If you fancy a night in watching a DVD, then take a look at the selection available at Island Libraries. At just £1 per night, they’re a great bargain. Ed
Originally released in 1949, when cinema was just on the verge of broadening and blooming into the 50’s era of colour, cinemascope and huge change.
Sir Carol Reed’s interpretation of Graham Greene’s story made filming in black and white seem not as a case of normality but one of necessity.
Appearing at the timeless vortex known on Earth as Ventnor Library, ‘The Third Man’ became the most recognised film of a genre simply referred to as ‘Film-Noir’, where the subject following the darker realms or the stories of detectives, gangsters, spies or strikingly alluring actresses were all shown with cool clarity.
Set in Vienna
Set in Vienna after World War II, it is a hugely influential piece of work that thankfully has been released on DVD and would inspire quite a number of other directors to perhaps re-evaluate the use of black and white through grey tones rather than opt for using colour.
The cinematography of Robert Krasker captured the atmosphere and deservedly Hollywood gave recognition to the fact by awarding an Oscar and yet the familiar haunting music that Anton Karas plays throughout the film is essential.
However, ‘The Third Man’ keeps a balance between telling the story of the writer – Harry Lime and then using ‘film-noir’ to suggest with surprise one of the more memorable scenes of this remarkable film.
Think
This is an interesting film from the start and rather than just watch, the audience has been confronted with thinking about what the film is not directly saying.
Yet, the dialogue of Austrian/German and American English is also a rarity in any film that captures the time and the era of history well. Thankfully, it has not been remade and updated yet in nearly every film of any worth, it is apparent that ‘The Third Man’ has been noticed.
