The Third Man :: Film :: VUE Weekly

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Jan. 24, 2013 - Issue #901: Children can’t choose

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The Third Man

Josef Braun / josef@vueweekly.com
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The depth of corruption

Even a short synopsis can transmit something of the special allure, intrigue and historical richness of The Third Man (1949), its elegant despair and unforgettable evocation of the postwar European city as Kafkaesque labyrinth. It's about a writer of pulp westerns (Joseph Cotton) who arrives in rubble-strewn Vienna just in time for the funeral of the old beloved friend with whom he was meant to reunite, whose death seems suspicious, whose criminal activities just get uglier with every report, who had a woman (Alida Valli) who loved him even though she probably knew what kind of bastard he was. It's about how corruption seeps into everything, even friendships, culminating in an exchange of bitter betrayals, sinking right down into the Viennese sewers, where the film's shadows and echoes finally close in on our hero and his illusions.

It was directed by the underrated Carol Reed, and written by none other than novelist Graham Greene. Its zither music is among the cinema's most memorable scores. And Orson Welles played the titular riddle, so nefariously charismatic. The Third Man is beautiful, entertaining and lyrical, cynical in a way that's tough to resist. It's a masterpiece, obviously, and whether you've seen it a half-dozen times or never, there can't be many good reasons to miss Metro Cinema's brief revival. 

Metro Cinema at the Garneau
5
The Third Man
Opens Thu, Jan 24 – Wed, Jan 30
Directed by: Carol Reed

Showtimes »

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