The Third Man is a 1949 film directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles. It is set in post-war Vienna, where writer Holly Martins arrives as a guest of his old friend Harry Lime, only to discover that Lime has died. Martins suspects foul play and tries to investigate Lime's death, encountering resistance from a British officer and becoming romantically involved with Lime's grieving lover, Anna. The film was praised for Reed's direction, which utilized innovative lighting and camerawork to establish a sinister, mysterious atmosphere that embodied the film noir thriller genre.

1. The Third Man
BY RAHIM RAHAT

2. Background
• Directed by Carol Reed
• Released on: 31st August 1949
• Set in post-war Vienna, Austria, "The Third Man" stars Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins, a writer
of pulp Westerns, who arrives penniless as a guest of his childhood chum Harry Lime (Orson
Welles), only to find him dead. Martins develops a conspiracy theory after learning of a "third
man" present at the time of Harry's death, running into interference from British officer Maj.
Calloway (Trevor Howard) and falling head-over-heels for Harry's grief-stricken lover, Anna
(Alida Valli).
• “Carol Reed made The Third Man in 1949, when he was at the peak of his powers. It was the
last in a trilogy of films, preceded by Odd Man Out and The Fallen Idol, that established him as
Britain's leading director. As in The Fallen Idol, Graham Greene wrote the script, but what's still
riveting today is that every component seems inspired.” – The Telegraph (2014)

3. Mise-en-Scene
• The black and white filter is immediately associated with a much more classic thriller and is
lays the undertones being sinister and enigma. The chiaroscuro lighting is very classic (and at
the time, very innovative) and truly embodies the enigmatic connotations of the thriller genre
in the same manner of thrillers such as Once Upon A Time In America. It also reinforces the
mysterious past/activities of Harry Lime in the same way Noodles’ life is very secretive and
mysterious in Once Upon A Time In America. The coat and suit of Harry Lime is very
conventional of a typical gangster/criminal that was explored once again in Once Upon A Time
In America. But Lime’s suit is very specifically tailor which creates connotations of being very
superficial and flashy. The superficiality is very much in the style of LA Confidential but not so
exaggerated. The flashy dress wear is like that of Jason Locke in Essex Boys. The visage of Lime
being so well after his ‘funeral’ further emphasises the criminality and secrecy of his recent
activities. The use of the lighting being initially on the feet of Lime but then moving to his face
is a personification of his life and once again links to the secrecy that was concerned in Once
Upon A Time In America when we discover Noodles’ past. When the lighting hits the face of
Lime he is very pale, creating connotations of a ghost which plays off the fact that his funeral
was not too long ago. It could also be a metaphor i.e. he is a ghost of his former self.

4. Camerawork and Editing
• The use of the canted angle to establish the shot/scene suggest the twist that soon follows it
up and the enigmatic connotations that it creates is an embodiment of this and the current
mind-set of Harry Lime. The illumination of the light that is against the wall reinforces the
ghost implication that was suggested earlier. It is very haunting and constructs connotations of
traumatisation and being haunted. This is a signifier of what is about to unfold. Similar effects
were used in the opening to Kill Bill Vol.1 when The Bride was being attacked by Bill. The
opening of that scene created connotations of trauma and haunted The Bride to trying to kill
Bill. In The Third Man, these implications are far more subtle. The use of the long shot to
establish a confrontation is very emphatic of the status/effect that Lime has on Holly Martins.
This establishes a profound atmosphere of betrayal and confusion. This places the audience in
the position of Martins as he immediately experiences this at the sight of Lime. This in turn
establishes Lime as the antagonist. The change in pace after this confrontation further
reinforces Lime and Martins as binary opposites and reinforces their places as antagonist
protagonist respectively. The discovering of the stairs at the end of the scene is another
metaphor for secrecy and criminality of Lime’s current lifestyle.