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The hero is dime novellist Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten)
who flies into Allied-occupied Vienna to work with an old
friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles).
Unfortunately, the said Mr Lime has just been run over and
Martins just makes it on time to see him buried.
After the funeral he is approached by the top British policeman
in the city, Major Calloway (Trevor Howard), who tells him
that his mate was a black marketeer whose suspect medicines
had left a trail of bodies through the area.
Not put off, Martins then follows a hunch that Lime isn't
actually dead and starts to put the pieces of the puzzle back
together with the help of Anna (Alida Valli).
We can't say too much more except if you haven't seen The
Third Man this is the perfect opportunity to do so.
Cotten is extremely likeable in his role and Welles is at
his brilliant best, however Howard puts in one of the great
performances of his career as the copper.
The Third Man was made in 1949 but, despite its age,
this looks very good. It is pretty sharp, with good black
and white and is only bedevilled by some film artefacts.
A must-have for any self-respecting film buff.
Conclusion: Movie 90% Extras 80%
Continued:
DVD details at a glance >
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