a review of 第三人

The Third Man is one of those classics I have been wanting to see for a long time. In 2017 I finally saw it. The first half of the film slowly builds up a suspense surrounding the possibly murdered friend of the main character. The acting is solid, and the moody black and white cinematography is a sight for sore eyes. But when it is revealed that the dead friend is still alive — skillfully performed by a young Orson Welles — that was kind of a disappointment to me, especially because the friend turned out to be a selfish asshole, which diminished my feeling about the purpose of everything leading up to that moment in the film. Furthermore, I thought the main character — played by Joseph Cotten — lacked a certain charisma / likability. I thought he was a bit soft, naive and even whiny at times. The chase scenes in the sewer are thrilling, and beautifully photographed, as are the atmospherically lit streets of post-war Vienna. A special mention is deserved by Alida Valli, a talented actress who radiates a beautiful melancholy throughout the film.