The Third Man (1949)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:56
Fresh:56
Rotten:0
Average Rating:9.1/10
Consensus: This atmospheric thriller is one of the undisputed masterpieces of cinema, and boasts iconic performances from Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles.
Theatrical Release:11-08-2006
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.... [More]
Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard
Director: Carol Reed
Reviews for The Third Man
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 5/5 |
One of British cinema's most enduring and atmospheric thrillers. A genuine and endlessly rewatchable classic. Full Review |
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5/5 |
This will haunt you. Full Review |
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5/5 |
An iconic film noir that's still fresh despite being familiar. Full Review |
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Click to read the article Full Review |
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A thriller shot through with poetry, cynicism, humour, mystery and emotion. Full Review |
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4/4 |
Greene's story and screenplay, which he accurately described as "a comic thriller," is a gift that keeps on giving, with patter that's never less than brilliant. [Criterion Blu-ray] Full Review |
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A |
If The Third Man is a tragedy, it isn't just the tragedy of a hobbled city, scribbled with ruins and parsed into zones of occupation that can't communicate and don't cooperate. Full Review |
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It transformed the way I looked at the world. Full Review |
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4/4 |
As you watch the film, you feel as though the screen is tilted higher, glowering over you as you wince in its devastating presence, which is probably how Martins felt scurrying through the Vienna darkness. Full Review |
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It's a suspense-thriller-romance steeped in Hollywood's best influences and 'gimmicks,' yet it's crafted with enough looming European 'art-house' style to topple Fritz Lang into an existential funk. Full Review |
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A |
An undisputed masterpiece, this movie captures the mood of Vienna in post-WWII like no other, and is also a testimony to film as a collaborative art, benefiting from Greene's writing, Reed's direction, and stellar cast with Orson Welles at his scariest Full Review |
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Welles gives Harry a mask of irony that turns all moral judgment back on itself. He turns a mass murderer into a wry rogue, and makes his villainy all the more horrifying because we rather like him. Full Review |
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5/5 |
Do herói fragilizado e patético ao fascinante vilão, passando pela fotografia inesquecível, a trilha surpreendente e uma Viena inigualável, o filme é simplesmente perfeito.
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A |
The Third Man isn't an eager crowd-pleaser, but it's great. The film is distinctly British, with a wonderfully bizarre zither score by Anton Karas. Full Review |
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5/5 |
Is it perfect? Maybe the answer has more to do with semantics than film craft; it's at least indistinguishable from flawlessness.
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Seen today, The Third Man ... can be appreciated as a prophetic statement on the eventual moral bankruptcy of the one-world euphoria that clouded men's minds immediately after the second 'war to end all wars.' Full Review |
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A |
A monumental arty thriller of British noir. Full Review |
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5/5 |
This handsomely shot black-and-white thriller hasn't aged one bit. Terrific writing, direction and acting never go out of style.
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5/5 |
About as close to a perfect film as you're likely to get. Full Review |
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5/5 |
No review available.
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CommentLatest News for The Third Man
February 04, 2009:
Exclusive: Inside Pinewood/Shepperton - A Photo Tour
Every year, the BAFTA film awards present a trophy for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema. Introduced in 1978, the award recognises an organisation or a person's career... More...
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