The Third Man [Blu-ray]

As is typical of the company's releases, Criterion's version of The Third Man is definitive. It's a beautiful restoration of both image and sound, supplemented by a wealth of interesting material about the making of the film. (Just hearing the original film treatment read by a fine actor, for example, makes you realize again what a great storyteller Graham Greene was in prose, quite apart from the masterpiece of a script he crafted for this film.) And what a film it is! It's perfectly paced by director Carol Reed, memorably acted by Joseph Cotton, Orson Welles, Trevor Howard and many others (with wonderful layers of tension, humor and romance), and stunningly photographed -- mostly at night -- by cinematographer Robert Krasker (for which he won a richly-deserved Oscar). Even the theme music, composed and performed on the zither by Anton Karas, was a huge hit in both the UK and the US. Surely one of the great film noirs of all time, The Third Man was also voted the best British film of the 20th Century by the British Film Institute. If you love movies, you'll love this film. Criterion brought out their version in Blu-ray in 2008. This version is now legendary.The original film was shot by three crews working simultaneously, with two handling the night exteriors and interior sets while another shot the few daytime exteriors. Reed apparently didn't supervise the daytime unit as closely as the others, and, with one or two notable exceptions (the famous ending, for example), those sequences aren't as memorable as the night exteriors and the interior sets. Thus, they don't seem to be especially improved by either Criterion's restoration or the Blu-ray technology. But the night and interior shots! Wow! Everyone who knows the movie talks about the "wet streets" where much of the action takes place. In the Criterion Blu-ray version, we see these streets in a wholly new way. They have a beautiful sparkle and luminosity that shades into the deep nighttime blackness of the buildings and the atmosphere. Surely this is what Reed and Krasner actually saw and wanted us to see. Close-ups of the actors reveal subtle changes in the eyes and in facial expressions that are much more veiled in the DVD (not to mention VHS) formats. The range of grays -- between the film's deep, unlit blacks and it spotlit whites, is far richer and more nuanced in this version. The set designs are more detailed to the eye; the actors' wardrobes easier to study. So this is not only a very fun version for fans of the film. It's also by far the best version for people who enjoy the building blocks of movies -- the cinematography, the lighting, the art direction. Those are big advantages, in my opinion. Now for the bad news. The Blu-ray edition went out of print not long after it was released. Due to some apparently undisclosed issues over the future rights to the film, it looks unlikely to ever be released again. (Now and then I've contacted Criterion about it, but they're not saying much.) Therefore this edition has become breathtakingly expensive in the aftermarket. I looked at it a year ago and it was selling for $100. This year it seems to be up to $200. I considered myself lucky to get a new, unopened one for $150. I don't regret it for a moment, but then again, I've loved this movie for years and I had a pretty good idea what a step up the Criterion Blu-ray would be. It's totally met my expectations. Then again, I can't imagine another movie I'd spend $150 on. The rival Studio-Canal Blu-ray version of the film is pretty good, and may well be fine for all but zealots like me. The regular Criterion DVD version of the film, though also out of print, is much less expensive in the aftermarket, and it includes the extras, which are terrific. So if you've "gotta, gotta" have the undisputed best version of The Third Man, in all likelihood this is it. But it's going to cost you. If, on the other hand, just enjoying this great movie is reward enough, consider some of the other versions on the market.

So many times, we hear a movie called "classic", that it's incredibly difficult to know which ones to take a chance on. Well, on the TCM channel, I reluctantly watched "The Third Man" for several reasons, but the key reason is this --- it was supposed to include the greatest entrance of a film character EVER! "The Third Man" does have that, but also a lot more that modern audiences will still love! The story is that a fiction novelist travels to Europe to meet up with an old friend named Harry Lime. In an odd bit of timing, Lime's funeral is just finishing as the novelist arrives, but quickly realizes that the circumstances were more than suspicious. Okay, now you might yell "Alright, so the hero finds a ally or two, and the authorities don't help, and there's more to the death than there seems, and blah-blah-blah...WHO CARES?" But let me assure you, I haven't seen a mystery film this brilliant and timeless in a long time. The movie doesn't rely on obvious red herrings or plot revelations that insult the audience. Nope, instead "The Third Man" relies on a sensible screenplay (written by Graham Greene) and filmmaking of the highest class. I don't care for black-and-white films much, but this movie's use of shadows and darkness brings an unusual clarity and suspense to the picture. The musical score is seductive and captivating (I believe a viola or zither of some sort is the key instrument). There is a love story that isn't melodramatic, but subtle and romantic. Lime's girlfriend is a compelling character, and is everything Bergman's "Casablanca" character should've been. The dialogue is sharp, poignant, and sometimes humorous. And most of all, the chase and suspense sequences work perfectly! Hitchcock would've loved this movie, if he hadn't already seen it! What I'm getting at is this: "The Third Man" doesn't screw around, and doesn't aim to please the elitist artists in the film community only. "The Third Man" is a mystery that anyone will get into, because it cuts the crap and gets to the core of what these characters are about, and accomplishes that feat with superb style that hasn't aged a bit! Now, the Criterion DVD isn't out yet, but every DVD of the Criterion Collection I own features a plethora of insightful Extras, and has fantastic video/audio restoration. Still unsure if you want to see this 1949 black-and-white movie with actors you've never heard of? Well fine, rent it first, thank me later, and do yourself a favor with the Criterion DVD in a few weeks! "They don't make 'em like this anymore" --- this time, I agree. NEW NOTES I've added a little to the review since I first posted it. As for the Extras, they're all pretty good. Peter Bogdanovich's 5 minute introduction is pleasant to listen to. The 90-minute making-of documentary is very good. There's a 5-minute broadcast of the zither being played in a restaurant. Joseph Cotten's opening monologue that was used for the American release (director Carol Reed voiced it in the original version) is available. The two commentary tracks are also excellent: one's by Steven Soderbergh ("Traffic") and writer Tony Gilroy (the "Bourne" movies) which is more reflective and congratualatory -- kind of like two film students admiring a classic; The 2nd track is from film scholar Dana Polan, whose commentary is comparable to anything Stephen Prince did for the Kurosawa DVDs -- insightful and easy to follow. There are some other features I can't remember, but overall Criterion has done it again!

Well,Criterion has another release triumph here with "The Third Man".Criterion is well known for its' quality and an eclectic array of films already released in its' catalogues with many more on the way.Most are unavailable anywhere with Criterion consistently setting the release standards for DVDs,and this film is no exception. "The Third Man" is a film originally released in /49 in Britain to great acclaim(this is the film we see),then released a year later in the U.S.The latter market had about 11 minutes cut out of it and the opening narrative changed from director Carol Reed's voice to star Joseph Cottons'. This two disc collection includes everything you ever wanted to know about this film,and so much more.Included is a nine minute vignette with a self explanatory title "Insiders' Info" ,the US Trailer,the UK Press Book,another small vignette translating the foreign language sequences into English with sub-titles(five min.),a /51 radio show starring Orson Welles as "Harry Lime" in "Ticket to Tangiers",a Lux Radio Theatre show from /51 of "The Third Man",an award winning documentary from 2000 called"Who was the Third Man?"(30 min),a /68 profile of Graham Greene from the BBC show "Omnibus",a three min./54 newsreel of zither player Anton Karas at London's Empress Club,another three min.Pathe newsreel of the policing of the Vienna sewers called "The Underground of Vienna",and "The Third Man's Vienna",a background vignette on the real post war Vienna that Greene brings to life in the film.To top this all off is a 26 page booklet with several articles about the making and producing of the film which are quite intriguing,along with production credits,transfer specs,cast credits and much more. I won't go into the plot as it is very well known by most by now.I must say that I have never seen the film looking as good as it does in this release.They made a great transfer using a high grain positive master and took out thousands of extant marks,dirt,etc, to bring the B&W print gloriously back to life.It's not perfect but it is light years beyond anything I've ever seen before.I've always said that a great print can only add to ones enjoyment of a film and the proof is abundantly clear in this "pudding". The film comes from the "Janus" collection which,as I noted in my review of Criterions'glorious release of "Pandora's Box",has been known to me as a firm that has released only countless cut and butchered films over the years.However,as I have nothing to compare films with(as I did with Pandora)I can only say that nothing appears to be amiss here so I will leave it at that. In conclusion this is a film which belongs in every serious film collectors collection.A classic of its' genre,"The Third Man" is without doubt a very important film.Its' cast is rock solid,the script and on film atmosphere that is created through its' brilliant use of lighting and cinematography,serves to enhance the films' quality and stature. With all the extras included,and this being a Criterion product which is ALWAYS a superior product,it is a must have DVD set.

It's hard to find any flaws in the print Criterion Collection used to master this DVD. I saw more flaws, skips, and audio hiccups watching Pirates of the Carribean - At World's End last weekend at the movie theater only a day after its release -that is how great this picture looks after more than 50 years. Also included in this set is a vast info-dump about the filmmakers and the impact this film had on the world at the time. It's fascinating stuff, to me. The only disappointment was the audio commentary by Dana Polan, a NYU Film Studies professor that offers one of the two audio commentaries of the The Third Man. I wish Criterion Collection had encouraged his comments to reveal more about the film, it's production, history, anecdotes, etc. Instead, Polan spends an inordinate amount of time discussing character types, motivations, and what he calls "homosocial/[...]" themes using words I had to look up like "insouciant". In one instance, after Holly Martins returns from the funeral of his friend and is sharing a drink with a police officer he met there, Polan says "this shows that Holly is easily plied with alcohol to give up secrets." I think the more obvious reading is that he is grieving. I felt like a lot of the time Polan filled up too many minutes pounding into our heads how Holly is a "loser" character, which is true, but the least of many things I wish he had discussed at various points in the picture. The most pathetic part of the commentary is when Polan repeatedly points out the "homosocial/[...]" themes whenever there are two men talking to each other in the movie. Regardless of the fact that males are playing traditional male roles such as police officers and gangsters, Polan finds the need to point out that there is some kind of homosocial connection there. Whatever. I was especially disgusted when he giddily describes the police stakeout in which the two main police officer characters are hiding in the shadows to nab Harry Lime as a "[...] cruising" episode where men are lurking in shadows looking for sex. In reality, and what is not discussed at all by Polan in this scene as he is documenting his perceived fantasy, is the building and release of tension through the use of waiting in the ruins, the red herring of the balloon seller, and the surprise of Harry Lime showing up where they least expect him. Polan does provide a steady stream of informative detail relating to other films such as Lang's "M" and another film that takes place in the sewers, which was helpful. However, too much of his focus was misplaced on irrelevant details that were difficult to swallow. Is this what is taught in film studies at NYU? I'll stay away. Overally, this is a great movie easily deserving of 5 stars and the presentation is fantastic. I just hope Criterion Collection can reign-in their academic commentators so that their future discs don't start to feel like they have unneccessary filler in them.

Little need be said about this film. The Third Man is a masterpiece for the ages on many levels. So, five shining stars for the film! Now, as for this disc, I did thoroughly enjoy watching the film. At the same time, there are a few things about the StudioCanal Collection edition that, in the end, made me deduct one star. First thing when you load the disc, it makes you choose between the U.S. and Japan (see photo). Ok, easy enough. Next, you sit through a video clip promoting the StudioCanal Collection. Ok, at least you can fast-forward that. (And there are some interesting titles—watch out, Criterion Collection!) If the picture quality is not as good as it might be (as some reviewers have suggested), there is nothing to take away from the imagery set by Carol Reed’s masterful direction. Regarding the audio, your choices are English, French, and Spanish. The English audio sounds noticeably better than the dubbed versions (more “presence”). Besides the audio tracks, there is a choice of subtitles—French, Spanish, and Japanese. But if you are looking for English subtitles, you’re out of luck here. Really? No English subtitles!? (Considering this film’s original language is English….) This alone is grounds for deducting one star—if your language is English, and you rely on subtitles, then you might feel sort of abandoned by this edition. The disc does offer some nice extras (see photo). The “interactive Vienna tour” is designed to highlight how key landmarks featured in the film have evolved between 1948 and the present. The thing is, the “present” point of reference is 2010, the year this edition was produced. Slightly dated already at the time of this writing, but even so, a neat idea. All told, if all you need is the film, in English, then this edition will work for you. The film remains unquestionable in its sublime artistry. For me personally, perhaps it is the zither score that lingers, signifying the uniquely Viennese touch of it all.

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.

In our opinion this is the best movie ever made- a great screenplay by Graham Greene and amazing black and white photography. The setting is Vienna just after WWII, the city in ruins and in charge of occupation forces. Wonderful suspense and terrific acting. A must for all movie lovers!

Graham Greene is one of the most acclaimed authors of the 20th century, and, unlike many such literary talents, he recognized the merits of film, and took work as a screenwriter for the British film industry, including several collaborations with producer/director Carol Reed, of which "The Third Man" is the most famous. Greene's works tend to be divided into two main genres: his meditations on Catholicism in the modern world ("The Power and the Glory", for example) and his work in the spy and crime genres, the category to which "The Third Man" belongs. It is also the high-watermark for director/producer Reed, though he would only earn his Best Director Oscar some two decades later with the musical "Oliver!" "The Third Man" is one of the great achievements in film noir, and, perhaps, in film in general. Greene's path in researching the film is in many ways mirrored by the character he ended up creating, one Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten, a prolific actor of the era who never reached the level of recognition of Stewart, Grant, or Bogart); arriving in Vienna, Greene prowled the bombed-out streets and drank in the Casanova Club, talking with local officials. He was inspired by stories of postwar shortage, organized smuggling, and the interaction of the four great powers in the early days of the Cold War. Martins arrives, having been summoned by his prewar friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles, in what is, apart from Charles Foster Kane, his most famous role), only to find on arrival that Lime has been mysteriously killed in a car accident. The local British security chief, Major Calloway (Trevor Howard) insinuates that Harry was a notorious racketeer involved in everything up to and including murder, and Martins, a writer of pulp novelettes about gunslingers, refuses to let that explanation stand. He delves deeper into Harry's world, from acquaintances such as Baron Kurtz (Ernst Deutch, who couldn't appear less trustworthy if he tried) and Dr. Winkle (Erich Ponto), who were both present at his death, and, most importantly, Anna Schmidt (Alida Valli), a Czech living in Austria on a forged passport provided by Lime to help her avoid repatriation to Soviet-held territory. Martins' first big lead? Witness reports that an unidentified third man was present at Lime's death. "The Third Man"'s plot suffers from a case of what TV Tropes would call a 'Rosebud': the fact that the main plot twist is common knowledge because of the movie's notoriety (and, like the original Rosebud, Orson Welles is involved). We all know that Harry Lime isn't actually dead because he is due to appear and give him famous speech about cuckoo clocks (though Welles is listed in the opening credits, so perhaps it was never that big a secret). However, there is still plenty in the movie for the viewer to be surprised about, just as "Citizen Kane" retains its lustre. The movie has several great performances, starting with Cotten as the 'very American' (in the worlds of Peter Bogdanovich) lead man, Alida Valli as Anna, Trevor Howard as Calloway, and an enjoyable comic turn from Bernard Lee (later M to the Connery, Lazenby, and Moore incarnations of James Bond) as Calloway's batman, a sergeant who is quite a fan of Holly's writing. The performance that everyone always ends up talking about is Welles, however, in what amounts to an extended cameo (two scenes, the second with basically no dialogue). The other notable production components include the music, provided by Anton Karas on his zither string instrument, who was hired on the spur of the moment after impressing the director at a wartime party, and it was an inspired choice, though it may jar some people expecting more traditional noir stuff. The film is filmed in the actual postwar Vienna, still a place of ruined buildings, providing for a very high level of verisimilitude. Criterion's DVD version provides an extensive selection of extras, including several commentaries, features on the film's production, and, best of all, several older segments that include an interview with Greene on his career, and some old newsreels spotlighting the Vienna of the period, and showing the level of detail that Reed and company were able to capture.

Un superbe noir et blanc et une histoire à suspens

Il film più bello di sempre

Excellent transaction all around.

Excelente película de cine negro. Viene con subtitulos en español

Impeccable, et version 4k svp.