Chasing The Screen

Most people remember Orson Welles for his fictitious portrayal of William Randolph Hearst in Citizen Kane, fewer have seen him shine as Harry Lime, Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton) "dead" friend in the thriller The Third Man. A textbook film noir that earned three 1951 Academy Award nominations, and won for Best Cinematography: Black and White. Holly Martins arrives in post-war Vienna to find out his friend Harry has been killed in a car accident. Then a host of characters appear and lead Holly to believe his friend's death was no accident. Holly, who is a crime novelist plays detective and tries to unravel the mystery behind his friend's death. Released in the United Kingdom in 1949, it is widely regarded as a film ahead of its time. In fact it was filmed on location in Vienna, giving the story added drama and authenticity.

Although the film's story didn't completely captivate me, the technical aspects of the film really drove the mystery and suspense and kept me interested. The climax of the film is really no surprise (Harry might not be dead after all), but nevertheless leads to a brilliant scene between Cotton and Welles, where we learn just who our characters really are and who they are pretending to be. This film is a must for any Orson Welles admirer or film noir aficionado. It really is filmed the way I would expect to see a true representation of the genre.

My Rating: (out of 5) 4 stars

Want to see it for yourself? Catch it on February 24th @ 10 a.m. on Turner Classic Movies