Rating: 
Summary: Worth every penny.
Review: If all this movie had to offer was the Welles-scripted Harry Lime "cuckoo clock" monologue, then the movie would be worth having for that alone. However, this is a masterpiece of a film. Certainly worthy of being considered alongside the greatest of movies. This is also certainly one of Joseph Cotten's finest performances.I have nothing but praise for Criterion's efforts in producing another of their excellent disks.
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Summary: Harry Lime and Orson Welles
Review: "I never knew the Vienna before the war"....
Thus begins one of the greatest films ever made and one of the greatest film characters ever created, in the charismatic and brilliantly dangerous Harry Lime. Who created him has been argued about for years. Welles was always diplomatic and gave credit to Carol Reed, but anyone who has ever seen this film knows better. Harry Lime is brought to life by Welles, and his genius is scattered all throughout this wonderful production. Even Joseph Cotten, a friend and staple in a lot of his films, is on hand as pulp western writer Holly Martins. When Cotten comes to post war Vienna it is an uncoordinated international mess, the black market thriving in the chaos. When Cotton discovers his old friend Harry Lime is dead this film really begins. Alida Valli is the strikingly beautiful actress Cotten falls for, the problem being she was involved, and in love, with his old friend Harry. And Harry might not be so dead after all, at least not according to Trevor Howard, the detective hot on Harry's heels for racketeering. Cotten is having none of it and sets out to clear his friends name. What follows is the most stylishly filmed noir in film history. The stark black and white photography and the off kilter camera angles serve to highlight a post war world where things are not quite right. From the moment Welles steps out of the shadows into the streets of Vienna we are mesmerized. Harry Lime is almost amused by the chase and the proceedings. The scene on a ferris wheel between Martins and Harry, who may not be the same man he knew, is unforgettable, as is Lime's views of the Swiss! If you haven't seen this film, you've been missing one of the five best films ever made. Whenever I think of Wells, this is what I think of. I know "Citezen Kane" and "The Magnificent Ambersons", along with "Touch of Evil" and others are worthy presents left to us by this film genius, but after you see this film, I think you to will always associate Orson Welles with Harry Lime. He is unforgettable. Joseph Cotten is memorable as well. When he discovers what Harry has been up to he must make a decision that will change his chances with Valli, and could cost him a lot more. Anton Karas's zither theme helps set the off center mood for this film and is justly famous. It is not something that would work outside of the context of this movie but is the perfect atmosphere. Every single part of this film works within this framework to create a dark and exciting jigsaw puzzle you'll never forget.......
Rating:
Summary: what did the Swiss give us?
Review: Great stuff from director Carol Reed.The sense of mystery that is generated around the character of Harry Lime is terrific and Harry's first appearance on camera is one of the stand out scenes in the history of cinema.Anton Karras's marvellous music adds greatly to the atmosphere.Brilliant from start to finish.
Rating: 
Summary: the anti-Casablanca
Review: This film is the antithesis of Casablanca. Whereas C captured the romanticism of the early war period, Third Man captures the cynicism of post-war Europe. C is set in the early days of WWII, just before the Americans entered; TM is set in the early days right after WWII ends. C is set in Casablanca, a distant outport that's the jumping off point to the New World; TM is set in Vienna, the heart of the Old World. C features a hero, Victor Lazlo, who is an idealist trying to defeat Evil; TM features a villain, Harry Lime, a cynic who is trying to obstruct the general Good. In C, the hero gets away through the air; in TM, the villain tries to escape through the underground sewer. In C, the protagonist, Rick Blaine (Bogart), helps the hero; in TM, the protagonist, Holly Whatever (Cotten), kills the villain. In C, the woman (Ingrid Bergman) really loves the protagonist; in TM, the woman never loves the protagonist. I could go on but you get the point. It's really as if TM were deliberately written as the anit-Casablanca. Good film. 4 1/2 stars
Rating:
Summary: Criterions' Crown Jewel!!
Review: Considering a good print of this film on VHS has cost [money] for years(I bought mine 6 years ago)this is such a deal conisdering all the great extras they decided to throw in for good measure. First off I have viewed other Criterion DVDs and found the print used in the Home Vision VHS tape was actually better than the print used for the DVD!! Not the case with THE THIRD MAN, and to prove it they have given us a deminstration on the improvement of the print on the extras. What makes this truely special isnt the Orson Welles radio broadcast which you will never find anywhere, or the various vocal openings but the film itself!! I fell in love with this film instantly a few years ago after first viewing amd after watching this film monthly ever since it hasnt lost a touch of its energy and brilliance. I always feel that film although has a very serious subject matter of selling poisioned medicine is almost comic in its lightheartedness. Anyone who has seen the film has to admit they liked even some of the bad guys in it. Who can deny the ending in the genuine sewers of Viennia is filmmaking at its height, and yes there is and extra of newsreel footage on the sewers alone and the police that patrolled them in Viennia after WWII. Do buy this if you strapped for cash get it used buy it new just plain buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Better every time
Review: I love this movie more every time I see it. Joseph Cotton is perfect as the American everyman Holly Martins and provides the emotional core of the film. Trevor Howard has amazing presence and style as the British police inspector. The dialogue sparkles in its cynicism and the visuals of Vienna at night are striking. Welles's entrance deep into the film is one of the greatest moments ever captured on the screen. The final scene perfectly expresses the pain of unrequited love without a word being spoken. Masterful work by director Carol Reed. The restored print on DVD is visibly and audibly superior to the VHS tape. There are interesting extras that make it a worthwhile purchase, including pictures taken during the filming in 1948 Vienna and a reading of the original story that Graham Greene wrote as a basis for the movie.
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Summary: That sly smile...
Review: I just saw "The Third Man" for the first time last night, and I was completely blown away. Everything about this film is perfect. The mood, the music, the cast...all of it combines to form a rare jewel of cinema. It is easily one of the most suspenseful films I have ever seen. Joseph Cotton is a captivating Film Noir leading man. Cynical and easy-going, he glides through the film like an old pro. However, he is not bitter and heartless, Philip Marlow style. Part of the tender charm of "The Third Man" is the humanness of the characters when confronted with inhumanity. Truly, Orson Welles steals the show in his brief appearances as Harry Lime. The zither music lends an unreal quality to the production, and shows just how important sound is to a film. The Criterion DVD presentation is something in itself. Picture, audio are both top-notch. The addition of the Lux Theater broadcasts are very cool indeed. It really says something about Welles's performance as Harry Lime, that he inspired the Radio adventures of the character. For good reason, "The Third Man" was nominated the #1 British film by the British Film Institute.
Rating:
Summary: Earliest Film Noir
Review: The evaluation of THE THIRD MAN polarizes critics: it is either revered as one of the first & finest forays into film noir or it is loathed for its production quality and an overwhelming emphasis on zither music. Despite criticism, THE THIRD MAN is must-see viewing for any student of cinema. The application of the camera upon the storytelling process is a truly eye-opening experience; the angles, the lighting, etc., is truly inspiring. However, when the camera takes on a more traditional position in several scenes woven into the tale of Harry Lime, the narrative arguably grinds to a halt. As well, Joseph Cotton and Orson Welles were at the top of the form here. Additionally, THE THIRD MAN should be cited as one of the films to best use location photography. Clearly, these aren't studio sets employed, and the true life locales gives the film perhaps its greatest haunting quality. While there may have been hundreds of more entertaining film noirs made since THE THIRD MAN, keep in mind one simple fact when viewing it: this is the first, and all that followed pay homage to it.
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Summary: Come visit post war Wien (Vienna)
Review: The third man-DVD/Criterion. I watched today.
I saw this film as a ten year old child and I still remember the experience.
Nine years later I spent eighteen months studying and living in the Austrian Capitol of Wien (Vienna). Over the years I have viewed this movie several times; I was overwhelmed with this restored version.Apparently all cuts have been restored. This IS post War Vienna! The Austrian actors are perfect ... right down to the land lady's Wiener Dialect; and the angular gaunt look of the Austrian police; veterans of the conflict just survived. The apartments, the court yards, the big ceramic stoves in the rooms with the occupants wrapped in the bed comforters, because coal is a luxury. the extriem close ups of faces the canted angles of the shots. I love this DVD! This is film Noir!
The Xither music still gives me chills. Buy this DVD!
DEVI****
Rating:
Summary: Good film, good DVD
Review: This DVD title is a nice transfer: the picture is clear and the focus is sharp. There is minimal grain to this clean black and white mpeg2. The image ratio is 1.33:1 (standard) and many repairs and digital editing had been done to restore this classic film. This is a fine quality DVD (as are all of Criterion's Collection). The film itself is heavily stylized with rolled camera shots, extreme close-up shots, and many night scenes with wet cobblestone roads and smoky interiors. This is early film noir with a classy European touch. The real gem of the film, aside from brilliant acting, a terrific cast, memorable characters, an intriguing story, and fabulous cinematography, is the score: sort of quasi-gypsy instrumentation that gives the film a genuine local flavor.
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