The third man

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1. The Third Man By Rahim Rahat

2. Background Directed by Carol Reed Released on: 31 st 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 L ocke 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.