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Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, Trevor Howard, Paul Hörbiger ... see more see more... , Bernard Lee , Ernst Deutsch , Wilfrid Hyde-White , Siegfried Breuer , Erich Ponto , Hedwig Bleibtreu , Nelly Arno , Leo Bieber , Martin Boddey , Alexis Chesnakov , Herbeil Halbik , Paul Hardtmuth , Geoffrey Keen , Martin Miller , Eric Pohlmann , Annie Rosar , Jenny Werner , Paul L. Smith , Thomas Gallagher

In this Cold War spy classic, Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten), a third-rate American pulp novelist, arrives in postwar Vienna, where he has been promised a job by his old friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles... read more read more...). Upon his arrival, Martins discovers that Lime has been killed in a traffic accident, and that his funeral is taking place immediately. At the graveside, Martins meets outwardly affable Major Calloway (Trevor Howard) and actress Anna Schmidt (Alida Valli), who is weeping copiously. When Calloway tells Martins that the late Harry Lime was a thief and murderer, the loyal Martins is at first outraged. Gradually, he discovers not only that Calloway was right but also that the man lying in the coffin in the film's early scenes was not Harry Lime at all--and that Lime is still very much alive (he was the mysterious "third man" at the scene of the fatal accident). Thus the stage is set for the movie's famous climactic confrontation in the sewers of Vienna--and the even more famous final shot, in which Martins pays emotionally for doing "the right thing." Written by Graham Greene, The Third Man is an essential classic, made even more so by the insistent zither music of Anton Karas. The film is currently available in both an American and British release version; the American print, with an introduction by Joseph Cotten, is slightly shorter than the British version, which is narrated by director Carol Reed. Nominated for several Academy Awards, The Third Man won Best Cinematography for Robert Krasker. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Unrated, 1 hr. 44 min.

Directed by: Carol Reed

Release Date: September 3, 1949

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DVD Release Date: November 30, 1999

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Stats: 3,601 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (3,601)

  • spielberg00
    November 24, 2012
    spielberg00
    It's difficult not to be captivated by this outstanding film-noir.

    Full review at themoviefreakblog.com on 11/28
  • DragonEyeMorrison
    June 22, 2012
    DragonEyeMorrison
    If you take away Welles it wouldn't be that memorable, and even with him, the movie is still not that memorable. What do you remember about this aside from Welles lines, the photography, and the theme song? Having trouble remembering anything else? That's because most of the stor... read morey dances around a "plot twist" or discovery or whatever it is that is hardly exciting, and all too predictable (Lime is alive, duh) and our main lead is a doofus, and not exactly the charming type, just a helpless goon going around from one point to another. The switch he has at the end in his confrontation with his old friend ends up feeling like a super moralistic preachy lesson about "doing the right thing". I can see why this movie has stand the test of time, but it's merits are rather shortcoming. Not bad, just not great.
  • hunterjt13
    May 9, 2012
    hunterjt13
    A novelist investigates the suspicious death of his friend in Vienna.
    A masterpiece in noir stylistic tricks with its layered mystery, shadowy shots, and ever-present dutch low angles, this film is a delight for the eyes. Each shot is reminiscent of the best of the old black and... read more white noirs, especially the film's final shot; men just look better with fedoras and cigarettes.
    Occasionally hard to follow, the plot is well-crafted, full of a few unexpected twists, and it's a pity that Orson Welles's fantastic performance is so short; the film comes alive when he's on the screen.
    Overall, this is a wonderful popcorn film and a classic of its genre.
  • blkbomb
    April 26, 2012
    blkbomb
    Harry Lime: What did you want me to do? Be reasonable. You didn't expect me to give myself up... 'It's a far, far better thing that I do.' The old limelight. The fall of the curtain. Oh, Holly, you and I aren't heroes. The world doesn't make any heroes outside of your stories. 

    ... read more"You've never met anyone like him!"

    Film Noir is a genre that I really enjoy, and when I see a really good one, like The Third Man; it is an extreme joy. This not only rivals any Noir you could name, but probably exceeds it in just about every category imaginable. This is brilliantly conceived and executed stuff, with some of the best scenes I have seen from any film. The final chase scene was really well shot and definitely sits as one of the better chase scenes in film history. I'm someone who can get bored two or three minutes into a chase scene, but I could have watched this one all day and never have gotten bored. Along with how well shot the film is, it also has one of the more unique musical scores I have heard. It isn't your typical thriller score, and adds an element to the film that others in the genre just don't have.

    The Third Man is also brilliantly acted. Joseph Cotten plays the lead, Holly Martins extremely well. Holly comes to Vienna to work and stay with an old friend, Harry Lime. Upon arriving there, he is told that Harry is dead and arrives just in time to see Harry's funeral. Holly then begins to investigate the death as things just aren't adding up. The start of the film is good, but when Orson Welles makes his first appearance as a shadowy face on a dark street, the film takes off and soars to not only classic status, but masterpiece status. The film is smart, funny, suspenseful, and entertaining beyond what you could think. 

    If you're a film buff, this is one of the must, must sees. It's one of those films you must see before you die and if you don't, well, you missed out on something special. Now that I've finally seen the film, I'll probably end up watching it a good twenty more times in my life. It's that good. I could also see it being potentially more fun to watch a second time around knowing everything that is going to happen. 

    I'll end with a quote from Roger Ebert on The Third Man.

    "Of all the movies I have seen, this one most completely embodies the romance of going to the movies."
  • fb1664868775
    October 27, 2011
    fb1664868775
    Joseph Cotton at his finest (paired with Shadow Of A Doubt by Hitchcock) and Welles is perfectly cast.
  • kenstachnik
    September 13, 2011
    kenstachnik
    Is there anything better than a guy in a trench coat & fedora running down a back lit tunnel?
  • jennifxu
    April 29, 2011
    jennifxu
    All shadows and much delivery. The zither is so creepy and right.
  • cosmo313
    March 9, 2011
    cosmo313
    God bless film noir.

    Here's the thing: this is a great movie, yes, a classic sure, but a true masterpiece? Not quite. It gets a solid A, but I don't think it is quite good enough to warrant a full 5 or an A+. Considering how people now feel about this film, that sounds like sa... read morecrilege, but listen, I really, really dug this a lot, I just have some issues that are gnawing at me is all.

    The story is a decent, if typical noir mystery thriller, but it also seemed underwhelming to me. Martins is not really someone I found myself caring for too much, and his involvement in things just didn't really click for me. Maybe it's because I'm looking at this film from a modern viewpoint. Even if I do look at it in the context of the late 1940s, the story still seems a little typical and unoriginal. Of course, almost nothing really is original, but I think you get what I mean. I like the tension, danger, and mystery, but things just didn't feel as satisfying as they should. I loved the ending though. That was a nice touch. That was not the original ending that Graham Greene wanted, but I think it works better this way. The original ending would have seemed too unrealistc and false.

    That's it. That's really my big major issue holding this thing back by a half star. Sounds silly, but there it is. The rest of this film is pure dynamite. The look, use of light and shadows, the camera work, camera placement, all great stuff. Some of the Dutch angles are more subtle than others, but they all achieve the same effect. What this story falters with in sotry is made up for with mood, tone, and atmosphere. This film would be terrible if it wasn't in black and white.

    Good performances, even though I found myself a little detached from the characters. The twisty plot was not bad, even though I guessed some of the twists (not all though). Even though Martins kind of bugged me, Cotton did a great job. Sometimes I forget that not all characters are supposed to be likeable (buit that's not the case here. Wellles is great, but is anyone really surprised? I actually really liked Alida Valli the most. Her performance is great.

    Something that surprised me was the score, played entirely on a zither. It was not what I expected. Given that this is a moody film noir, I expected something a little ominous and dark. The score contrasts this, but not in a bad way. This technique of purposely using contrasting music doesn't always work, but here it did. Now that I think about it, using expected dark and ominous music would have been too obvious. The score ends up really adding to the situations and mise-en-scene like the lighting and cinematography.

    Of course I recommend this. I don't regret what I've said about this film, and have no qualms about anyone overlooking the things I took issues with. I do it with other films, but didn't feel right doing it here. I'll leave you with one final observation: I love how the stroy was put into the context of post-WWII aftermath. Casablanca did something similar, but took placee (and was made) during the war. A similar modern example of crafting a film around a city connected to a horrific event would be 25th Hour, and it's take on post-9/11 New York, another great film I suggest watching.
  • matertenebraum
    February 10, 2011
    matertenebraum
    American author Holly Martins arrives in Vienna to meet old friend Harry Lime. On arrival he finds Harry was just killed in an accident and attends his funeral. The police are happy that his death was an accident and are also closing crimes by attributing them to him. Martins beg... read moreins to investigate the accident and finds out things that lead him to a shocking discovery that will eventually challenge his values and friendship.

    This is a classic bit of British cinema that owes a lot to the source material (Graham Green) and the slanted, moody cinematography throughout. The story is quite straight forward and can be perceived more complicated than it is. The best bits of the story come early, with Martins investigating the accident against a backdrop of secrecy and cover-ups, and later when he confronts Lime briefly on a Ferris wheel. The story is mainly a story of friendship and morals packed into a mystery setting. The final shot of the film is really good and gives a realistic (if not happy) end to the story.

    Joseph Cotton was always good around this period and seemed to be on a roll when he teamed up with Wells. Here he is good as Martin, even if his character is not as interesting as Harry Lime is. Orson Wells is excellent, casting a huge shadow (literally!) over the film despite having a very short time onscreen compare to Cotton. The director and the writer fought the producer to cast Wells in order to make the film more sellable to the American audience (the producer wanted Noël Coward) and the film is much better for their choice. His character hugely lacks morals and, despite being a small hustler, is almost a demonic figure - most notably in his speech on the Ferris wheel where he defends his actions to Martin.

    The film is given a great mood of shadows throughout. The city itself is shown as both beautiful and in ruins and is constantly slanted and shadowy. The final confrontation in the sewers of Vienna is excellent. The score is also good - at first it doesn't seem to fit, as it seems out of step with the mood, but it does work well with the culture that exists in the city at the time - I can't really explain it better than that but it does work.

    Overall this is a classic. The story may not be enough to support repeat viewings but the moody, the cinematography and a towering performance by Wells all make this essentially viewing for film fans.
  • aliceinpunderland
    January 18, 2011
    aliceinpunderland
    They just don't make 'em like this anymore. All the delightfully subtle Dutch angles. The madcap zither score that at times, lulls you into a false sense of security. The Of Mice and Men-esque sacrificial kill. The ending! OH THE ENDING!!! Anna walks that road for an... read more eternity, much like Antoine Doinel running towards the sea.

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Critic Reviews

David Ansen
November 1, 2007
David Ansen, Newsweek

It transformed the way I looked at the world. Full Review

Jeff Millar
July 21, 2005
Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle

Welles gives Harry a mask of irony that turns all moral judgment back on itself. He turns a mass murderer into a wry rogue, and makes his villainy all the more horrifying because we rather like him. Full Review

Andrew Sarris
April 22, 2004
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer

Seen today, The Third Man ... can be appreciated as a prophetic statement on the eventual moral bankruptcy of the one-world euphoria that clouded men's minds immediately after the second 'war to end a...

Bosley Crowther
May 20, 2003
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

Top credit must go to Mr. Reed for molding all possible elements into a thriller of superconsequence. Full Review

James Berardinelli
August 29, 2002
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

For lovers of film noir, The Third Man is unquestionably a must-see -- one of the masterpieces of a genre that has contained everything from milestone motion pictures to low-budget potboilers. Full Review

Susan Stark
January 17, 2002
Susan Stark, Detroit News

The Third Man is like the exhausted aftermath of Casablanca. Full Review

February 13, 2001
Variety

a full-blooded, absorbing story Full Review

Robert Horton
January 1, 2000
Robert Horton, Film.com

One of the glories of postwar cinema, and quite possibly one of the most sheerly enjoyable movies ever made.

Joe Baltake
January 1, 2000
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

A triumph of atmosphere and grown-up concerns. Full Review

Laura Miller
January 1, 2000
Laura Miller, Salon.com

It seemed like the creation of a sensibility terribly old and wise, and most of all very European; it was the very essence of world-weary sophistication. Full Review

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    • Harry Lime: In Italy for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder, bloodshed. They producedd Michaelangelo, da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, five hundred years of democracy and peace, and what did they produce? The cuckoo clock.
    • Anna Schmidt: Honest, Sensible Holly martins. Holly. What a silly name!
    • Harry Lime: Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.
    • Harry Lime: In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, and they had 500 years of democracy and peace. And what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.
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The Third Man Trivia

  • In "The Third Man" (1949) how is Harry Lime's (Orson Welles) face first seen??  Answer »
  • What is the movie that Nicolas Cage and Elizabeth Shue are watching when they lie by the pool at the Desert Hotel in 'Leaving Las Vegas'?   Answer »
  • "In Switzerland they've had 500 years of peace and what did they come up with? The cookoo clock". Is a quote from which film?   Answer »
  • On the 'BFI Top 100 British films' list, which of these films was number 1?   Answer »
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