The Third Man Summary
Director: Carol Reed
Genres: Mystery
Rating:
In this Cold War spy classic, Holly Martins (Joseph_Cotten), a third-rate American pulp novelist, arrives in postwar Vienna, where he has been promised a job by his old friend Harry Lime (Orson_Welles). Upon his arrival, Martins discovers that Lime has been killed in a traffic accident, and that his funeral is taking place immediately. At the graveside, Martins meets outwardly affable Major Calloway (Trevor_Howard) and actress Anna Schmidt (Alida_Valli), who is weeping copiously. When Calloway tells Martins that the late Harry Lime was a thief and murderer, the loyal Martins is at first outraged. Gradually, he discovers not only that Calloway was right but also that the man lying in the coffin in the film's early scenes was not Harry Lime at all--and that Lime is still very much alive (he was the mysterious "third man" at the scene of the fatal accident). Thus the stage is set for the movie's famous climactic confrontation in the sewers of Vienna--and the even more famous final shot, in which Martins pays emotionally for doing "the right thing." Written by Graham_Greene, The Third Man is an essential classic, made even more so by the insistent zither music of Anton_Karas. The film is currently available in both an American and British release version; the American print, with an introduction by Joseph_Cotten, is slightly shorter than the British version, which is narrated by director Carol_Reed. Nominated for several Academy Awards, The Third Man won Best Cinematography for Robert_Krasker. Hal Erickson, Rovi
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