The Third Man

About the Film• The Third Man is a 1949 British film noir, directed by Carol Reed and

starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. It is considered one of the greatest films of all time, celebrated for its acting, musical score and atmospheric cinematography. It is a film regarded as a pioneer for thrillers, especially the film noir genre.

• Pulp novelist Holly Martins, portrayed by Joseph Cotten, has travelled to Vienna because his friend, Harry Lime, portrayed by Orson Welles, has offered him a job. However, upon his arrival, Martins is told that Lime died in an accident. Driven to investigate Lime's death, Martins soon discovers incredible dark secrets about Lime's life and death.

Location: ViennaThis famous scene in The Third Man perfectly captures the film’s representation of Vienna (and its significance as the location of the movie); the sparse trees and long, seemingly endless vanishing point imply that nothing can be hidden in this city. Indeed, this links to the plot of the film in which Harry Lime’s death is covered up but eventually revealed as a hoax by Holly Martins.

In many shots within the city (such as the one shown) Carol Reed uses a tilt shot to convey the city as a ‘labyrinth’ of sorts, filled with dead ends, red herrings and confusion – much like the film itself, as well as the Pulp Fiction novels Martins writes. Tilt shots such as this are a common feature within thriller films because of this reason.

In the climatic sequence of the film, the idea of a labyrinth is taken even further as the police and Martins chase Harry Lime through the darkly lit, foreboding sewers of Vienna. The incredibly claustrophobic setting of the sewers is also a recurring location in thrillers; the tightness often reflecting the tension and danger of the scene. In ‘Rear Window’, the main character is trapped in his small apartment because of an injury wherein he discovers that his neighbour is a murderer. This restricting location makes the dramatic tension far more frightening.

This early shot of the films features two large statues towering over Holly Martins – implying that the city and its people are against him. Martin walking underneath a ladder is also a glaring indicator of danger and bad luck.

These four shots all have one major theme in common: spirals and circles. The winding staircases demonstrate confusion and hopelessness, while the circular shapes almost look like they’re ensnaring the characters; trapping them into their world.

Lighting In this shot, Harry Lime is revealed with a dramatic turning on of a street lamp. The contrast between light and dark tells the audience that while Harry’s life is surrounded by darkness and crime, he does actually have a positive, light side to him. This is a common convention within thrillers; a ‘grey’ morality character who is neither completely good nor completely evil.

The Third Man uses lots of chiaroscuro lighting which, mixed with the black and white cinematography, makes for a classic thriller atmosphere. In this shot, for example, Holly Martins’ shadow is cast from the chiaroscuro lighting which gives it a looming, evil look. Chiaroscuro lighting is a feature which is seen a lot in thrillers (examples to the right) because of its ability to create a dark, unnerving atmosphere.

Three other examples of chiaroscuro in thrillers, among many.

CharactersHolly Martin and Harry Lime are complete opposites when it comes to their characters. While Holly is a moralistic and curious man, Harry is seemingly amoral and very ambitious. Holly writes about crime, and Harry does the real thing.

‘Binary Opposite’ characters are incredibly common within the entire thriller genre. The audience can connect more with the protagonist when there is a clear line between him/her and the antagonist. One famous example is in ‘Silence of the Lambs’, in which do-gooder FBI agent Clarice Starling relentlessly pursues Buffalo Bill for the greater good (to prevent more innocent women from being killed) while the completely amoral Hannibal Lector only helps her for his own selfish reasons (to escape from prison).

Anna is a fiercely loyal partner to Harry Lime, despite his nature and crimes. Although fitting some of the character archetypes of a femme fatale – such as her good looks, enigmatic personality and her ‘darker side’ – she is more of a victim. Surprisingly, she is a victim of Holly and not Harry; her love and loyalty for Harry means that his death at the hands of Holly Martins has a vastly negative effect on her. Women being the victim of men’s actions is not unique to The Third Man. In ‘Once Upon a Time in America’ Eve is shot dead by corrupt police men because of Noodle’s disappearance.

The Third Man Across MediaIn 2006 crime thriller ‘The Departed’, the second last scene is very reminiscent of The Third Man. In it, Madolyn walks straight past Colin after the funeral of Billy. This is almost identical to the final scene of The Third Man where Anna walks straight past Holly.

Another intertextual reference is in Danny Boyle’s thriller ‘Shallow Grave’. In the opening scene, there is a winding scene which looks eerily similar to a winding staircase scene in The Third Man.

These two examples are just a couple of pieces of evidence towards The Third Man’s massive influence within the thriller and film noir genre.