Were the 1940s the best years in cinema history? The top three films on my personal list were made at the beginning of that decade. One of them is - you guessed it! - 'Casablanca'. If we can say that 'Casablanca' opens the cinematic decade, this is masterfully closed by 'The Third Man', the 1949 film by Carol Reed. In many ways these are mirror films. Both take place in the shadow of the terrible world war that is not seen on the screen. In one the fighting takes place in Europe, far from Casablanca, in the other the war has been over for several years and has left Vienna occupied, divided, in ruins. The locations are 'exotic', but in a very different way. Both films are about friendships at test and love stories, with love triangles between two men and a woman. In none of them does the 'good guy' end up with the woman he falls in love with. The actors, the cinematography, the soundtrack are formidable in both films.
The script of 'The Third Man' was written by Graham Greene. The screenwriter, the director, the producers all knew the war from personal experiences. Today we look at this film as a historical story, and the formidable images of Vienna bombed and divided into occupation sectors are also a document. Robert Krasker's cinematography also received an Academy Award, the only one won by this film and the first ever won by an Australian. For the filmmakers, however, it was about a realistic film in contemporary landscapes. This is the scene of a drama in which Holly Martins, an American writer of cheap novels, comes to meet Harry Lime, a childhood friend, to find that he has just died. Instead of a meeting, he arrives at the funeral. Accident? Crime? Or maybe none of these? Holly will try to solve the mystery of Harry's disappearance. He will find out that he was involved in criminal business. He will meet Anna, his lover, an actress who was hiding under a false identity to avoid being sent beyond the Iron Curtain. The plot has subterranean ramifications - literally and figuratively.
'The Third Man' is one of those films that can be pinpointed in geography and historical moment, and yet manages to be universal. One of the secrets is filming in the city that was experiencing the scars of the war and the consequences of the occupation. Filming on the streets of Vienna and using local extras, everything feels authentic. 'Dutch angles', i.e. Shots with the tilted camera amplify the tension and uncertainty surrounding the fate of the characters. A special quality is given to the film by the music performed on the zither and composed by Anton Karas. The use of a single instrument recreated the atmosphere of musical accompaniments from the silent film era, where the piano musically accompanied the images seen on the screen. Orson Welles only appears halfway through the film - but what an appearance! This is one of his best roles, even if today it would be considered only a supporting role. Welles is said to have contributed much more - dialogue, direction suggestions - but today his degree of involvement in the production is disputed. I liked Joseph Cotten less in the lead role and think that if Jimmy Stewart or Cary Grant had played Holly (as other rumors claim it was considered) the film would have been better. I'm not a big fan of Trevor Howard either and this movie didn't change my mind. Alida Valli on the other hand, as Anna, is fascinating. She radiates an exotic beauty and reflects an inner drama that makes her attachment at any cost to the man who doesn't deserve her love seem painfully poignant. The final scene is masterful and seems to conclude not only the film but an entire cinematic decade.
The script of 'The Third Man' was written by Graham Greene. The screenwriter, the director, the producers all knew the war from personal experiences. Today we look at this film as a historical story, and the formidable images of Vienna bombed and divided into occupation sectors are also a document. Robert Krasker's cinematography also received an Academy Award, the only one won by this film and the first ever won by an Australian. For the filmmakers, however, it was about a realistic film in contemporary landscapes. This is the scene of a drama in which Holly Martins, an American writer of cheap novels, comes to meet Harry Lime, a childhood friend, to find that he has just died. Instead of a meeting, he arrives at the funeral. Accident? Crime? Or maybe none of these? Holly will try to solve the mystery of Harry's disappearance. He will find out that he was involved in criminal business. He will meet Anna, his lover, an actress who was hiding under a false identity to avoid being sent beyond the Iron Curtain. The plot has subterranean ramifications - literally and figuratively.
'The Third Man' is one of those films that can be pinpointed in geography and historical moment, and yet manages to be universal. One of the secrets is filming in the city that was experiencing the scars of the war and the consequences of the occupation. Filming on the streets of Vienna and using local extras, everything feels authentic. 'Dutch angles', i.e. Shots with the tilted camera amplify the tension and uncertainty surrounding the fate of the characters. A special quality is given to the film by the music performed on the zither and composed by Anton Karas. The use of a single instrument recreated the atmosphere of musical accompaniments from the silent film era, where the piano musically accompanied the images seen on the screen. Orson Welles only appears halfway through the film - but what an appearance! This is one of his best roles, even if today it would be considered only a supporting role. Welles is said to have contributed much more - dialogue, direction suggestions - but today his degree of involvement in the production is disputed. I liked Joseph Cotten less in the lead role and think that if Jimmy Stewart or Cary Grant had played Holly (as other rumors claim it was considered) the film would have been better. I'm not a big fan of Trevor Howard either and this movie didn't change my mind. Alida Valli on the other hand, as Anna, is fascinating. She radiates an exotic beauty and reflects an inner drama that makes her attachment at any cost to the man who doesn't deserve her love seem painfully poignant. The final scene is masterful and seems to conclude not only the film but an entire cinematic decade.