The Third Man

by Rob White

A window is thrown open and sudden light illuminates the face of Orson Welles. Harry Lime's return from the dead in 'The Third Man' (1949), Carol Reed's unique thriller set in occupied Vienna, is one of the most famous scenes in all cinema. But there is more the zither score, the tilted shots, the cuckoo-clock speech, the desperate manhunt in the city sewers. A British-American co-production overseen by Alexander Korda and David O. Selznick, 'The Third Man' was written by Graham Greene, photographed by Robert Krasker and featured, along with Welles, Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli and Trevor Howard. All of the did superb work under Reed's subtle direction. After 'The Third Man', Carol Reed was hailed as one of the world's great directors. This title sets out to understand what kind of artist Reed was and whether he deserved such accolades. Rob White explores how the film came to be made and seeks to explain its fascination.

88 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 25, 2019

Reviews

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perceptive and wide-ranging exploration of Carol Reed's classic film noir. Rob White alternates a retelling of the plot/screenplay/film (from Graham Greene) with reporting on behind-the-scenes action, critical views, and tangential insights/data. Definitely expanded my appreciation of this already cherished film.

[Russio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty decent book on a crazily brilliant film. Like many BFI Classics, this takes the plot of the movie as its main structure and then digresses off from, and therefore deepens, the viewing experience. Yet if you want answers about this enigmatic masterpiece, expect to be disappointed.

[Nate Tapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Am I really the only person who has read this? It was great. You should read it, too.

Yes. YOU.