The Third Man (TV series)
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| Directed by | Carol Reed |
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| Screenplay by | Graham Greene |
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| Music by | Anton Karas |
| Cinematography | Robert Krasker |
| Edited by | Oswald Hafenrichter |
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108 minutes |
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| Box office | £277,549 (UK) |
The Third Man is a 1949 British film noir, directed by Carol Reed and written by Graham Greene. It stars Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Set in post-war Vienna, the film focuses on Holly Martins, an American who is given a job by his friend Harry Lime, but when he arrives the man is dead. He then meets with Lime's acquaintances in an attempt to investigate his suspicious death.
The atmospheric use of black-and-white expressionist cinematography by Robert Krasker, with harsh lighting and distorted "Dutch angle" 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.
Greene published the novella of the same name which he originally wrote as preparation for the screenplay. Anton Karas wrote and performed the score, which used only the zither; its title music "The Third Man Theme" topped the international music charts in 1950, bringing the previously unknown performer international fame. It is considered one of the greatest films of all time, celebrated for its acting, musical score and atmospheric cinematography.
Opportunistic racketeering thrives in a damaged and impoverished Allied-occupied Vienna, which is divided into four sectors each controlled by one of the occupying forces: American, British, French, and Soviet. These powers share the duties of law enforcement in the city. American pulp Western writer Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) comes to the city seeking his childhood friend, Harry Lime (Orson Welles), who has offered him a job. Upon arrival he discovers that Lime was killed just hours earlier by a speeding truck while crossing the street. Martins attends Lime's funeral, where he meets two British Army Police: Sergeant Paine (Bernard Lee), a fan of Martins' pulp novels; and his superior, Major Calloway (Trevor Howard), who says Lime was a criminal and suggests Martins leave town.
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Wikipedia