Customer Reviews

The Third Man: The Criterion Collection

5 star:		(100)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Third Man is, unquestionably, one of the greatest films of all time. It is probably the greatest British film of all too. Based on a screenplay by Graham Greene, set amidst the rubble of post-war Vienna and starring Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten and Trevor Howard, this one was always going to be good. It was, for many years, regarded as the film noir to beat all others and is my favourite movie. Radical in it's cinematic concept and brilliantly shot by Robert Krasker, the film has more atmosphere than any film I have seen before or since.

It all starts with Holly Martins (Cotten), a drunkard who writes the type of books which used to be known as "penny dreadfuls", arriving in Vienna not long after the end of WWII on the promise of a job. It turns out that his prospective employer, Harry Lime (Welles), has been killed in an accident and Martins has arrived just in time for the funeral. Lime's friends soon make contact with the wayward Martins, who becomes convinced that his friend has been murdered, and eventually through a series of encounters, he winds up in the hands of the Military Police.

In the opinion of this reviewer, this is Cotten's best film and though I've never been a big fan of his, he suits the role admirably. I also believe this is Trevor Howard's finest performance. So good is Howard that there is little doubt over his conviction that Martins is wrong and the scene where all is revealled to him is a feature of the film. Orson Welles was an acting giant in anyone's terms although by this time he was almost universally regarded as box office poison. His characterisation of the psychopathic Lime has been the model for so many film baddies and in may ways is as sinister as Hannibal Lecter.

The cinematography is superb. Shot on the streets of bombed-out Vienna and using minimal lighting, it gives definition to the film noir genre. The lighting reflected off wet cobblestone roads and the hard shadows created by single brute arcs create a cold, stark landscape for Carol Reed's direction and the underlying suspense of the plot. Much of the film; certainly the majority of the interiors as well as nearly all the sewer scenes, were actually shot in studio in the UK but all the location stuff is real, so much so that you can even do a "Third Man" tour if you are in Vienna.

The Criterion transfer is the sharpest B&W I have ever seen and rather than being merely technically precise, really adds to the atmosphere of the film. There was an enormous number of repairs made to the original print (something like 22,000, if my memory serves me correctly) and the ultimate product is almost seemless and has a beautiful grey scale. There are a few added features, including a rather comical short of Anton Karas playing the famous theme on his zither in a London club. Karas, incidentally, a Gypsy who could not read music, was first spotted in a seedy Vienna nightclub and contracted to do the film more-or-less on the spot. It is extraordinary how much the zither adds to the film.

Reckoned by many to be the finest suspense film ever made and containing more cinematic innovation than almost anything which came afterward it, until the arrival of the French New Wave, this film wants for nothing. The acting performances are top notch, the pictures are beautiful and the plot is terrific. There is even a little wry humour at the expense of Viennese society. A cinematic gem not to be missed and essential to any serious film buff's library.

What movie better captures the descent of the victory over the Nazis into the suspicion, paranoia, and corruption of the Cold War? The movies strange off-angle camera shots, the way the plot twists and shifts who is covering up what and why is simply wonderful. It is one of those rare movies that absolutely convinces you it is one kind of movie and ends up being another.

The always commented upon zither music does contribute mightily to the atmosphere of the film. So does the untranslated German used throughout the film. The palpable tension between the occupied Germans, the communists, and the allies is done better here than almost anywhere else. I think it helps that the film was done at the time all the post WWII occupation was actually happening and still new.

Orson Welles, Jospeh Cotten, Alia Valli, Trevor Howard, and all the rest are wonderful. And the way Criterion has done the transfer is magnificent.

There is also an intro by Peter Bogdanovich, trailers, info on how the restoration was done, some radio shows from the Third Man, and some reading of Graham Greene's treatment.

This is a great disk.

Whether the greatness of Citizen Kane is due to Orson Welles's writing or Herman J. Mankiewicz's contribution to the screenplay has always been up for debate. The Third Man squashes this argument. On the spur of the moment, Welles comes up with one of the most memorable and brilliantly written monologues in cinema history.

Harry Lime: Don't be so gloomy. After all, it's not that awful. 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. So long, Holly.

And the zither music ain't bad, either!

The original B+W film with an all star cast that brings you back and ungulfs you in the real quality of movie making without special effects. A terrific piece of film history and entertainment. The score is also a classic zither recording. The second CD is full of interesting narrative and actor interviews. A real gem for anyone who appreciates superior entertainment.

Ian C., Almonte, ON

I was impressed with the writing and the cinematography most of all. The shadows and repressive overall feel as we try and find out what happened to Harry Lime is incredible.

Heartily recommended.

Well,Criterion has another release triumph here with "The Third Man".Criterion is well known for its' quality and an eclectic array of films already released in its' catalogues and many more on the way.Most are unavailable anywhere with Criterion consistently setting the release standards for DVDs,and this film is no exception.
"The Third Man" is a film originally released in /49 in Britain to great acclaim(this is the film we see),then released a year later in the U.S.The latter market had about 11 minutes cut out of it and the opening narrative changed from director Carol Reed's voice to star Joseph Cottons'.
This two disc collection includes everything you ever wanted to know about this film,and so much more.Included is a nine minute vignette with a self explanatory title "Insiders' Info" ,the US Trailer,the UK Press Book,another small vignette translating the foreign language sequences into English with sub-titles(five min.),a /51 radio show starring Orson Welles as "Harry Lime" in "Ticket to Tangiers",a Lux Radio Theatre show from /51 of "The Third Man",an award winning documentary from 2000 called"Who was the Third Man?"(30 min),a /68 profile of Graham Greene from the BBC show "Omnibus",a three min./54 newsreel of zither player Anton Karas at London's Empress Club,another three min.Pathe newsreel of the policing of the Vienna sewers called "The Underground of Vienna",and "The Third Man's Vienna",a background vignette on the real post war Vienna that Greene brings to life in the film.To top this all off is a 26 page booklet with several articles about the making and producing of the film which are quite intriguing,along with production credits,transfer specs,cast credits and much more.
I won't go into the plot as it is very well known by most by now.I must say that I have never seen the film looking as good as it does in this release.They made a great transfer using a high grain positive master and took out thousands of extant marks,dirt,etc, to bring the B&W print gloriously back to life.It's not perfect but it is light years beyond anything I've ever seen before.I've always said that a great print can only add to ones enjoyment of a film and the proof is abundantly clear in this "pudding".
The film comes from the "Janus" collection which,as I noted in my review of Criterions'glorious release of "Pandora's Box",has been known to me as a firm that has released only countless cut and butchered films over the years.However,as I have nothing to compare films with(as I did with Pandora)I can only say that nothing appears to be amiss here so I will leave it at that.
In conclusion this is a film which belongs in every serious film collectors collection.A classic of its' genre,"The Third Man" is without doubt a very important film.Its' cast is rock solid,the script and on film atmosphere that is created through its' brilliant use of lighting and cinematography,serves to enhance the films' quality and stature.
With all the extras included,and this being a Criterion product which is ALWAYS a superior product,it is a must have DVD set.

First at all , the ravishing presence of Orson Welles is felt all along this movie in such level you may well state this film was four hands directed . The powerful and menacing atmosphere that surrounds Vienna after the WW2 , the expressionist style , the superb photograph , the bitter and clever dialogues , the high caliber acting level , the somber passages under Vienna's streets , the sideral beauty and presence of Alida Vali , the extraordinary performance given by Joseph Cotten , the unforgettable zither music of Anton Karas and the dark secrets all along the story demands from you special attention. This film won Cannes Festival 1949.
You will never get tired of watching over and over this giant work. A Cold War spy classic. From Graham Greene novel.
Magnificent!

This was one of the very first films I purchased on DVD. I was lucky enough to see this on the big screen when it was re-released to theatres after the restoration. The quality of this DVD is outstanding. Seeing the widescreen version is truly sublime. Robert Krasker's cinematography is stunning. The Anton Karas score is haunting. The direction of Carol Reed and the screenplay by Graham Greene could not be improved upon. (film lovers will also want to see "The Fallen idol" by Reed and Greene). Cotten, Howard and Valli are great in their parts, but Orson Welles as Harry Lime steals the film - he should have won the Oscar for his brilliant work here. A work of art.

The Third Man was in a terrible state of disrepair before Criterion got their hands on it. Unfortunately, this edition of the film suffers from extreme grain, digital and film, shimmering details and a rough appearance that still makes for a gritty viewing experience despite considerable restoration efforts. Orson Welles is Harry Lime, a con artist who's black market insulin sales have either killed or crippled hundreds. Joseph Cotten is Lime's best friend and totally unaware of the scam. The film is one of the post war cinemas greatest acheivements. Unfortunately, it needs a more pristine transfer than this to make it worth the while and price that Criterion is asking.

Very well done. They sent an email confirming the order, with contact info in case there was any issue. The time that they estimated it would show up was pretty much on the button. No damage; it looked prestine for a used DVD. Then they sent a follow up email making sure everything was ok. The effort they put in on the customer relations end was impressive; really set them apart from any of the Joe Blows out there.