“ T H E T H I R D M A N ” B Y C A R O L R E E D ( 1 9 4 9 )H O W R E A D U S E S , D E V E L O P S A N D

C H A L L E N G E S T H R I L L E R G E N E R I C C O N V E N T I O N S I N T H I S I C O N I C N O I R

T H R I L L E R . By Thomas Cutmore

H O W G E N E R I C C O N V E N T I O N S O F A T H R I L L E R A R E U S E D I N T H E T H I R D M A N

The scenery used in the mise-en-scene to create a

nightmare/dystopia as the buildings around Holly make him

look small and lost as the buildings are all different sizes

and heights.

Also another thriller convention is used where the streets

are shiny, which, linking to a nightmare, make Vienna

unreal, and as if Holly was in a completely different world.

The way that the whole city is shown in the buildings and

streets make Vienna seem as a labyrinth that Holly cannot

get out of, and that it seems he’s locked inside a nightmare

which he can’t escape

EXAMPLES OF ‘NIGHTMARE’ V IENNA

Makes Holly seem small and lost as everything is ‘out of proportion’ and bigger than he is, making it seem like a nightmare

The buildings of Vienna look gloomy, gothic and crowded, making it seem that there is no way out for Holly

OTHER CONVENTIONS USED IN V IENNA SCENE

In the scene, vanishing points were used to give

the audience an idea that there was no way out and

that they were trapped with Holly in a Labyrinth in

Vienna. This is used as it creates an idea of the city

almost acting as a nightmare as you feel closed in

and lost as the buildings create a claustrophobic feel

and the vanishing points act as a ‘path to no where’

as you can’t see where they go/around them.

THE VANISHING POINTS USED

THE USE OF TILT

Another generic convention of a thriller that Reed

uses is the use of tilt. This is used to show that

things ‘aren’t real’ or that it’s twisted or evil as it

plays with the audience’s vision because of the angle

causes them so see the area in a different

perspective, such as low down, venerable or

confused, making them feel that things are not right

or that the actor is twisted as you see him on a tilt

(for example, when Harry Lime is seen briefly by

Holly)

THE USE OF TILT

THE CHARACTERS

Holly Martens – Holly is a very naive character as he sends

himself out to Vienna, a divided city and somewhere he’s

never been to find his brother, who appears to be dead until a

series of events lead him to finding him. He is also seen as

naïve as he does not understand any of the language spoken,

which in the film leads him to trouble as he is accused of

murder, and as they speak in Austrian, and he doesn’t

understand but ‘pushes them away’ and it turns them on him

more. He is also seen as a humble and innocent character as

if he is just there to find his brother and not cause any trouble

INTERTEXUAL REFERENCES WITH HOLLY

MARTENS

An intertexual reference with Holly Martens would be

Truman Burbank out of ‘The Truman Show’. Holly Reminded

me of Truman as they are both ‘innocent’ people as they want

to just live a happy life and not cause any trouble or hassle

with anyone. Another feature that the two characters share

are their names; Holly Martens and Truman Burbank seem

like two humble names, making the people seem as if they

were ‘average’ citizens and don’t hold anything about them

that can change their character i.e. unlike Harry Lime where

he is a player on people and that he ‘wears a mask’ to hide it

Both characters are seen to be ‘innocent’ and trust worthy, but also ‘unattractive’ to the audience as they hold nothing different about them, they are just ‘average’ characters

THE CHARACTERS (CONTINUED)

Harry Lime – Harry Lime is a binary opposite to Holly

Martin as Holly is seen to be innocent and ‘average’,

while Harry is seen to be sly and sleek and also towards

the women, better looking than Holly. Harry is seen to

be ‘wearing a mask’, hiding his real self as he wants to

act calm and easy because of his confidence in his work

as a black market seller and does not want to look

obvious. He also tends to act as an illusion, as if he was

never there as Holly sees him for the first time in a

doorway when the light turns on and Harry’s face is

revealed, but when it turns off he ‘vanishes’, this shows

he is enigmatic and that no one knows the real him.

INTERTEXUAL REFERENCES WITH HARRY

LIME

Harry Lime reminded me in his character and

personality of the Joker out of The Dark Knight as

both characters are seen to be ‘careless’ and don’t

take reality seriously as they have a cool attitude

towards everyone. Harry also reminds me off the

Joker as they both play with people’s minds and also

one off the other as they use them to get to the next,

not caring what happens to them, and uses them for

the benefit of themselves.

The ‘why so serious?’ impression in both of the characters that give the audience an idea that they are sly and sleek in being in situations involving themselves and others, for example, The Joker in Prison with Batman and Harry Lime being spotted can spiral off into chaos between the characters, but they don’t seem bothered

THE USE OF ENIGMA WITH CHARACTERS.

Another generic convention that Reed uses is the

use of enigma in the characters such as Anna and

Harry Lime. These two characters are ‘hard to read’

and are difficult to see the ‘real them’.

This generic convention used to this causes the

audience to wonder and think the true personality

behind the character and wonder how and who they

really are.

INTERTEXUAL REFERENCES BETWEEN

ANNA AND HARRY

Anna: - The way Anna is enigmatic and that you

can’t see who she really is/the personality within her,

her character almost links to the Mona Lisa Smile

painting as you can’t tell the real meaning behind

the painting and the smile.

Harry: - Harry Lime however still links with the

Joker as he is seen to be wearing a ‘mask’ which

hides the real him with his confident personality.

ANNA AND THE MONA LISA SMILE

The ‘un readable’ face

HARRY AND THE JOKER

The ‘mask’ they both wear to hide their true emotions