The Third Man
Seen it?1949 | 105 min | Thriller, Mystery
Friday Night FlickWhy it’s a Friday Night Flick
Critics loved it (99% on Rotten Tomatoes), people are still talking about it, audiences rate it highly (7.9 out of 10) and it won an Oscar. Make plans for this one.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing. If you loved Foreign Correspondent or The Lady Vanishes, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense.
- The pace
- Fast-moving, at 1 hr 45 min.
- What might put you off
- Made in 1949: an older pace and style.
In postwar Vienna, Austria, Holly Martins, a writer of pulp Westerns, arrives penniless as a guest of his childhood chum Harry Lime, only to learn he has died. 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 Major Calloway, and falling head-over-heels for Harry's grief-stricken lover, Anna.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
99% on Rotten Tomatoes, 97 on Metacritic
- AudiencesStrong
7.9 out of 10
- AwardsStrong
Won 1 Oscar: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White. Won 1 BAFTA: Best British Film. Won 1 Cannes award: Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix. Also nominated for 2 more Oscars, 1 more BAFTA and 1 DGA Award.
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$1 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactVery strong
About 450K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Carol Reed
- Joseph CottenHolly Martins
- Alida ValliAnna Schmidt
- Trevor HowardMajor Calloway
- Orson WellesHarry Lime
- Paul HörbigerKarl the Porter
- Ernst Deutsch'Baron' Kurtz
- Erich PontoDr. Winkel
- Siegfried BreuerPopescu
- Hedwig BleibtreuAnna's Landlady
- Bernard LeeSergeant Paine