The Third Man [DVD] [1949]

The Third Man [Blu-ray] [1949]. The acting, music, scene locations and story are excellent and depict Vienna shortly after the end of WWII. Orson Wells is brilliant as Harry Lime a black market racketeer wanted by the British authorities for selling contaminated penicillin in a post war divided Vienna.

Nothing much to say about the film that hasn't already so the COLLECTOR'S EDITION superb contents surprise on opening lid to be met by the Harry Lime theme BUT one word about the film CLASSIC that's it.

Goods arrived well packaged and pleased with it

Wo derful photography

Great actors

The Third Man (Carol Reed, 1949, 104')Produced by Carol Reed, Uncredited: Alexander Korda, David O SelznickWritten by Graham Greene, Music by Anton Karas.Starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, Trevor Howard.Cinematography by Robert Krasker, Editing by Oswald Hafenrichter.A simple story: American pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, black-market opportunist Harry Lime. The Third Man won the 1949 Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, the British Academy Award for Best Film, and an Academy Award for Best Black and White Cinematography in 1950. A British film noir, and one of the best British films ever. It is particularly remembered for its atmospheric cinematography, musical score and performances, and has been continuously popular ever since. Further, the screenplay by novelist Graham Greene was subsequently published as a novella of the same name.The atmospheric use of black-and-white expressionist cinematography by Robert Krasker, with harsh lighting and distorted camera angles, is a key feature of The Third Man. Combined with the unique theme music, seedy locations, and acclaimed performances from the cast, the style evokes the atmosphere of an exhausted, cynical post-war Vienna at the start of the Cold War. Anton Karas, who wrote and performed the score only using the zither, had its title music "The Third Man Theme" topping the international music charts in 1950, and periodically again beyond. <<<What sort of music it is, whether jaunty or sad, fierce or provoking, it would be hard to reckon; but under its enthrallment, the camera comes into play ... The unseen zither-player ... is made to employ his instrument much as the Homeric bard did his lyre. >>>On top of the international actors, Viennese and/or Burgtheater actors played the local characters, assembling in total a very prominent list for even for the most minor roles. The full cast was▪ Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins▪ Alida Valli as Anna Schmidt▪ Orson Welles as Harry Lime▪ Trevor Howard as Major Calloway▪ Bernard Lee as Sgt Paine▪ Wilfrid Hyde-White as Crabbin▪ Erich Ponto as Dr Winkel▪ Ernst Deutsch as 'Baron' Kurtz▪ Siegfried Breuer as Popescu▪ Paul Hörbiger as Karl, Harry's Porter▪ Hedwig Bleibtreu as Anna's Landlady▪ Robert Brown as British Military Policeman in Sewer Chase▪ Alexis Chesnakov as Brodsky▪ Herbert Halbik as Hansl▪ Paul Hardtmuth as the Hall Porter at Sacher's▪ Geoffrey Keen as British Military Policeman▪ Eric Pohlmann as Waiter at Smolka's▪ Annie Rosar as the Porter's Wife▪ Joseph Cotten as the Narrator (pre-1999 US version)▪ Carol Reed as the Narrator (pre-1999 UK, and all post-'99 versions)Before writing the screenplay, Greene worked out the atmosphere, characterisation and mood of the story by writing a novella. There are various differences to the film, including the nationality of both Holly (named Rollo) and Harry, who are both English in the book. Popescu's character is an American called Cooler. Most relevently, there is also a difference of ending. In the novella, it is implied that Anna and Rollo (Holly) are about to begin a new life together - in stark contrast to the unmistakable snub by Anna that marks the end of the film. Anna does walk away from Harry's grave in the book, but the text continues: "I watched him striding off on his overgrown legs after the girl. He caught her up and they walked side by side. I don't think he said a word to her: it was like the end of a story except that before they turned out of my sight her hand was through his arm -- which is how a story usually begins. He was a very bad shot and a very bad judge of character, but he had a way with Westerns (a trick of tension) and with girls (I wouldn't know what)."Welles fuelled a theory of his influence on the film with an interview he gave in 1958, in which he said that he had had an important role in making The Third Man, but that it was a "delicate matter, because [he] wasn't the producer". In an interview with Peter Bogdanovich, however, he said that his involvement was minimal: "It was Carol's picture". However, Welles undoubtedly did contribute some of the film's best-known dialogue. Bogdanovich also stated in that the whole film would be unthinkable without Welles' films of the '40s. "Carol Reed, I think, was definitely influenced by Orson Welles, the director, from the films he had made."In the United Kingdom it was the most popular movie at the British box office for 1949. In Austria, "local critics were underwhelmed" and the film ran for only a few weeks. Still, the Viennese Arbeiter-Zeitung, although critical of a "not-too-logical plot", praised the film's "masterful" depiction of a "time out of joint" and the city's atmosphere of "insecurity, poverty and post-war immorality"....225 - The Third Man (Carol Reed, 1949, 104') -A long term top - 17/2/2013

The Third Man is an iconic classic of noir filmaking and also a fascinating study of a divided city in the post-WWII period. The two disc set includes the movie itself along with some minor features but also the documentary Shadowing The Third Man on the 2nd disc. This documentary is nearly as good as the film itself. Of particular note is the musical score which famously included a no 1 hit in the US billboard charts and is one of the great scores ever produced. I haven't been able to get the Harry Lime Theme played on the zither out of my head since.The Third Man is a character study of a film built on suspense and intrigue. Set in post-war Vienna, the lead character is an American trash novellist Holly Martins played by Joseph Cotton. He finds himself in an unfamiliar place and facing unexpected obstacles as he attempts to track down the truth of what happened to his friend Harry Lime. The backdrop of a devastated city, of the occupying forces (specifically UK and Russian), the multi-ethnic composition of the Viennese people all feature continuously without ever being the main focus of attention. The main focus is on the people - who should Holly Martins trust and who is on his side? Looking through the eyes of an audience 60 years later only adds to the intrigue.Orson Welles is cast to steal the show and he does have some magnificent lines including a brief monologue referring to Switzerland that is a stunner. His initial appearance, standing stock still in the Harry Lime Doorway is a piece of art as powerful as most portraits. Other than that though Welles over-acts in a way that the more dour and troubled characters played by Cotton, Alida Valli, and Trevor Howard do not. Perhaps this reflects the naivety of optimism in the crumbling former jewel of the mighty Habsburg empire.Valli in particular is excellent. Her role as the distraught Anna Schmidt carries both a sadness and a defiance that marks each of her apperances on screen with tremendous pathos right up to the very end.The political dynamics of the time play subtly into the drama with the tensions between the occupying allies all too clear as well as the impact of the occupation on the Viennese themselves. There is no sense of recrimination for the Austrian role in WWII and the locals are cast sympathetically. Paul Hörbiger as the janitor is unbelievable given the revelations about him in the Shadowing The Third Man documentary. Equally extras and bit part characters are for the main given an interesting part to fulfil even if only in passing. I did though find Ernst Deutsch's portrayal of Baron Kurtz to be a cartoonish presence and too closely associated in my own mind with the kind of characters found in the propoganda films in the decade previous to The Third Man.The true star of the film though is Vienna. Wien is a magnificent city (and I'm not just saying that because I type this review while sat in it) full of history. Harry Lime's apartment is located just opposite the imposing Habsburg complex and the clue to that location is the statue - it is of Holy Roman Emperor Karl Josef in Josefplatz. The streets and building structure around Vienna still look in many places as they did in The Third Man though what has changed is the resurrection from the ashes of the war. To look at the city then and now is to know what conditions existed at the time and rationing, black marketeering, and an uncertain future haunt every step of the film.Shadowing The Third Man on the 2nd disc is a must watch. It details the making of the film including the creative tensions between Hollywood producer Selznick and the British director Carol Reed. It shows the US marketing that would have inspired me never to watch the film had I based it on those adverts. Most of all though it tells a gripping story of the people and places involved in the making of the film. The Third Man is great, with the understanding provided by Shadowing the depths that were partially obscured are fully luminated and it is easy to appreciate this work as a masterpiece.

The Third Man is one of the greats. Stylish and innovative camera work, every scene is tightly put together, and extremely evocative of a post-war central Europe still in turmoil. The DVD played well on my old basic player, and plenty of extras for film buffs, including interviews with a couple of folk involved on the production side, with lots of insights of the great director Carol Reed. Excellent value for money.

I made the effort to order all six Graham Greene films available on Amazon (The Third Man, The Quiet American, Brighton Rock, The Power and the Glory, Our Man in Havana, and This Gun for Hire) and The Third Man was arguably the best (with The Quiet American a close second). It's not only a great story but it was filmed in Vienna in 1949 and really gives you a sense of that city as it was 75 years ago. Five stars.

Buena película, buen costo-beneficio.

100 % OK Goede verzending en besteld item beantwoorde volledig aan de beschrijvingvan de verkoper ( uiterst tevreden ):-):-):-)

Ci si vergogna quasi a dover recensire un film cosi fondamentale. Posso solo dire che se non lo avete mai visto o non vi interessa il cinema o vi siete persi qualcosa. Attori, regia, ritmo, sempicita', qualita', stupenda fotografia in un magico bianco e nero, location, storia sono tutte da godere.

Still would love to see this on the BIG screen, but so glad to add this to our little collection - just one of those perfect movies which I can't imagine would be ever necessary to re-make. If you like movies, mysteries, intrigue, the art of filmmaking then I urge you to watch The Third Man - it's one to watch on several levels, get your film buffs around, turn out the lights, disconnect the phones & enjoy! I wonder what would be the perfect food accompaniment?