The Third Man

The problem with reviewing The Third Man is that it's easy to assume that everyone has already seen this classic movie at least once. It's too easy, in general discussion, to give away the pivotal plot point which gives this movie its special resonance. Most movie guides assume the plot is known; I'll assume it is not.

Carol Reed was one of the two greatest British film directors of the 1940s; his other films include Odd Man Out and The Fallen Idol. His only serious rival in those days was David Lean, who brought us the equally stylish Oliver Twist and Great Expectations. The 1940s saw both directors at the height of their powers; their careers thereafter followed a path of unfulfilled expectations.

But those films were masterpieces, and The Third Man is probably the greatest of them all. Its potency is undimmed. No false nostalgia cloaks its strength and cynicism; it is a perfect combination of the arts of directing, screenwriting and acting.

The screenplay, by Graham Greene (who also wrote The Quiet American), is drawn his own short novel, which was written as a development guide for the movie. The screenplay is sharp and concise; cynical and world-weary as befits a film set immediately after the end of the Second World War, but penetrating in its understanding of human nature and character.

The movie is set in Vienna, a Vienna living a shadowy and bleak life amid its ruins. The black market and the Allied occupying forces are the two poles which govern life. Joseph Cotten's character Holly Martins finds himself between both poles, as he searches for information about the death of his childhood friend, Harry Lime.

Alongside Cotten are actors Trevor Howard as head of the British occupying force, and Alida Valli as Harry Lime's mistress. But the acting honours are stolen by Orson Welles, who enters the film more than an hour into its run, as the only person who can really tell Holly Martin about the life and death of Harry Lime. This is, I think, Orson Welles' defining moment in cinema. The persona he creates is far more complex and powerful than in his own awkward and over-rated movie, Citizen Kane.

If you have not seen The Third Man at least once, then your cinema education is sadly lacking. It stands as one of the greatest movies of the 20th century - and that does still remain as THE century of cinema.

This transfer seems to be taken from exactly the same film print used for the Region 1 'Criterion' edition of the movie, judging by some minor reel scratches common to both DVDs.

Criterion preserved the original 1940s British Film Board censorship classification banner, while Universal has dropped it. For Region 1, Criterion removed most visible tears and scratches. These few imperfections are still evident on this Universal edition, but the Region 4 edition shares the overall high print quality and the fine black and white contrast and definition. The few imperfections are very slight and do not affect viewing enjoyment.

For the most part the sound is clear and free of harshness or hiss.

There are, however, some pitch problems, which do mar some sequences featuring the atmospheric music of zither-player Anton Karas - one of the defining features of the movie.

This problem is not just the pitch alteration which occurs on transfer of a movie to PAL for DVD - that would be acceptable. It's heard in an unacceptable wavering of the musical pitch, which destroys the carefully created musical atmosphere. Check out the opening of the scene featuring the Prater (Ferris) Wheel for this problem at its most marked.

This is not noticeable for most of the movie. But if you think the music is as important a part of the movie as it was for its creators, then it would be best to seek out the Region 1 Criterion edition, with its perfect soundtrack.

This edition gives us most of the special features which accompany the Region 1 Criterion DVD.

In the UK release version of the movie, the opening voice-over narration was given by director Carol Reed, who speaks with a wonderful world-weary, blase tone. This is the version featured on this DVD.

As a special feature, we are given the alternative opening, read by actor Joseph Cotten in his character of Holly Martin - the watered-down version insisted upon by producer David Selznick for the movie's US release.

There are two short films; one on Viennese zither-player Anton Karas, who Carol Reed plucked from a cafe to give the movie its unique sound, the other a short feature about the Viennese sewer police - and sewers play a special role in this movie. Both are fascinating documents.

The theatrical trailers are for the film's first release and its subsequent cinema re-release. From vintage radio sources, there is a US 'Lux Radio Theatre' presentation of The Third Man, and an episode of a series based on the adventures of Harry Lime, A Ticket to Tangier. You'll find these interesting - once. Once is quite enough.

The features are rounded out by a photo gallery of the stars and locations.

This movie is indispensable viewing. It's definitely for owning, not renting - it demands to be seen often.

The only downside in this edition is found in the occasional pitch aberration in the sound. If a perfect rendition of the music soundtrack is important to you, seek out the Region 1 disc instead.