The Third Man (50th Anniversary Edition) - Criterion Collection

Starring:Nelly Arno, Leo Bieber, Hedwig Bleibtreu, Siegfried Breuer, Madge Brindley, Joseph Cotten, Reed De Rouen, Ernst Deutsch, Thomas Gallagher, Paul Hardtmuth, Trevor Howard, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Paul HÃ¶rbiger, Bernard Lee, Erich Ponto, Annie Rosar, Karel Stepanek, Alida Valli, Orson Welles
Studio: Criterion
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

There have been few better movies in the history of the planet than The Third Man, and fewer still as brilliantly directed from second to second. Orson Welles played the title role, and his legend has tended to engulf the film. But it was directed by Carol Reed and written--except for a Wellesian riff on the Borgias--by Graham Greene, and the credit for this masterpiece is properly theirs. Theirs and Joseph Cotten's; for awesome as Welles is, his Citizen Kane second banana is onscreen about six times as much, and Cotten uses every minute to create one of the most distinctive--if also forlorn--of modern heroes.

You know the story. Holly Martins (Cotten), a writer of pulp Westerns and one of life's congenital third-raters, arrives in post-WWII Vienna only to learn that his old pal Harry Lime, the guy who sent him his plane ticket, is being buried. Everybody, from a cynical British cop named Calloway (Trevor Howard) to Harry's Continental knockout of a girlfriend (Alida Valli) and his sundry absurd/Euro-sinister business associates, feels that Holly should get on another plane and go home. He doesn't. Things come to light. Other deaths follow. The world lies in utter ruin.

The Third Man completed a sublime hat trick--an international critical and popular smash following upon the success of Reed's Odd Man Out ('47) and The Fallen Idol ('48). Although other filmmakers had begun to use war-ravaged Europe as a great movie set, The Third Man is so vivid in its canny mix of gray semidocumentary and insanely angular, Expressionist/Surrealist chiaroscuro that it seems to have imagined not only the postwar thriller but also postwar Europe itself singlehandedly.

What great movie moments: The throwaway details like a mourner who forgets to drop his wreath on a newly dug grave. The sly editing whereby thick-headed Sergeant Paine (Bernard Lee, once and future "M" to 007) goes on leafing through a magazine, knowing just the moment he must rise and subdue the nervy Yank who would take a punch at his boss. The way Anton Karas's legendary zither score seems to jangle in the very guy-lines of a bridge where, far below Robert Krasker's Oscar-winning camera, the Third Man calls a war council. The shadow of a dead man towering, big as Europe, over the nighttime streets of Vienna. --Richard T. Jameson

Studio description

Cynical pulp novelist Holly Martins arrives in shadowy Vienna to investigate the mysterious death of his old friend, black-market opportunist Harry Lime, and thus begins an ever-thickening web of love, deception, and murder that adds up to one of cinema's most immortal treats, as well as one of its trickiest. Thanks to brilliant performances by Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, and Orson Welles; Anton Karas's timeless, evocative zither score; Graham Greene's razor-sharp dialogue; and Robert Krasker's haunting deep focus shots, off-kilter angles, and dramatic use of light and shadow, The Third Man, directed by the inimitable Carol Reed, only grows in stature as the years pass.

Customer Reviews:

The second coming of The Third Man.......2007-06-30

The folks at Criterion never give up short of perfection. They've been reissuing some of their own material lately in newer, better versions, and while I *won't* get another Brazil just because they neglected anamorphic the first time (and I have an up-converting player/TV combo that helps somewhat anyway) I will gladly shell out more cash for improved prints of Seven Samurai, M and now this, The Third Man.

But this is more than just a new transfer. Here you get a second disc of wonderful features. Well, one of the features could have been wonderful: it's a 90-minute documentary made a couple years ago that played at Cannes in 2006. While the information is fascinating, and will shed much light on this noir, the filmmaker's style is pretentious, and distracts from the content.

Other extras are the original U.S. trailer (grossly inappropriate for this movie, but probably closer to the type of film Selznick wanted to make), vintage footage of Vienna and Zitherist Anton Karas, and a photo album of the production--all also included in the prior Criterion release. There's also a mini-doc on the film--much more straightforward and to me more interesting--with all still photos. Even though it's all stills I found this short 10 minute presentation very riveting. Then there's a featurette that shows many of the scenes of German-speaking players with their lines translated (they were deliberately left untranslated in the film so that the audience would feel as confused as Holly), a UK vs. US comparison of the openings, several of the radio shows that used the Harry Lime character, and a profile of writer Graham Greene from a 1968 British television program. Oh, and did I mention there are two commentaries, one from filmmaker Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Tony Gilroy and one from film distorian Dana Polan. Oh, and there's a very stylish 26-page booklet insert. And you know what? There's probably other stuff I've forgotten. These discs are cram-packed.

In short, this is a whole college-level course on The Third Man in a little box. It'll keep you watching for weeks.

In case Amazon ever deletes the first Criterion edition of this DVD from their site, here's a cut-and-paste of my original review of the film itself:

###
Reportedly Orson Welles replied to people who asked if he'd "really" directed The Third Man that Carol Reed didn't need his suggestions. Yet this feels very much like Welles in many ways. First of all there's the subject matter--like Citizen Kane, this film deals with money and power, shattered idealism, and an elusive figure everyone knows *of* yet few people know. Like Kane, the cinematography is striking (though in a different way) and an integral part of the plot. Like Kane, the music is memorable and tells much of the story, yet again in a different way. Like Kane, the film was greeted coldly by many critics on its initial release and had to be shelved for many years before people realized it was a masterpiece. And last but not least, like Kane, it stars the great Joseph Cotten.

The Third Man benefits enormously from being shot in post-war Vienna (in record time by using three crews simultaneously). You can taste the atmosphere. The locations are a "star" as much as any of the human players. Selznick wanted Reed to film on Hollywood back lots, and he wanted Jimmy Stewart to star. He objected to the zither music. He objected to the canted shots. (William Wyler reportedly gave Reed a level to put on his camera after seeing The Third Man!) Most of all, Selznick wanted a happy ending, where Holly gets the girl. But without Reed's vision, the film would have been a typical glossy Hollywood film now seen at 2 am on local UHF channels if at all.

Reed gave Welles one of the great entrances in screen history. Welles gave Reed a hard time by refusing to work in a sewer and returning to England, forcing Reed to build a sewer set there just for Welles' part. Welles says he only wrote the "Cuckcoo clock speech," but leave it to Orson to give us the most memorable dialogue in a movie filled with memorable dialogue.

Then there is the issue of The Woman. Often she will make or break a film like this, and here Alida Valli (or "Valli" as she preferred to be billed in the film...maybe it's an Italian thing that started long before Madonna) is the perfect choice, brooding and un-glamorous and yet all the more alluring because she's un-glamorous. It's easy to see how impressionable Holly would fall for her. It's harder to see why she would still defend Harry, but love is not always logical. Or is this just selfishness? There doesn't seem to be room for love in Reed and Greene's postwar Vienna...

Criterion has done a loving restoration of The Third Man. While not up to the standard of the Citizen Kane DVD (which is not done by Criterion, incidentally) it is superb considering how poorly prints of this film have been handled over the years. Criterion performed many computer-repairs of tears and splices that make once-damaged scenes play perfectly. The gray scale is finally restored! (So many prints of this film are stark and grainy black and white and nearly unwatchable.) There are some extras, such as footage of Anton Karas performing on his unique instrument, documentary footage of the real Vienna sewers, the original trailer, the re-release trailer*, the alternate American opening, and fascinating production photos and commentary. Once again Criterion hits a home run.
###

Make that a grand slam.

*Not included in this version.

The Third Man.......2007-06-29

Fantastic movie, every time I watch it I see something new. Great cinematography, acting is superlative and story is gripping

The Third Man.......2007-06-27

The DVD case was smashed-in like it had been stacked under some weight. Contacted Amazon and they sent me a replacement.

The Third Man.......2007-06-25

One of the all-time great mysteries, the excellence of this production is reflected in the talents of its key contributors: old Mercury Theatre colleagues Welles and Cotten, screenwriter Graham Greene, producers Alexander Korda and David O. Selznick, and director Carol Reed. Together, they create a haunting, intricate thriller, with corrupted souls inhabiting decimated Vienna like so many vultures. "Man" also features one of the best music scores in all film, with Anton Karas's original zither score adding to the ominous proceedings. Stunningly shot on location, this is a must-see.

WOW! talk about Must-have!!.......2007-06-18

I was reading Criminal,the Marvel comic series
by Ed Brubaker, who also wrote the Sleeper for DC/Wildstorm
(my all time favorite)...

and in the back of the issue, he talked about this movie.
being a big fan I had to see what it was about...

AND I'M SO GLAD I DID!!

its PERFECTION

Average customer rating:

gay drama
Ok, excuse me while I go "out" my dog.
Which is more odious: A man who outs closeted gay hypocrites or drug company CEOs? Strachey helps us decide
Taking time out, for "Third Man..."
Loved the movie

Third Man Out
Starring: Chad Allen , Sebastian Spence , Jack Wetherall , Woody Jeffreys , and Sean Young
Director: Ron Oliver
Manufacturer: Regent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000FZEU1K
Release Date: 2006-08-08

Customer Reviews:

gay drama.......2007-06-27

this dvdd shows what we all like a gay cop with some comedy meets a gasy case. All htese actors have some good things and that is there looks but you reconize most of them

Ok, excuse me while I go "out" my dog........2007-05-27

"Third Man Out" proves to be a pretty good movie packed with "film noir" moments and a lot of mystery, suspense and drama. The best part of this film is without doubt, it's star actor Chad Allen, who gives a wonderful performance as "Donald Strachey". Strachey is a gay private detective hired to find who has been threatening a notorious member of the gay community noted for outing prominent people living a double life. When he refuses the case and the notorious John Rutka is reported to have been murdered, Strachey is compelled to solve the crime in spite of his personal disdain for the deceased. To do so, Strachey must protect hundreds of extensive files Rutka kept on high profile individuals he felt were a threat to the gay community. All hell breaks loose when he and his lover become the target of those who had a motive to kill Rutka and are seeking to destroy any evidence which might place them at the top of the list of suspects.

I was intrigued throughout the film to stick with it and find out "who dunnit". Never really a dull moment in this first gay mystery movie. The acting was very well done by almost every one of the nearly all-gay cast. A little overacting on the part of Sebastian Spence, who plays the part of Strachey's boyfriend. Not a bad performance, but probably not best suited for the particular role of the more feminine character. This was a role for which I felt the writing could have been more realistic. Allen's character was perfect, macho and more "straight natured" which fit him to a tee. His acting was flawless. I felt the scripting for the character of Rutka to be written a bit sloppy, and the combination of John Wetherall (Rutka) and Woody Jeffreys as his gay lover Eddie, to be a bit strange, but somehow it worked in spite of that. All in all, the actors all gave a great performance considering the script they were given to work with. There were a few things here and there that I was personally not impressed with, such as one unnecessary political reference that I found very distasteful, a little too much flame in the script for Strachey's lover Timmy, and a few unbelievable lines that I felt could have been much more convincingly written. There was the tattoo that changed from one arm in one scene, to the other arm at one point in the film, and I think a little more attention should have been given to detail throughout. All in all though, this is a great movie, very well done, and a first for gay media. Not your typical "coming-out" theme, or dime a dozen gay film topics. It was a nice twist making a GAY police drama, and I personally enjoyed viewing it. If you like suspense and mystery, you are gonna like this film.

There is also a great DVD extra for your viewing. It is a featurette with behind the scenes interviews with the cast. It is well worth watching and fills in a few details you may miss the first time you watch the film. This screenplay is Loosely adapted from the novel "Third Man Out", and the first of a series of Donald Strachey films. I will be watching for the next one. Hopefully it will be a little better written and directed than the first, BUT that being said, I highly recommend this movie. Just don't go overboard with your expectations. It's not the best mystery flick you've ever seen, but the gay theme behind it, gives it a nice flair, and the acting of Chad Allen makes it well worth watching. A great mystery that will keep your attention and dispense a few surprises along the way.

Which is more odious: A man who outs closeted gay hypocrites or drug company CEOs? Strachey helps us decide.......2007-04-19

Which would be worse if you're a gay detective based in Albany, New York...slugged in the kisser by an irate blonde who doesn't care for the photos you took of her husband or being called "Nancy-boy Drew" by the corrupt and catty manager of a hotel who secretly films the doings of some of the guests? Donald Strachey (Chad Allen) doesn't much care for either, but this is nothing compared to what he is about to get involved in. Fortunately, Strachey is a happily married man, or as close to it as a gay man can be. His partner, Timmy Callaghan (Sebastian Spence), is a smart, affectionate political assistant to an elected New York state assemblywoman. Strachey's latest case brings him a client that both he and Timmy are repulsed by.

John Rutka (Jack Wetherall), an aging, self-righteous gay demagogue, publishes a cable expose program called The Rutka Report. In it he outs closet gays, especially well-known married public homophobes who promote family values and sponsor anti-gay legislation while secretly making nighttime visits to highway rest stops and wearing their leathers at, ah, small, intimate parties. After someone breaks into his home and shoots him in the leg, Rutka goes to Strachey for protection. Strachey turns him down. Outing people, Strachey and Timmy agree, is one of the lowest forms of human activity. But the need for Strachey to earn an income changes their minds. Even though Strachey has to hold his nose, he takes on the job. It's not long before a charred corpse turns up and is identified through dental records and that gunshot wound by the cops as Rutka. Strachey took the man's money; now he's determined to find the man's murderer. There are three prime candidates, one of whom Rutka was going to pick as the cover-boy for his next broadcast. From Rutka's files, Strachey identifies Ronnie Linklater, the host and star of a hugely popular children's television show who enjoys using his hand-puppets in unusual ways; Bruno Slinger, a powerful, anti-gay Congressman who thinks B&D without a little pain for his partner is for sissies; and a person Rutka identified only as "the ultimate hypocrite." From there, Strachey doggedly goes through piles of Rutka's documents, financial records and computer files. Along the way he visits sleazy motels, a Catholic church, a hospital and a funeral; he encounters Rutka's body-building partner, Rutka's foul-mouthed sister, an exercising granny who puts moves on him, and various tough guys who push him around and pistol whip him. He leaves one of them limping, after Timmy gets beaten up, by using a power nailer to plow a nail into the guy's foot. Strachey also visits a porn call-in site where the owner, Dik Steele, for a fee will talk to heavy breathing call-in chumps. Even Strachey looks put off a bit at the operators posing as Steele...balding, chubby males and grannies with deep voices, all pretending to be Dik Steele in the throes of ultimate passion. Kind of like internet sites. The conclusion carries a powerful and unexpected twist which some may like and some may not.

Third Man Out is the first of what may be a series of Canadian cable movies featuring Chad Allen as Donald Strachey. The second, Shock to the System, was broadcast in 2006. It seemed to me that with Third Man Out, director and writer Ron Oliver was still in the process of finding the right balance between message and mystery. Oliver and Allen deal with a lot of issues here, some head on, some in passing, everything from hypocrisy, AIDs and the costs of AIDs medicine, the ethics of outing, gay relationships and on and on. For me, all these messages began getting in the way of the mystery, which I thought was well-constructed with clever false leads, good characters and a disturbing conclusion. With Shock to the System, I think Oliver found the formula that works...make sure you put the mystery first and keep the messages low-key. For readers, the Donald Strachey mysteries by Richard Stevenson, all eight of them, are worth buying. The plots are strong and Strachey makes for a believable, sometimes cocky private eye. They are solid mysteries that happen to feature a gay private detective; they're not simply gay mysteries.

This is obviously a made-for-TV movie. Everything has that clean, careful TV look. The main characters do fine acting jobs but some of the secondary roles lack a little skill. There is one bonus feature, "Coming Out with the Cast and Crew," which I didn't watch. It comes down to this: Whether you enjoy the plot may depend on whether you see the ethics of outing as the same moral equivalent of being the CEO of a drug or insurance company. Tough call.

Taking time out, for "Third Man...".......2007-03-23

I'm not familiar with the book that this movie is based on, so I can't make a fair comparison of the two. This film, though not the same caliber as "Brokeback Mountain" and "Maurice", is still a decent addition into the genre of gay films and a fairly decent mystery film.

Much of the film's success certainly is due to the likeablity of Chad Allen as Donald Strachey, a private eye who is hired by a loathesome man who's life is spent outing politicians and celebrities on his website. When the man turns up murdered, Strachey is unwillingly drawn in to the mystery of his death.

QAF's Jack Wetherall does a fair job as the murdered man Strachey is originally hired to protect. Sean Young appears (barely) in a role that can't be considered more than a cameo role. And Sebastien Spence, as Donald's lover Tim, strives just a little too hard to prove that he's a friend of Dorothy---little white dog in tow each time he's in their apartment is just a little too much for me.

The director could have upped the suspense factor a little and, if needed, tinkered more with the storyline and characters. Overall, however, its a decent movie. Now that the second of an apparent series is out, it will be interesting to see it and compare the two. Let's hope the director strives to improve on what could be an entertaining franchise. Worth a look.

Loved the movie.......2007-03-21

Loved this movie over all...weak in spots but it was all made up with the second movie. Buy it and add it to your collection today!

Average customer rating:

a review of a review
Great Movie, Must-See for Anyone Planning to Visit Jamaica!
highly recommended
Better than Dancehall Queen!
This Is The Best.

Third World Cop
Starring: Paul Campbell (IV) , Mark Danvers , Carl Bradshaw , Audrey Reid , and Winston 'Bello' Bell
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Amazon.com

Shot on the streets of Kingston and set to a rich reggae score by Sly and Robbie, the highest-grossing film in Jamaican cinema (according to the producers) is a simple cops-and-gangsters thriller that drops the usual two-fisted cop clichés into the slums of a Third World reality. Charismatic Paul Campbell (who starred in the previous Jamaican hit Dancehall Queen) is Capone, a Jamaican Dirty Harry who wades into shootouts with both guns blazing. His maverick reputation lands him in Kingston, his hometown, where he tracks a gun-smuggling scheme to his boyhood friend Ratty (Mark Danvers), now the ambitious right-hand man to the local kingpin. It's a familiar story and the timid script always chooses action over drama. Capone's violent methods are never questioned, even when he's faced with old friends instead of faceless hoods, and he's given unimaginable leeway to shoot his way through the criminal population. Shot on digital video and released to theaters in a smeary-looking transfer, the video release is mastered from the digital source and looks infinitely better than its theatrical incarnation: crisp, bright, and vivid. The energetic style helps the picture overcome some of its generic cop-movie clichés, but the real draw is the street grit of clapboard houses, corrugated metal fences, and concrete brick homes: the matter-of-fact poverty of Kingston's slums. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

a review of a review.......2007-04-20

This is simply in response to the latest review made by "a viewer" about this film. I, quite simply, feel that the review has a level of narrow-mindedness about the film and recommend not basing your choice on their review. To state "do the world a favor and get rid of them" as well as saying that these criminals are "irredeemable and beyond any rehabilitation" is very prejudiced. The lack of restorative justice and the inability to find an effective deterrent is not necessarily the fault of the people who commit criminal acts, but is that of the state. Before saying that you wish that the cop was there to "take care of the hustlers and muggers that prey upon innocent visitors in (otherwise beautiful) places like Montego Bay and Negril" you should try to question why these muggers and hustlers even exist. Could it be because of the travler's presence in itself? Anyway, I do not believe that you can justify killing criminals to satisfy your own traveling enjoyment. It is reasons such as this that people who do lead a path of criminality do not get the appropriate attention and rehabilitation. Try questioning the methods of the state and not the 'hopelessness' of criminals. I recommend this movie, it's an A+. Just do not watch it with the mindset that this last reviewer quite narrowly insists.

Great Movie, Must-See for Anyone Planning to Visit Jamaica!.......2004-03-28

This movie shows an absolutely accurate portrayal of Jamaican society, and the sheer lawlessness and criminality inherent there. I have been to Jamaica and the law-and-order situation there is to be seen to be believed. It is like a war zone in most places. It is impossible to walk even a few steps without being harassed and intimidated by drug-pushers, pimps, prostitutes, etc. Some reviewers have complained about Capone the policeman's apparent trigger-happiness, but you have to realize that most of these criminals are irredeemable and beyond any rehabilitation, so he really did not have any other choice (if he wanted to stay alive himself and if there is to be any hope for Jamaica) than to do the world a favor and get rid of them. I just wish he'd been there to take care of the hustlers and muggers that prey upon innocent visitors in (otherwise beautiful) places like Montego Bay and Negril.

highly recommended.......2003-01-18

This is a great movie, especially if you like "Dancehall Queen". Paul Campbell does a great job as Capone and Carl Bradshaw is excellent as usual as the crime boss. While the story is somewhat generic it is still well worth watching.

Better than Dancehall Queen!.......2002-07-12

I bought this video because it had some of the same actors as "Dancehall Queen" and boy did I get my monies worth! I like that Paul Campbell, the bad guy in "Dancehall Queen", is the hero in "Third World Cop". I enjoyed the interplay of action, drama, and comedy. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed "Dancehall Queen" and does not mind some non-graphic violence.

This Is The Best........2002-04-22

This movie was just great, as a matter a fact the best out of JA. that I have seen. All I'll say is "YOU GO GUYS".

Average customer rating:

Pity it's the last
Great Stuff
Hagrid rules
Cracker - The Complete Third Season
Cracker is the Best!!!

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Director: Richard Standeven
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Third in a series of three DVD releases of the popular PBS Mystery series; including 9 hours of programming. Robbie Coltrane?s outstanding creation of `Fitz? as a criminal psychologist, who battles his own personal problems while trying to solve cases of murder. In Cracker: Lucky White Ghost `Fitz' is called upon to solve a serial murder investigation in Hong Kong where local police have no experience with serial killers.

Customer Reviews:

Pity it's the last.......2007-06-02

Great wind-up to the series. The casting is perfect. As always, the stories are thought-provoking and gritty, but told with humour and compassion. Buy all three series, and watch them in order, or you'll miss the carefully crafted progression through the main characters' lives.

Great Stuff.......2007-05-01

My only complante is there is not enough. I want more. GREAT STUFF!

Hagrid rules.......2007-03-13

How can you be angry, enthralled and perplexed all at the same time-watch this series. I need to hit the pause button just so I can catch my breath. Highly entertaining

Cracker - The Complete Third Season.......2007-03-09

Love the series bought all three. Couldn't go wrong to purchase the DVD's. Great acting, very well written.

Cracker is the Best!!!.......2006-08-30

Cracker is great but I need more!!!!!
I have watched these seasons over and over!!
Hopefully there are more seasons on their way cause who can live without it. Once you watch this series only A Touch of Frost can equal it!!!

The Third Man (50th Anniversary Edition) - Criterion Collection

Average customer rating:

My Favorite Movie
Great if you love obnoxious zither music
Absolutely Superb
Good movie, but way overrated
Shadow and sound, the apex of B&W art

The Third Man (50th Anniversary Edition) - Criterion Collection

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Amazon.com essential video

The fractured Europe post-World War II is perfectly captured in Carol Reed's masterpiece thriller, set in a Vienna still shell-shocked from battle. Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) is an alcoholic pulp writer come to visit his old friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles). But when Cotton first arrives in Vienna, Lime's funeral is under way. From Lime's girlfriend and an occupying British officer, Martins learns of allegations of Lime's involvement in racketeering, which Martins vows to clear from his friend's reputation. As he is drawn deeper into postwar intrigue, Martins finds layer under layer of deception, which he desperately tries to sort out. Welles's long-delayed entrance in the film has become one of the hallmarks of modern cinematography, and it is just one of dozens of cockeyed camera angles that seem to mirror the off-kilter postwar society. Cotten and Welles give career-making performances, and the Anton Karas zither theme will haunt you. --Anne Hurley

Description

Orson Welles stars as Harry Lime, and Joseph Cotten plays his childhood friend, Holly Martins, in this all-time classic thriller scripted by Graham Greene and directed by Carol Reed. Martins searches for Lime through the seedy underworld of postwar Vienna and gets caught up in a web of love, deception, racketeering, and murder. The Third Man's stunning cinematography, twisting plot, and unforgettable zither score are immortalized in Criterion's pristine special edition, following the 50th Anniversary theatrical re-release.

Customer Reviews:

My Favorite Movie.......2007-03-30

For me, "The Third Man" has everything needed in a movie. It has Romance and Adventure, a man from America visiting his friend in a war torn Vienna and the realization that his friend was apparently murdered. It has mystery, excellent dialogue; it is filled with humor and surreal depth as well as an amazing chemistry between all the characters. Orson Welles plays the perfect role of Harry Lime, the primary character that the movie is all about. Alida Valli plays a superbly charming Anna Schmidt. How can Joseph Cotton's character not fall for her hopeless romantic character?

The movie has historical fact and significance as it was filmed in Vienna shortly after the end of World War II and gives us information about the city just after World War II. I never knew that like Vienna, like Berlin, was under Russian, British, American, and French control at the end of the WW2.

On top of all of this, there is an amazing moodiness to this movie in both the lighting, music, and acting.

A movie I watch all the time, it is one that has to be with your collection.

Great if you love obnoxious zither music.......2007-03-17

My wife and I love classic movies, and Joseph Cotten was great in thrillers like Shadow of a Doubt. This was also billed as a great thriller, so we had high expectations. We were sadly disappointed. We felt little emotional connection to the characters. It's hard to care about the murder of character that does not even appear in the movie before the murder. None of the characters, even Cotten's, seemed interesting or attractive. The story was just plain dull and the pace dragged. Worst of all was the horrible zither music. I actually was intrigued to hear the theme music since I was told that I would be humming it for weeks. Little did I know that that was not a compliment, but a warning! I have never heard such obnoxious, god-awful movie music in my life. It was totally inappropriate for the dark tone of a film noir like this. And the same idiotic tune just kept on going throughout the film, even underneath the dialogue in many scenes. This was a total blunder. It absolutely RUINED the impact of many scenes that might have otherwise been powerful. Far too obtrusive and distracting. Several times when the music was loud and there was little dialogue, we muted the film. Sometimes we even muted it when there was dialogue and just turned on the subtitles.

I think the objective of the filmmakers here was mainly to make a unique film using unorthodox or untried techniques, as a way of getting the critics' attention. It does succeed in that way, I suppose, but I think it can only be really enjoyed by film students who focus on technique instead of a story line. If you like a real thriller, a movie that draws you in and holds your interest, this is not the movie to watch.

Absolutely Superb.......2007-02-08

This movie is a masterpiece. Not only the main production itself but also all the ancillary material that comes with the Criterion DVD. Particularly fascinating is the reading of Graham Greene's actual text. Described on the jacket as an "abridged recording of Graham Green's treatment," it is actually a replay of the entire film with the dialog replaced by an actor reading passages from the book. Sometimes, the narrative doesn't quite jibe with what is being shown on the screen, however, it actually augments the original dialog beautifully and imparts depth to the characters. In a few spots, the disparity is a little disconcerting, such as when Crabbin is introduced. The character in the movie (played by Wilfred Hyde-White) is portrayed as a composed, genial, elderly English gentleman. As he enters the scene, however, he is described in the voice-over of Greene's narrative as "a stout, middle-aged young [sic] man with a natural tonsure and the thickest pair of horn-rimmed glasses that Martins had ever seen." These incongruencies between the film and the narrative, however, are actually more amusing than jarring.

The cast is perfect, though I cannot understand why this movie is seen as being a star-turn for Orson Welles. The performances of both Joseph Cotton and Trevor Howard are infinitely more polished and effective than that of Welles and it's hard to understand why he has been so lionized over the years as the star of the picture. In fact, he doesn't even appear until near the end of the film, and when he does his acting style seems very studied, very "method."

As to the production itself, while it's become something of a cliché that filming in black and white enhances dramatic value, it must be said that in The Third Man, it is also quite true. In fact, the effect is spectacular, and I cannot imagine that color would do anything but detract from the impact. The photography is so evocative and so perfectly attuned to the story as it unfolds that it alone is worth the price of admission.

In addition to the movie itself and the repeat with Graham Greene's "treatment," the Criterion DVD is full of other goodies like a demonstration of the techniques used in restoring the film, related radio programs associated with The Third Man and a tedious ego trip by Peter Bogdanovich opining on Orson Welles.

Good movie, but way overrated.......2007-01-27

A classic, great material for film studies, lighting and composition lessons, but unfortunately, not so great movie overall in my opinion. It's way overrated.

Absolutely the worst part was the zither music. One big mistake, almost completely missed the target, the purpose and emotions of the moving pictures.

Story and plot: it was OK, but there are productions from pre-war era as tense as this one.

I was expecting Harry's character to be more 3-dimensional. He doesn't seem to be so after we (finally) get to see him.

Shadow and sound, the apex of B&W art.......2007-01-20

The creative use of shadow and sound in this film make it an example of the best in black and white film art. The plot is rich and the characters are classic film noir. It is a must have for artistic value as well as entertainment content. It will remain a favorite for years to come.

Average customer rating:

fewer bells and whistles but still just fine
Get the newer version instead

The Third Man Criterion Collection
Director: Carol Reed
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000P6QY7W

Product Description

Format: DVD Jan 1999 Not Rated Movie Description This classic noir mystery, from the team of Carol Reed and Graham Greene, is generally considered to be the best filmwork of both of these estimable talents. THE THIRD MAN features Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins, a pulp novelist who has come to post-WWII Vienna with the promise of work from his friend, Harry Lime (Orson Welles). Credits Cast: Joseph Cotten, Orson Welles Director: Carol Reed Producer: Alexander Korda, Carol Reed, David O. Selznick Synopsis Carol Reed reached the peak of his form with this classic noir, an elegy for American innocence and European elegance. Joseph Cotten, in fine form, stars as unemployed pulp-novelist Holly Martins. When he arrives in post-WWII Vienna on the promise of a job from his old friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles), he finds that Lime has recently died in a dubious car accident. Against the advice of British sector authority Major Calloway (Trevor Howard), who accuses Lime of criminal behavior, the indignant Martins decides to stay to investigate his friend's death. He searches this city of rubble-strewn streets and bombed-out buildings, earnestly questioning Lime's associates, a cynical, war-weary collection of black-market hustlers. At length, he realizes that the stories he's hearing are so full of contradiction, he's getting nowhere. Yet, he's entranced by Lime's beautiful girlfriend, Anna Schmidt (Alida Valli), who, unlike the others, seems to have loved Harry. Calloway finally provides evidence of Harry's treachery, and Martins, despondent, is about to return home when everything changes in a shadowed moment. THE THIRD MAN is a masterpiece of melancholia featuring extraordinary writing, acting, and directing, as well as a classic zither score by Anton Karas. Film Notes DVD Features: Region 1 Encoding Original and Re-release Theatrical Trailers Production History Audio Interview B&W Extra Info: Criterion Collection UPC: 037429141625

Customer Reviews:

fewer bells and whistles but still just fine.......2007-05-06

I'm fairly certain that the reviewer who gave this older edition one star has not actually seen it. If he had he'd know that the picture and sound are just fine, and from what I can tell about 60% of the features on the two disc edition are on this one too. You'll have to decide for yourself if the bells and whistles are worth the extra money, but if you want to save yourself a few bucks then you're not missing too much with the older version.
Honestly, Criterion would have done us all more of a service if they'd finally gotten "Our Man in Havana" out on DVD instead of putting out a deluxe edition of "The Third Man." But I do have to give them a lot of credit for releasing "The Fallen Idol" on DVD.

Get the newer version instead.......2007-04-12

THE THIRD MAN is a classic tale of suspense and betrayal with a terrific performance from Orson Welles and one of the most unusual film scores ever. However, I almost ordered this DVD by mistake not realizing that it is in fact the older version. Criterion is releasing a brand new version of this title in May which features better picture quality and an entire second DVD full of extra features that are not available on this version. That is definitely the version to get and I am really looking forward to it.

Average customer rating:

Matterhorn Disney style
Mountaineering adventure
Finally Bought It
Disney Film who needs a remastering
That Mouse is one rotten rodent!

Third Man on the Mountain
Starring: Michael Rennie , James MacArthur , Janet Munro , James Donald , and Herbert Lom
Director: Ken Annakin
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001Z51LC
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Description

Based on a true story, here is the thrilling, critically acclaimed account of Rudi Matt (James MacArthur), a young kitchen worker who is determined to conquer the Citadel -- the jagged, snowcapped peak that claimed his father's life. Encouraged by both a famed English climber (Michael Rennie) and the youth's devoted girlfriend (Janet Munro), Rudi goes through a grueling training period before he is ready to face the incredible dangers of the killer mountain. Shot on location in Zermatt, Switzerland, and featuring spectacular scenery and an outstanding cast, THIRD MAN ON THE MOUNTAIN is one of the finest adventure films of all time!

Customer Reviews:

Matterhorn Disney style.......2007-03-29

This is a lovely movie, about a young man whose famous father died on the Matterhorn. Out to prove his fathers theory was right on how the mountain could be conquered, he has to deal with the obstacles his family has placed in his way, to keep him safe from "the citadel" as the matterhorn is called in this story. The characters, scenery, the village, and the hut on the mountain are all places I will visit again and again.

Mountaineering adventure.......2007-03-26

Excellent family movie, all good clean adventure with a moral, with many very realistic period Alpine climbing sequences. One of the best of its kind.

Finally Bought It.......2007-02-04

I've loved this movie since I was a kid and saw it in the theater when I was seven. I hadn't bought the DVD for all these years because of all the reviews here at Amazon that scare you away by describing the quality as basically horrendous. I recently saw a thing on tv about James MacArthur and I decided to buy it...what the heck right? Let me tell anyone who loves this movie but hasn't bought it due to the bad quality reviews....they're all nuts! The quality is great, superb! The sound?...well there was sound and I added bass and stereo and it sounded great too. I don't have a plasma tv or even lcd, I have a neolithic 65" Mistsubishi rear projection...and the movie was just breathtakingly awesome to watch..it's so moving it and uplifting. No bundle of firewood this DVD quality.

Disney Film who needs a remastering.......2006-12-01

Many before me have said how bad this copy is, so I do not need to repeat their comment. I need to say this is a disney DVD, which is put in a formated to TV version, should be in widescreen to capture the film's scope.

This movie is based on the true story of Rudi Matt and his famous mountain climb. It was shot with great cinematography in Zermatt, Switzerland.

This is a great family film. I am a fan of classic 50 and 60's disney, they dont make them as good today as did then. Today, most Disney films are played for laughes.They dont make films like this anymore

The cast of James MacArthur, Janet Munro, Micheal Rennie and a Pre Pink Panther-ed Herbert Lom mesh in this high adventure mountain climbing drama. Look for a Cameo by Helen Hayes (MacArthur's mom).

This film is a simple adventure tale that Disney film told in the late 1950-1960's. These sorta alive action pictures were run as second features to the Disney cartoons when they were released to theaters. Later they were run as a feature on Wonderful World of Disney TV show

You can see the great hand of Walt himself at work. This simple tale has no special effects..just the effects of the human condition and the scenic views of the swiss alps that nature blessed us with. This type of a motion picture is a story a family can watch together. I wish there were more of these type of classic film chestnuts from Disney library available on DVD to watch today to share with the younger people

Bennet Pomerantz, AUDIOWORLD

That Mouse is one rotten rodent!.......2006-04-08

Sometime in the early 1980's I taped "Third Man on the Mountain" on an old top-load VHS at SLP speed. From the looks of this DVD, Disney must have mastered this video atrocity from that tape. You write, phone, grip, and call Disney names for their bush league treatment of some of the finest films in cinematic history. And all those Disney dodos do is just chuckle and continue to release pure JUNK! At least over here in Region 1 North America. Take a look see at a few Region 2 releases and you will see Disney gives up cleaned discs in their OAR. Not all but many.

Has the Mouse turned and gone European and turned up his little nose at the west side of the Atlantic?

Oh yes, the movie :-). Breath-taking cinematography with a matching storyline and cast featuring strong performances from James McArthur, Michael Rennie and the lovely Janet Munro in 1 of 4 appearances for Disney. Truly a film for the whole family or anyone. Only Walt Disney had the insight to provide picturesque scenery for his family films. With the appalling DVD conditions here; as said over and over; Uncle Walt must be turning in his grave.

Average customer rating:

The best (but not definitive) collection of "The Third Man" television series

The Third Man
Starring: Michael Rennie
Manufacturer: Entertainment Distributing
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000IJ79U2
Release Date: 2006-11-07

Customer Reviews:

The best (but not definitive) collection of "The Third Man" television series.......2006-11-20

"The Third Man" was a late 1950s/early 1960s U.S./British co-production that was very loosely based on Carol Reed's classic 1949 film of the same name and starred Orson Welles as Harry Lime. In this television adaptation, Lime is an international businessman portrayed by Michael Rennie and, in many of the episodes, he is joined by his assistant Bradford Webster, portrayed by Jonathan Harris (yes, the same Jonathan Harris of "Lost in Space" fame). The tone and texture of this weekly series is much lighter than the film, but it can be enjoyed on its own merits.

This 10-episode, 2-DVD set from the Timeless Media Group, while much anticipated by this viewer, could have been better. The good news is that the episodes included in this set are, visually, a major improvement over a 4-episode single disc of "The Third Man" from Critics Choice Video that was released a few years ago. The prints are fairly crisp and clean looking, certainly better than what I would have expected for a release in this price range. Some background audio "flutter" can be heard in some episodes, but it's really not too intrusive. And, fortunately, none of the episodes in this collection are duplicates of the Critics Choice release, a real plus for collectors of this series. There are plenty of recognizable guest stars from both sides of the Atlantic, character actors like Nehemiah Persoff, Werner Klemperer, Robert Shayne, Hugh Marlowe, Mai Zetterling, Steven Berkoff, Marius Goring, Patrick Troughton and even Oliver Reed, among others, as well as the always fun-to-watch Jonathan Harris, who appears as a semi-regular.

Now for the bad news . . . the opening title sequence of Harry Lime walking alone on a dark, deserted street along with Anton Karas' famous theme music (the only real major carryover from the film) is played only once at the beginning of each disc, but has been completely eliminated from the beginning of each of the episodes. Each episode begins with the episode title card. While the closing end credits are left intact on most of the episodes, a few don't even have these. Also, the Timeless Media Group logo (TMG) appears in the bottom right hand corner for long stretches in each episode . . . another viewing annoyance.

"The Third Man" is a very rare television series to see . . . to my knowledge, it hasn't been broadcast in decades and there hasn't been much in the way of video and DVD releases in the ensuing years. So this release is a very welcome addition, and one has to give credit to the Timeless Media Group for taking a chance on this largely forgotten series. The pros certainly outweigh the cons, but one also wishes that Timeless Media would have done a better job with the presentation and, for this, I'm subtracting a star.

Average customer rating:

The Third Man

Manufacturer: Edi Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Third Man (High Quality Import Edition)

Average customer rating:

The Underlying Theme of The Third Man

The Third Man (High Quality Import Edition)

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000EZFSBM

Customer Reviews:

The Underlying Theme of The Third Man.......2006-03-27

The Third Man is a wonderful atmospheric film set in postwar Vienna. There are so many great and thrilling scenes in this film: Orson Welles' entrance, the confrontation on top of the ferris wheel, the final chase through the sewers. As a suspense thriller alone, The Third Man is a very good film.

However, for me, what makes The Third Man a great film is its tale of frustrated love. Joseph Cotten's Holly Martins is a good man who loves Alida Valli's Anna Schmidt. However, Anna loves Orson Welles' Harry Lime, an evil charmer who sells tainted black market penicillin, considers killing his best friend and would abandon the woman that loves him to save his own skin. Of the three major characters, Cotten's Martins is the one person who does the right thing. He does so reluctantly, although that reluctance stems from his loyalty to Harry and his love for Anna. Holly is the only person who really cares about Anna, but Anna rejects him in favor of Harry anyway. In the end, even though Holly is just doing the right thing, Anna hates him for betraying Harry and shooting him. The audience roots for Holly -- a rooting interest made even more poignant when, after Harry's funeral, Anna walks past Holly and out of his life.

So many times, the movies portray love stories as happy endings. John Hughes made a career out of having the kind, awkward social misfit end up with the prom queen or the high school jock. But, in real life, the object of our affections many times can't recognize the person who really cares about them -- instead choosing a lover who isn't really interested in love. It's unfair, it hurts, but, unfortunately, it's life and those who are rejected have to pick up the pieces and try to find love somewhere else -- now saddled with the added element of self-doubt. Holly Martins represents all of us who seek love, but who struggle to find someone who will return that love.

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