Classic Film Noir, classic goodness
War is hell, and the second world war drove that point home in Europe. Vienna is one such place that took a beating during the war. This crumbling, war torn, damp, conflict riddled hell hole(no offence Vienna, you're beautiful now) is the backdrop to the 1949 film noir classic "The Third Man". As I've said before, some older films don't hold up too well, but others still stand out decades after(we're talking 59 years already for this one). This is one such film.
The film is a mystery(what, a film noir as a mystery? Crazy, I know), where a man who comes to Vienna to work for a friend is instead left to figure out what happened after his death. The different occuping armies(United States, Britian, France, and Russian) are all playing a part somewhere along the road, and none are too keen on playing well with others it seems.
The acting is very well played, Joseph Cotten plays the protaginist Holly Martins(I kid you not, he's a guy named Holly) with passion, humor, and a style that seems all his own. Orson Welles plays his recently dead buddy Harry Lime, giving that wonderful Welles touch that we've seen him add to characters so often("Citizen Kane", and even Unicron in the 1986 "Transformers" animated film). Another honorable mention goes to Trevor Howard as Major Calloway, he just seemed so confident, yet confused and over the top at the same time.
The cinimatography adds a feeling of depth as well, with city streets only so visible and almost every cornor shrouded in darkness. The ending scenes in the sewer are almost haunting as vocies echo from the darkness, and nobody's quite sure where the others are.
The music is on a whole different level, using some odd multi-stringed insturment that I cna't recall the name of(but it has something like 8 million strings). This is the only insturment heard in the entire film, which gives the film a somewhat laid back feel amongst all the deception, lies, and attempted murder. It could have taken away from the overall feel of the film, but really it gives it a great little sense of humor.
In the end, this is another one of those classics that I just have to say "go, watch, now!". The acting is top notch, the music is fun, and the whole thing just rings of greatness. No wonder it's considered one of the best film noir's ever.