, including Citizen Kane.
In the 50s, there was a radio series sorta, kinda, based on the movie. Actually, it just took the character, removed most of his less savory aspects, leaving only a con man who accidentally finds himself on the right side from time to time. Had some good episodes, but Welles' narration style (fast and furious) might rub listeners the wrong way.
Then we had the TV series with Michael Rennie and Jonathan Harris as his sidekick, which removed whatever remaining unsavory aspects the character retained, and he became your typical independent investigator so familiar with 50s detective TV series. Only Rennie and Harris kept our attention here - they had great chemistry together, and Harris is actually acting here, as opposed to what would become his camp style later.
A reminder how subsequent interpretations can water down an interesting character. La Femme Nikita worked the same way in its transformation from French movie to American remake to TV series.
Even when he died, in 1985, this was the film the BBC showed to mark his passing, not CITIZEN KANE.
I really enjoyed your review. It made me think. I recently watched this movie - it's a long time favorite. Some things I noticed: (1) the theme and its use throughout - I actually bought the soundtrack at one point because this music is so effective and unique; the darkness of post-war Vienna with Joseph Cotten's world - also the fact that Cotton wouldn't notice his naivite because as a writer of westerns he would think he's macho, etc; the effective use of black and white - this movie would not be nearly so effective in color but using black and white not only keeps you centered in the past but allows a focus on the darkness of what is going on in the story; the use of little details - you know right away that the shoes in the dark doorway are on Harry Lime because the cat is sitting on them and we've been told that Harry Lime is the only person the cat likes; the strictly by the book gonna get this right attitude of Trevor Howard is also a contrast to Cotton's naivete and Welles' corruption. I'm glad you pointed out the links to the man with the balloon because that has never made sense to me but it will from now on. And thanks for the references to literature and the bible; I hadn't connected those either. I'm a fan of Graham Greene too. I recently watched his Our Man in Havana so now I'm wondering what I missed in that one. Anyway, after watching The Third Man, I bought the book so I can compare the movie with its source. So, thanks again. You've got me thinking.
thank you.
Spoiler alert. One thing that made this movie so dark and beautiful to me is how Graham Green showed the pleasure of a chance for love, and a person wanting more than anything to be loved, but she can't let anybody love her. A lot of people who went through the trauma being conquered and saw death and destruction in WWII struggled like that.
I'm so glad to hear someone point out the homage to Fritz Lang's M! Also the child with the ball. That always seemed so obvious to me but you're the first I've heard mention it. Granted... I'm not searching film reviews but I was much delighted to hear. This film... oh heavens what an amazing amazing creation. The star of the film is obviously Vienna in its extraordinary post war state of ruin. I believe I heard somewhere that Greene was brought in to create a screenplay about this divided city... The British/American/Russian and International zones. I could be wrong but I believe that was the origin. The book came later... this was Greene starting with Reed's film. Did they do that for The Fallen Idol as well and was that filmed earlier? Also, just beautiful. Reed was exceptional in directing children. I could go on and on about this... truly a masterpiece. But what seems most remarkable to me what the "moment" of it... that everything came together. Wasn't there some story about the music... that Anton Karas was playing in some cafe (just like those in the film) and was discovered by Reed? I could be wrong but this film has kismet all over it and it shows. Oh those Weimar supporting actors! (Even though I understand Welles was a pain in the ass and refused to film in the sewers... thus costing the production mucho to create the scenes he was in back in the studio. Oh but no one else could have played Harry Lyme so... to genius all round! Bravo & gratitude!!
The mother waiting and calling “Elsie!” I think the wind blowing? Early talkie. I think the Germans did “Freaks.”? Banned here in U.S. long time.
@@phylis3917 Oh thanks for your response! Actually Freaks was a pre-code American film directed by Tod Browning. But it's understandable you'd think it German as the lead actress was European (or Russian??) and it has a German Expressionist quality. I recall hearing others on the set were uncomfortable with the actual circus people who starred in the film and didn't want to eat with them in the cafeteria. How sad. It's a truly visceral, remarkable film. Was this MGM? If so Thalberg?? Ugh! I think that might be the case as I recall hearing it was heavily edited... a Thalberg touch. Just think what he tragically did to Stroheim's Greed. One of the greatest films ever made ruined by that jerk. But yes... I think the power of The Third Man was the multi-layering of meaning & reference.... which of course, by starting with a story by Graham Greene you're already in the deep water. Have you seen The Fallen Idol? Take a look, It's well worth it. Exceptional performance for the little boy... which I read once Reed coaxed out of this child by creating a remarkable bond with him. But I digress.
Just watched it again - colored. And it's probably an ambivalent experience. On the one hand, it is fascinating to get a more direct experience of how the colors and thus the whole sort of looked like in Vienna back then. After all, life was in color even then. But on the other hand, one of the most powerful, telling and alluring tools in the original film is precisely the effect in black and white and including all the different shadows. And the film is, after all, also a work of art created with black and white film in mind. So I prefer it in black and white. But is drawn by it in colors.
Literally everything, but especially Calloway
I have seen this film too many times, and each viewing experience is fresh and riveting. I could not possibly detect any flaw. I loved Joseph Cotten and Alida Valli's performance! Orson Welles' [about] 10 minute presence in the film was just memorable. The music, cinematography, the ending --- just WOW! Going to watch it again for the nth time.
I'm not sure I follow your theological impressions, but otherwise it's a Great Review, I also like your Dostoyevsky slant. I also agree that the film and the music are among the all-time greats
Good story, fantastic cinematography, excellent acting, brilliant directing
The beautiful orchestra used for the soundtrack. Great beyond words!
I can not think of any movie with more iconic images: the first appearance of Wells, the Ferris wheel and the dots below, the fingers reaching up through the grate, the woman on the road in the ending scene, and more.
Excellent review. I've always thought this is one of the best ever British films.
Prominent Bosniak Adil Zulfikarpašić was the screenwriter's inspiration for the main role. During those years he lived in Vienna. After fighting as a partisan in WW2, and then briefly being part of the government, he left Yugoslavia at the time. He lived in Zurich for decades. Played a significant role in the Bosniak diaspora and national revival.
Have to commend you for your perspicacious review of a film that I regard as perhaps the most absorbing ever made . At every artistic , technical , and homiletic level this film is exquisitely crafted . Infinitely better than the amoral characterizations and the overriding sensory style that usually comprises today's movies , rather than the intellectually provocative and edifying narrative that typified the theme of films back then .
I saw this movie when I was a kid on PBS and have liked it ever since
Good commentary. The scriptural reference of the Ferris wheel scene to the temptation of Christ by the devil is another point to note.
thank you.
I had visited Wein, Vienna, twice when I studied, and traveled in Europe during 1989-‘90. I got into music, novels, films, art after visiting so many nations that year, in addition to all the I was doing in college when I returned to Ohio. This film is one, that I discovered.
The vhs, I borrowed from the library of “3rd Man” was really low contrast. Films were not often restored for vhs release, and the film of “3rd man” was not good. I liked the film, and it’s noir style. When DVD was the new thing in the later 90’s - a better copy of “3rd man”. I’ve a Criterion disc now - brilliant.
Great video. Your take reminds me of something Sherlock Holmes says in an episode of the Granada TV adaptation (can't remember if it's from Conan-Doyle's original) 'When man tries to rise above nature he invariably falls beneath it'.
is that with jeremy brett?
This is a great film - the cinematography, the acting, direction - all of it. I love Graham Greene's novels; my favorite, being 'The Quiet American', which has some of the same themes: a man justifying the deaths of others, American characters' involvement in foreign countries either having just experienced a war, or going into one, and the growth and maturing, even, of another character. A terrific film was made of it, with Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser in the early 2000's.
thank you. I don't remember if I put this in the video, but my favorite Greene novel also is Quiet American, and I have read them all.
@@LearningaboutMovies I'll bet you've seen the PBS doc., 'Dangerous Edge: A Life of Graham Greene'. :)
@@nedludd7622 Thank you. :)
Yes... I loved "The Quiet American," too. It brought back many memories, some happy, some sad. Watching it, I had a distinct déjà vu experience, as I occasionally would go to the Hotel Continental (1970 - 1971) if I was off duty on a Sunday (was assigned to the Navy Seabees) and sip a beer on the veranda across from the old opera house just opposite from where the bombing scene occurred in the movie. I still occasionally look at some of the old photos I took more than a half-century ago.
Brilliant storyline and capturing Vienna in B&W in the post war years was captivating for me.
I understand that it was filmed in Vienna in order to use personal money still held in Austria from pre war, that the Director was not permitted to take out of the country. It paid off. Such a superb film.
It was surely a very good movie. Having Orson Welles not even show up until 2/3rds into the movie was effective. The Harry Lime in the TV show with Michael Rennie had a totally different persona than Orson Welles. It was a great movie!
Thanks for a great analysis. Carole Reed was a genius - matched with Greene's story and screenplay. The sense of light and dark in the movie is, as you rightly point out, one of its strongest themes. The only other film I can think of with this kind of very strong symbolism off the top of my head is Insomnia, with Pacino and Robin Williams. The cemetary shot at the end of the Third Man is absolutely brilliant.
"The Third Man" is my 4th favourite movie ever... and I've been watching movies steadily since 1947.
Not a false note in this film.
Wonderful insights! It's an all-time favorite, yet I've never heard it examined in quite this way. BTW, I had a chance to take the Third Man walking tour of Vienna when I was there, and saw several locations, some still as seen in the film, ending in a little cafe with a zither player. (Maybe a little corny, but we loved the experience. ) Recommended if you find yourself there!
This video is an excellent introduction to this movie, great job. I had no ideas about the themes, and had never watched it before (even though i have heard its a great movie)... but i will do now.
Good critique , but don't exagerate the destruction of war time Vienna. Due to the distances Vienna got off relatively lightly as one of the major Nazi cities, in terms of ariel bombing and ground forces collateral damage. Don't forget many leading Nazi Including Hitler were Austrians
So were many Jews.
Yeah, compared to cities like Dresden, Cologne, Hamburg..., Vienna was not very much impacted, none of the main sights suffered major damage (except for St Stephen's Cathedral that caught fire in the last days of the war and burned down, but even that one wasn't bombed).
Yes I agree it’s a fabulous movie. I enjoyed the beautiful actress. The little kid who kept calling “Papa”. It’s marvelous set in Bombed out Vienna. I’m left to wonder how he swapped the dead man.
The dead man, Joseph Harbin, had his head so bashed in in the "accident" that he was passed off as Harry Lime and buried as such. The Third Man at the accident scene was Harry Lime, who then went into hiding.
Wow I am truly impressed with your explanations and how the film and modern day mesh.
Great stuff Josh. Trevor Howard is also good as the cynical Intelligence officer. The escaping the sewer scene is echoed in the last part of Wajda's 'Kanal' Love this film.
Have you seen 'Odd Man Out' directed by Reed? Some great photography and scenes in that film, set in Northern Ireland, as well. Keep it up.
Thank you. Odd Man Out is pretty good, though I watched it in an odd way (the exercise bike, in three parts). So probably I should give it a full sit-down viewing with full attention. It's surely recommended for anyone reading through the comments: also watch Odd Man Out by Carol Reed!
@@LearningaboutMovies
Thinking about Howard's cynical intelligence officer - Cotton, the naive American romantic, Welles, the amoral and exploitative American, and Howard, the world weary and cynical European Englishman - British reaction to their joint victory and fears for the future of Europe? Could be topical.
One of my favorite films. Thank u for the "sliver" you presented so wonderfully. I really enjoyed the theological emphasis. Graham Green is a superb writer. A true belief in God should shape and determine how we look at others. People are just dots in the universe of an immoral and evil point of view. Keep up the great work! Movies are a magnificent form of art. I love your channel and enthusiasm.
thank you, Richard.
Graham Greene was an excellent stylist, but not a great writer. He writes as though he is trying to convince himself of his Catholicism.
Having really viewed this film in its entirety for the first time ever recently, it struck me as illogical that a successful writer with many published novels should be penniless in Vienna looking for work. He's well dressed, well-mannered. So many people know his name and his work. Why is he broke?
The great character actors and authority figures Bernard Lee and Trevor Howard paired together -- they almost seem like brothers, if not twins.
Vienna is of course a very different city today. I checked it out a couple years ago.
Interesting: I never thought about the theological implications. Can't say I agree with all of that This is my favorite movie. I love the cinematography; the atmosphere; the tentative romance; the intrigue; the acting and the wonderful music. Maybe you're reading a bit too much into it?
No.
@@LearningaboutMovies OK. I can see the parallels between Heaven and Hell. I can see Lime's cruel capitalism. I need to be convinced further, though, than you just saying No. That said, let's not fall out over a film which we both love.
@@LearningaboutMovies Would the sewer be a metaphor for hell and Limes' drawn out attempt at escape and survival be his sentence to die there? One interesting thing about your well-done review is that you never mention the lead actor, Joseph Cotton. But Orson Welles really is the focus even though he's only in three or four scenes. What a magnificent actor he was.
That's part of the beauty of the film. You don't need to see the theology in the film to enjoy it. It is great enough simply in its presentation of humanity. I have seen the movie perhaps 5 times in 40 years, and i appreciate it more with each viewing, i think in part because i am a little wiser each time.
I also remember enjoying Rocky and Bullwinkle when i was young and the more mature humor went over my head; with maturity (perhaps not so much wisdom) i enjoy the same shows more today than when i was a child; i see more now. Growing appreciation over the years of great old movies like The Third Man is something like that.
@@markmaki4460 There's a scene in 12 Monkeys, where they're hiding in a cinema.. Cole says:"I've seen this movie before, but it seems different. It can't be, though. It's a film. It's fixed in time. I must be different." Brilliant.
I first saw The Third Man as a child and loved it. Now, in my mid-fifties, I still keep going back to it and I get something new out of it every time. An absolute Masterpiece.
Couldn´t agree more. First saw it, accompanied by a parent in 1950, when I was too young to get into the theatre alone. Also read the book, which Greene wrote in order to then write the screenplay. Lime´s 2nd burial reflects your sketch of the evil Lime, with Greene writing, of the mechanical diggers used to break the frost hardened ground, "even nature rejected Lime". Greene also confirmed in a later work that the "cuckoo clock" lines were written by Orson Wells. They don´t make movies like this any more.
This is very interesting. i saw this movie the first time as a kid (not that old, I saw it on TV), and I always liked it. I knew it is seen as one of Orson Wells better movies, so I knew that it has to be a great movie, but I couldn't divest myself from seeing it as a kid.
By the way, for the longest time I thought "Es geschah am hellichten Tag" was "M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder." I saw Es geschah as a kid, too, and for the longest time had nightmares of Gerd Fröbe holding out his coat. The set ups are similar enough that it took quite a while for me to realize that I didn't see M. That changed when I heard that M had lorre in it, and I was a fan of Lorre from "Arsenic and old Lace" and "The Maltese Falcon," so I rushed to watch it and, wouldn't you know it, it is one of the greatest movies of all time. I still shudder when I see Fröbe with a great coat, though.
And another by the way, after growing up I realized how blessed I was by seeing great movies as a kid and youth, many of them criminally unknown today. I saw most of Grant's screwballs as a kid, along with "Man's Favorite Sport?," "The third Man," "One, Two, Three" "Die Brücke" [sic, as a kid] and others. In my youth "The Wages of Fear," "The Maltese Falcon," "Casablanca," "Suspicion," "Rope," "La Strada" and more joined the ranks. It is very sad that today it is downright hard to get people to even watch black and white movies, so many ingenious movies are only watched by so few people. And even if one gets people to watch them, they tend to not like them, I forced my friends to watch "Bringing up Baby" with on my birthday this year (followed by probably my favourite movie, "The last of the Mohicans") and they didn't like it much. I first wanted to do "Operation Petticoat," but then I went with the generally better judged movie, since I thought general appeal should trump personal preference in a case like that. I should've trusted my instinct.
This kinda got away from me :-)
thank you. I welcome more comments like this that get away from you.
Thanks for a great review.I must admit I had not fully taken on board the religious aspect of the film .But as you say with Graham Greene it will be there.I remember at school we studied The Power and the Glory where the religious aspects are to the fore ,with catholic guilt etc .
Re the third man reference from a religious perspective ,I do wonder whether Lime is in effect Satan .As in the former right hand man to God who then fell from grace (not the fire and brimstone of popular culture) .In the Ferris wheel he almost tempts Holly Martins with promises of riches for what downside,guilt?
In sewer,Lime is in effect in his personal hell ,trapped and unable to get back to what he sees as his rightful place in the outside world ,not trapped in the underworld .
It is in any event one of the greatest ever films (I think it was voted the best British film of all time )Many thanks for the review ,and I like your others as well .
If you do see this ,have you done the Train (Burt lancaster John Frankenheimer) ,a fantastic film based on a moral conundrum .
thank you for the comment. I've not done a video on The Train. A master page of films discussed in videos so far is here: joshmatthews.org/what-makes-this-movie-great-list-of-videos/
@@LearningaboutMovies Thank -you very much for replying ,I was not expecting that .Many thanks for the list of films ,which is certainly comprehensive .By chance I commented on the Iron Giant today on another link about it being one of the last great animated films .
Clearly you have excellent taste in films and I will say that all of them are superb (the ones I have seen ) but I give a call out for the Lives of Others/Babettes Feast/Paths of Glory /and Breaker Morant .They are films i watch regularly for different reasons .Of course the Conversation .Goodfellas are superb etc ,but these are perhaps not so appreciated,and you are clearly bringing them to the fore.
Cheers
W
I just finished Third Man. (First viewing). Agreed. There were several moments that reminded me of M. For example, there's also the child's ball in M, as well as the little boy's ball in Third Man.
Also, there's the scene in M when the mob chases Peter Lorre (because a child gave him away?) like the crowd chasing Holly and Anna.
Thanks for the "clues", it helps the clueless! 😊
Wow exactly the explanation I was looking for sir!
One of my favorite movies. Classic!
During WW2, Graham Greene and Harold 'Kim' Philby worked together for MI6. The name "Harry Lime" is an amalgamation of their names: Harold or Harry and Greene or Lime.
Watched your video after seeing the Maltese falcon a few days ago. Now after seeing this, great videos (and films of course)
The music. I watched this movie because earlier I had heard its theme performed on a zither during a concert. I found it catching and puzzling and got curious what the film itself might be like...
I am a Michael Jackson fan who learned that his “Moonwalker” musical film was highly inspired by this film “The Third Man” now seeing the comparisons it’s very true!
I've watched the film a couple of times in years past and could never - dare I say - cotton to it. Today I gave it another go on a whim and loved it. I came here almost immediately to check out your comments. Great as always. Especially your aligning it with the ideas in 1 Corinthians. That bracket gave new meaning to hearing Lime repeatedly call Martins "old man" - which is somewhat innocuously condescending, until you put it against 1 Cor and realize (possibly) that "old man" is Lime asserting his "new man" status as some kind of snappily-dressed ubermensch, a representative of a new breed of man beyond morality. Then you know he has to go. Of course, a brilliant movie, and I don't know why it took me so long to realize it.
exactly! Good catch on "old man." Thank you
Also, happened to watch it back to back with Shadow of a Doubt - two movies that put Cotten in the position of having to give a pivotal speech that we never get to hear.
My favorite movie of all time.
When I did national service in the early fifties after this film came out, in my group there was a guy who was one of identical triplets. He often said “I’m the Third Man “.
Josh’s title: “What Makes This Great?”
Me: “Literally everything.”
Seriously, people like Jordan Peele aren’t even worthy of licking Reed and Welles’ feet.
thanks. I am not familiar with your Peele reference -- is he remaking this or where does he allude to it?
@@LearningaboutMovies Just that since Peele does thrillers and horror movies (Get Out and Us), people think he is a genius. I personally think he suck ass.
@@LearningaboutMovies I would've thought because he is quite the celebrated film maker today.
Not for me, by the way, I'll never forget that he made Keanu, which was the first of his movies I saw. Dear Lord...
That's a little harsh. Different times, different points of view and ways of interpreting human experience. Reed and Welles 'broke the mold' for the genre. It doesn't mean future generations have no relevance.
I'm gonna say it. I like it better than Citizen Kane.
Enjoyed your analysis, think it is right on. Definitely a movie you have to see if you are visiting Vienna. Sort of Citizen Kane goes to post-war Vienna. I think there is blending of fact and fiction (alluded to by the Romanian mobster in the movie) with the backroom deals by Allen Dulles et. al. that allowed Austria and northern Italy to cut a separate deal at the end of WW2, that look morally reprehensible on their face (allowing Nazis & collaborators to walk away with their stolen assets), but were viewed as necessary to prevent the Soviets controlling all of Europe and getting the Nazi technological advantage to the “good guys” who subsequented nuked Nagasaki/Hiroshima. And is there the suggestion that maybe the deaths of FDR and Patton seem suspicious also?
Greene was taken with the motif of the imperfect messiah figure and it appears in his novels.
The best thing about this movie is the whole d*mn thing!
Including directing, script, acting, cinematography, setting, and on and on and on.
Thanks for sharing this so interesting movie comments. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
The "subterranean labyrinth" that is symbolized by the network of underground sewers in Vienna. What could be a more fitting metaphor in the film for the underlying decadence and fouless that resides beneath the thin veneer of "civilization." The amazing ending, in which, society is portrayed as having succumbed itself completely to "the sewer." The chaos and insanity that plagued and was post-war Vienna. Is it all meant to go by way of the sewer? In the end, 'The Third Man' is one of the best film-noirs ever made and must be re-watched every handful of years!
well said. thank you.
@@LearningaboutMovies Couldn't agree more! I do rewatch it every couple of years and my love for it grows. One bit of trivia I recently discovered was that Carol Reed did the spirited VoiceOver at the beginning of the movie where the situation in Vienna is described so well. One other piece of trivia you might not know is that Welles was offered a healthy percentage of the movie to entice his participation, but opted for a flat fee so he could get the money he needed to make one of his own movies. As you know, the movie was a big international hit....his percentage would have made him a great deal of money and forever ended his desperate search for funding.
Thank you for your insights into this famous movie. If course I have known about its reputation for decades, and may have seen it eons ago, but did not remember it. So I just viewed it and was so disappointed by the plot, the irritating zither music, the stupid story line. Then I found your video explaining it. I feel better about it now!!
The movie theme song is Iconic !
I just clicked a random movie to keep me company while I worked on a project. I didn't get much work done.
Interesting take. Gives me something to think about.
Everything was great about this movie - if it had been shot in colour it would not be quite so good. I'm British but live in Prague and a lot of the little street scenes remind me of here - unexpected nooks and crannies. I often think of Graham Green when I'm walking around with a zither playing in my head.
A true masterpiece
I really liked it when I watched it for the first time a year ago.
I saw the 3rd when I was a teenager in the 50ies and there is one scene that was made up to shock the audience but in a very clever way and that is where Trevor H. takes J.C to the babies ward , one can imagine what a sight it is because the camera shows only the bedside and that teddy bear hung on it.
one of my favorite movies of all time