Finally !! A film reviewer who knows film!! Someone who looks beyond the action of the film to get to the statements the film is trying to make. I am so at home here !!
Europe has never really recovered from the effects of the two world wars. America went about its business of building homes and roads. It had to redefine itself as a world superpower. In 10 or 20 years, the efforts produced a brief period of innocent pleasures from the 'hippys' but that soon faded too. The darkness of folks who have become disenchanted and have lost the illusion of a meaningful life is now omnipresent here too. It took the wisdom of C.S. Lewis to try to console England during the war, and his writings still apply. I love your interest in film's place as a mirror to society, historically speaking. I do wonder what the current state of media tells you about our present condition. I also love your careful manners while speaking (correcting yourself in pronunciation etc.) Very few reactors are as articulate and research oriented as you. You have earned yourself yet another subscriber. A good example of a more recent film noir is 'Blood Simple' (1984) by the Coen brothers. Someone else recommended 'Momento', but editing that one, with it's backwards storytelling, would be quite a beast.
Nice review. Thanks. That's the thing about Harry Lime - we and the other characters really want him to be a lovable rogue, the Hans Solo type who will do the right thing in the end... but he isn't. He really IS a bastard through and through. His natural charm is a weapon.That's how the most successful con men work. The film is quite brilliantly and subtly merciless in the way it manipulates and then awakens our understanding of his true nature. Yet, we still hope he'll get away at the end! What suckers we are for that... and the film knows it. 🙂 Fantastic movie.
As an Austrian I adore this film! The shot with the cat is one of my favourites ever. :-) And it's somehow funny, what an "anti-hero" Joseph Cotten is. Nobody takes him serious, since he is an "ordinary" American. But the most interesting thing about this film is, how Harry Lime gets the main character, although he has not very much screentime. And I love the very last shot: When Joseph Cotten waits for the girl. A perfect ending.
Harry is a monster, but he is a thoroughly modern monster. He personifies the indifference, brutality, and selfishness of the worst aspects of capitalism, but manifested in Welles’ charming swagger. In the post war world vampires, werewolves, and mummies can’t compare to the real horror of a world full of Harry Limes. The hospital scene reveals the real stakes here that Martens has been trying to ignore, and he does, ultimately, find himself as a sort of tarnished hero (there’s no other kind in film noir) but the victory, while necessary, is a hollow one.
A couple of remarks from a Vienna resident: The Third Man was shot in Vienna in the immediate postwar years where there was great poverty and even greater insecurity. The damage you see in the film was cleaned up in the years that followed. The Sound of Music was NOT shot in Vienna at all, but in Salzburg, a much smaller city of chiefly cultural importance that had remained undamaged during the war. (And of course, by the mid-60s, Vienna was no more the rubble heap either.) About the music: Anton Karas was a professional musician who entertained the guests with his zither playing (zither: a traditional tabletop string instrument plucked with the fingers) at a traditional Vienna wine garden (Heuriger). The filmmakers heard him and decided to use his music for the film. The Third Man is still fairly big in Vienna tourism. You can take a tour of the sewers where the film was shot, it is called Third Man Tour. (The sewers are actually quite clean and do not smell bad at all!) There is also an English language movie theater called Burg Kino (fairly close to the Opera House) where they show The Third Man in English every evening.
When Orson makes his entrance, your reaction was priceless. I actually watched this the other day and never commented, I really, really enjoyed this. I hope you do some more Orson! Touch Of Evil, The Magnificent Ambersons , The Stranger definitely....that's almost a month of Orson right there! The Lady From Shanghai was mutilated by the studio, but has classic sequences. His Shakespeare films are all great. Thanks, Mia!!!! I am so excited to have seen a reaction video for The Third Man! :D
The Third Man is about a man having all of his illusions about the world and his place in it shattered one by one, with the last pane in the window being broken in the closing shot when Anna walks by Holly without even acknowledging his existence. And at a symbolic level, it's about the United States and the position it was in after the war. In a way, the movie is saying that the U.S. would have to grow up if it was to be a world leader. Holly Martins made his living writing pulp westerns, which have a simplistic good-versus-evil world view, but that doesn't work in a place like post-war Europe. Orson Welles wrote the cuckoo clock monologue. It's a very famous speech that underscores Harry Lime's cynicism. And Lime was a cynic (among other things) - a man with no faith in human nature, who uses his bitter view of humanity to excuse his actions. The tilted perspective of so many of the shots is called "Dutch angle." It was used a lot by the German expressionist directors. The technique gives the movie an unsettled feeling. The closing shot took a lot of guts on the part of Carol Reed. A minute and a half with nothing but one character walking toward the camera while another stands off to the side is a lot of screen time while very little happens. I don't think any director (or editor) would do that today. But the length of the shot helps it build tension, which breaks when Anna walks past and out of the shot. It's my favorite closing shot of all time. One of the many things I love about this movie is that Holly is never portrayed as some sort of great hero. He's over his head through most of the story, and is reluctant to betray his old friend even though he learns how bad Lime really is. Holly isn't even a very good writer. He's just a guy who gets drawn into a dangerous world without knowing what he's getting himself into. Little things I love in The Third Man include Holly walking under a ladder on his way to the hotel, the balloon man (and his shadow) almost blowing their cover as they lay in wait for Harry Lime, and the symbolism of Lime dying in a sewer. Thanks for another great reaction!
Oh yes! I absolutely agree that end shot was gutsy, but he nailed it right on the ball! I remember feel the tension as I was watching this scene, like “what’s going to happen?” And then when nothing happened, the story was solidified for me! Such a great ending to such a great film!!
@@MoviesWithMia A movie that begins at a cemetery for a man's funeral and ends at the same cemetery for a second funeral for that man with the same people attending.
The portrayal of the American as a hapless innocent is very much from author Graham Greene. In his works, the same figure of the American as well-meaning innocent fool appears again and again.
Orson Welles' first appearance in the doorway, alongside Omar Sharif's long, slow approach out of the desert in Lawrence of Arabia, are surely the two greatest entrances in all cinema.
How HANDSOME are Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles here? Okay, I feel better. "The Thin Man Theme" was a HUGE hit as an instrumental, even into the 60's. The Iconic shot for me is when Holly sees Harry in the doorway at night and Harry has that knowing smile. Just perfect.
I fell in love with this film the moment I heard the introductory zither music. What followed did not disappoint especially the moment of Lime's dramatic appearance in the light from the window above.
Totally agree with the metaphor for Harry's disillusionment in his friend Harry with American naivete in the aftermath of the war and how monsters like Harry take advantage of the situation. Another element of this film is how when society is torn apart--as in after the war--the grifter comes out in people who might not otherwise go to such lengths to survive (Anna). Anna's moral compass has become so screwed up that she stays loyal to Harry Lime, who has made no effort to protect her when he goes undercover, and rejects Holly Martens, who as part of his deal to give up Harry Lime has protected her from the police. She has fallen prey to Harry Lime's charm (he got her false papers, but not very good ones, to get favors from her while it was convenient), yet Harry Lime considers her--and everyone else--like those ant-like figures viewed from the top of the Ferris wheel.
Before abnormal psychology became part of the reservoir of general knowledge, few individuals outside the field would have been able to recognize a sociopath. Ordinary people like Holly assumed everyone was basically decent, which left them open to manipulators. Nowadays, the chilling stories Holly tells Anna about his school days with Harry, would send a chill down the spine of any astute listener. But Holly accepts Harry's friendship as an unshakable fact, even when his 'friend' nearly murders him on the Ferris wheel. Anna never does get it, despite learning that Harry has made money from destroying the lives of children. Then again, she behaves like a classic enabler. This is my favorite movie of all time: the plot, the characters, the acting, the dialogue, the setting, the cinematography...everything about it is absolutely perfect. And what a chilling glimpse into the human psyche! Absolutely masterful!
This is one of my favorite movies of all time, and it's great to see a reaction to it. The performances are all excellent, but I particularly enjoy Trevor Howard and Alida Valli. I watched Brief Encounter because of this movie. I wanted to see Howard in another role, and I enjoyed that one as well.
This film had such a unique "look" to it. Someone told me this film should be colorized. I said that colorization would have completely ruined the entire "feel" of the film. I've always liked the stellar use of camera angles and overall cinematography. Mia, it's wonderful to know that younger people are discovering and appreciating the classic films. Cheers -- W
Yes, it does. Even though it's shot in b&w the film print has a particular 'tone.' It renders the beautiful sets and cityscape of post-war Vienna in a vivid way. I guess it's how they dyed it I dunno.
Really loving your channel -- I teach film and I love your enthusiasm. Producer David Selznick made a number of small but detrimental changes to the US cut of the film, but one thing he insisted on and was absolutely right about: he said Joe Cotten couldn't possibly get the girl. She's been in love with Harry and the fact that he's a villain doesn't matter to her, and Selznick said the women in the audience would absolutely hate it if she suddenly turned around and forgave Cotten for killing her man. Good storytelling instinct.
The period after 1945 was the most optimistic and hopeful in all of human history. The depression had been overcome, and the principles of Keynesian economics and heavy regulation would ensure such depressions couldn't return (at least until Reagan undid the regulation). The second world war ended by total defeat of the Nazis. There was grand promises of social welfare which were being met, the GI bill and the subsidizing of mortgages meant many Americans were financially secure. Film Noir is about the dark parts of the human experience, but it isn't cynical, it is hopeful. The real cynicism only came at the end of the 60s, as people gave up hope on socialism, and turned to drugs.
Best Noir, Double Indemnity, Out of the Past and the French film Rififi. Noir certainly reached it's height in America in the late 40s and 50s, but there were pre-war Noir Films as well. This was especially true in Germany with films such as the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) and M (1931). Keep up the great work Mia!
Thank you, Dustin, for your recommendations :) I will be sure to give these a check!! Also, we have Double Indemnity on our list for our Film Noir month!
Ah Riffi!. Lots of great French film noir/policiers out there. But..... please please react to Clouzot's "les diaboliques"! If you're looking to expand your reactions, there's a large number of French movies from the the 50s and 60s which have English subs and you can pretty easily get. Practically anything with Jena Gabin and/or Lino Ventura for example.
I actually find the ending of The Third Man to be profound and beautiful and not bleak and hopeless. Think about it. These two people have been through their own personal hells. They are traumatized and disillusioned. They are not ok... and that's ok. I mean they literally have Anna putting one foot in front of the other which is sometimes all you can and should ask of yourself after trauma. Martins comes to terms with what happened enough to attend Lime's funeral and to make the attempt to talk to Anna. That's not nothing. When my husband and I watched this film, at the end, a lyric from the musical Next To Normal popped into my head. "When you find you don't have to be happy at all, to be happy your alive." I think The Third Man was probably strangely comforting to a post-war public when so much of the larger culture and societal expectations wanted everyone to just snap out of it and be happy. I actually found it very comforting during the worst of the covid pandemic before the vaccine.
If you are interest in seeing more Noir films I recommend have you seen "Double Indemnity", "The Maltese Falcon", "The Big Sleep", "Murder My Sweet"or "Laura"? I ask since I love those films and recommend them if you haven't. Its a really interesting genre and you rarely see it anymore since it revels in shadows, darker themes and the isolation we feel in the modern era.
Appreciate the pre-viewing research you did here. A lot of postwar noir was very fatalistic as there was a great confusion in the air. The war was over, the axis defeated - yet there was still injustice and immoral acts in the world. The Third Man is probably the greatest distillation of that feeling, and it remains a cinematic masterpiece.
for some bizarre reason i started this video thinking "oh god, here we go..." but was totally turned around. your insights and patience are wonderful and you've earned yourself a sub. thank you for taking the time to make this.
You have given a brilliant analysis of not only the film but of the times. I’m an 80 year old English woman who was born at the end of WW2 and you have a perfect concept of the times
That was a really in depth analysis and couldn't agree more. The plot is hard to follow at first, but not as tough as The Big Sleep, but both fascinating to watch despite that. And the tilt angle shots you mentioned, there's one @ 20:16 where it looks like Joseph Cotton is leaning to his right and the camera is tilted to match him to make it seem he's standing straight, but the wall behind him appears tilted down to the right. I can imagine the director telling him, "Lean a little further Joe. OK, that's it. No, back a little. Now, hold it right there while we check lighting!" Cotton, 10 minutes later: "I'm getting a cramp, Carol. Can we speed this up a bit." LOL! Barnard Lee is best known playing the regular character "M", James Bond's boss at the start of the Bond films in '62. And you mentioned Film-Noir Month. That's going to fun! And next, "Al Lawrence! AL LAWRENCE !!"... wow, what an epic Mia. That has got to be the most widest of the wide-screen movies there is and when you see the shots you'll see why they wanted it that way. That's going to be a good one... I mean two! ✌️😎
I first saw The Third Man 30ish years ago. It immediately became my favorite film, and it still is. One of my favorite little throw-away details is on two occasions when Holly encounters Mr Crabbin, Crabbin is with a young woman who he discreetly maneuvers out of sight. You mentioned wanting Hollywood to make more film noir. Have you seen Brick? It's a 2005 film noir directed by Ryan Johnson starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It's a noir set in a California high school, but it really works. There are a couple of scenes that are clear homages to The Maltese Falcon (Gordon-Levitt in the assistant principal's office is clearly based on Bogart's scene in the DA's office) but it is its own film.
It's SO great to see someone from your generation appreciating enjoying these great b& w movies that kept me as a child / young girl escape from the major family turmoil disfunction!!🍿🍿👍👍
What you said @ 11:05 about contrast is so true too when comparing movies made during the war and just after. The feel of them are quite apparent like when comparing wartime "Objective, Burma!" (1945) to "Crossfire" (1947). And the wartime Casablanca you did to The Third Man here! ✌️😎
Oh yeah! I didn’t even think about Casablanca, yeah it is really apparent between those two movies as well! There is a grittiness to The Third Man that is not present in Casablanca! Wow, very interesting insight!
@@MoviesWithMia And when you have a classic war movie month, you must definitely do Crossfire, if for any reason because it stars the three famous Robert actors of the time... Ryan, Young and Mitchum! An excellent film-noir with Gloria Grahame and Sam Levene, 5 noms including Ryan and Grahame for Best Supporting. 😉👍
When I was growing up, we had a family tradition where every New Year's Day we would all sit down and watch The Third Man on VCR. It's such a brilliant film!
Mia, another beautiful film set in Vienna (in this case mid-1900s Vienna) is Max Ophüls' "Letter From An Uknown Woman" with JOAN FONTAINE...in one of her most acclaimed roles. It's one of the few Ophüls directed in English and outside of Austria. You'll inevitably come across his films. They're always interesting and aesthetically crafted. Thanks for reacting to the greats, as a cinephile I appreciate your videos!
Great video on The Third Man 1949 masterpiece. Directed by the great English director Carol Reed. I think this film was chosen by the critics as the best English film of all time, I personally as a fan I totally agree I would put it on any list among the best films that have ever been made. It is a very entertaining film that has everything a great mystery plot a great truly unrepeatable soundtrack one of the best directors and a great cast. Great performances by Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard, but especially highlighting the impressive performance of Orson Welles despite the fact that he barely appears ten minutes in the film is an unrepeatable performance demonstrating the great class that one of the best actors and directors has of the history of cinema. A film that I have seen countless times and never get tired of watching it again is a great movie classic.
Anyone who knows Greene's writing will be familiar with his interest in broken, imperfect Messiahs. In the Third Man, he went for his least subtle exposition of this motiff. Yet it is so well done. The dialogue is finely tuned. The pacing is perfect.
I am really glad that you covered this movie because it is my all-time favourite. I envy you for seeing it for the first time. It's a treat to watch your enthusiasm and your confusion! I love the tentative romance between Holly and Anna. No kissing. And that beautiful, ambiguous ending. It's just the best.
I am so glad you have seen what I have seen. The desperate, dangerous world. One of the great lines was made by Ernst Deutsch: " I wish I could, but you know I am an Austrian. I have to be careful with the police." - an Austrian, in Vienna, the capital of Austria, has to be careful. It stabs one in the heart. P.S. Paine, the sergeant who got shot was Bernard Lee, who played M, in the James Bond films, and a constant actor in British film. His character is quintessentially British in this setting,
Mia thank you ,it really is a pleasure to hear your enthusiasm expressed so articulately you make excelent points ,I'm a 70 year old Brit and have seen 3rd man many times over the years but you pointed out things I had missed , I am working my way through your reviews , film noir, might I suggest BUILD MY GALLOWS HIGH aka OUT OF THE PAST ,it's my favourite of the genre, Robert Mitchum ,Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas , or maybe a British favourite like Ken Loach's KES it's not noir but a great film and the story was familiar to me as I grew up in a similar place .
A great Joseph Cotton lead? "The Magnificent Ambersons", the film Welles felt was better than "Kane" before the studio edits. But it contains one of Cotton's best performances.
It was so gratifying to see you pick up on the camera angles. It's such an effective and yet subtle way of giving the audience the feeling that everything is just a little off, and how it hints that no one you see is entirely what they seem at first glance. For me, the German dialogue places me in Holly's shoes as a fish out of water, and I suspect that was the intent: to make the audience feel what he is going through as an outsider and how that uncertainty of what people are saying leads to uncertainty about their intentions.
What a great movie. What I never absorbed before was the look of actual war-torn Vienna as the setting. It also has one of the best, if not THE best, character reveal in cinematic history.
Oh yeah, hands down! I had goosebumps when it was revealed!! And I think war-torn Vienna was the perfect setting for this film because it adds to this overall feel of disenchantment and disillusionment! Such a great film!!
Hello MIa Tiffany- your insights and discussion of the first exposure to these classic films is always rewarding for the viewer. Now that I know that you include British films, may I recommend [as strongly as possible!] the films of Michael Powell and Emerick Pressburger, whose works particularly in the 1940's created a series of extraordinary masterpieces. My personal favorite is "Black Narcissus" 1947, but it is just one of a number of films including "A Matter of Life and Death", "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp", "The Red Shoes"- probably their most famous work, "I Know Where I am Going" and "The 49th Parallel". I can't help hearing your viewpoints on each of these superb works. Thanks again for your presentations. I really enjoyed hearing your points of view on "The Third Man" a favorite. Best wishes.
Joseph Cotton films - Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt,, which was a very different role for him. Selznick's Since You Went Away which is World War II as seen by a family at home while the husband/father is away. Great cast - Claudette Colbert, Jennifer Jones, Hattie McDaniel, Shirley Temple, Agnes Moorehead, Robert Walker. Also Song of Bernadette with Jennifer Jones. Another great job!
Looking forward to Lawrence of Arabia. One of the best instrumental musical scores ever for the main theme. Not to mention the great acting and camera work, and locations.
I think the jauntiness of the score is there to serve as a constant reminder of the kind of film this very nearly was, one about this author meeting up with an old friend in a beautiful foreign city. But it instead becomes chilling as immoral medical dealings and evident war ramifications run rampant. At one point it seems like it’s doing its job of highlighting a genuine happy moment, the reunion with Lime, but this is so bittersweet on my rewatches. So the music itself morphs into something more melancholy. But I think what makes this film is Welles. Lime is such an amoral bastard, and you feel so dirty for being suckered in by his charm, just like Anna had been, but she never wises up to the fact that she deserves better. Perhaps not Holly, but *anybody* over a penicillin snatcher/child murderer. That's who she goes on to mourn, what a waste. Talk about cynicism.... For your noir month, I'd do a figurative back flip to see Laura (1944). Potentially my favorite noir ever and one of my favorites in general. It's no less dark than most of them but it's one of the classiest and wittiest noirs you could watch. The modern variety you're expressing a want for is neo noir, and this is something like Blade Runner 2049. It's not the same, of course. But, looking forward to LoA! Quite literally as far from Brief Encounter as one can humanly get. Lean knew a thing or two.
Yes! What you said about being sucked in by his charm! Absolutely yes! I was so shocked when I learned of the type of man Line truly was because for half the movie he was painted as this great, charismatic guy! Also, I have Laura in the schedule! I can’t wait to watch it!!
@@MoviesWithMia I've always loved how we realize at the exact same moment Holly does on that ferris wheel and thus his righteous yet muted anger is exactly what we're feeling. I think a lot of modern movies like this would be tempted to make Holly consider the offer to get in on it for at least a moment, but we get none of that here. Even if that makes him a "cuckoo clock," he stands his ground.
The third man is this atmospheric thriller is one of the undisputed masterpieces of cinema and boast iconic performances from Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles, THE THIRD MAN (1949) 99/100% Certified Approved ☑️ Harry Lime: you know what the fellow said In Italy for thirty years under the borgias they had warfare terror murder and blood-shed they produced Michaelangelo de Vinci and the Renaissance in Switzerland they had brotherly love 500 years of democracy and peace and what did they produce? the cuckoo clock! so long Holly.
There was a full on black-and-white film-noir in set in the 1940s, with a much more frank take on the hyper-masculine culture of the era: 2006 "The Good German" By Steven Soderbergh. I think it's a good noir, and it is influenced the the 1960s turn which changed noir from morality tales to actual darkness.
It's not recent, but “Body Heat” in the 80s is widely regarded as a fine example of modern noir. (And it is essentially a remake of another classic noir, “Double Indemnity.”)
Agree, I think "Body Heat" (1981) is the best modern noir I know of - Kathleen Turner is amazing. There were however good earlier examples of noir in color, like "Leave Her To Heaven" (1945) with Gene Tierney and "Niagara" (1953) with Marilyn Monroe. Tierney was also in one of the best classic noir mysteries ever, 1944's famous "Laura".
It helps if one is European to understand this story line more comprehensively, namley , having a fairly good idea in understanding the dialog spoken in German or at least, having a good idea what was said. But, beside that, this movie has at least 5 or more story lines going on at the same time : a story about friendship, love, disilusion, fear of unknown future, post war anxiety, hoplesness, etc...etc....And the music....I've seen that movie when I was 7-8 years old in late fifties, and though i didn't exactly understood what was going on, I remembered the music!! This movie is a pure art !!! Holywood has a lot catching up to do , despite all the technicall wizardry available.
This is pretty much one of the quintessential film noir films. Film Noir is to me mostly exaggerations with scenes using high key lighting, or low key lighting. Key lighting is used today, but harder to see in color unlike black and white silver nitrate film. Did quick research for films of this year and review the color films to this one. Important to note is that films that the studios were unsure about there profitability, they filmed in cheaper black and white and not color. It is important to note that the rubble of post war Vienna is there to see in black and white. The end result of what the war did to the city. There is not a lot of footage of what post war German occupied areas that were the focus of allied air campaign look like. With this film you see the result. This is one of the things that I think make this film special
My first time viewing this film was similar to yours in relation to the music. At the beginning I also thought the music was a weird choice for a thriller-mystery (although I found your sponge bob reference strange, lol) but just as your opinion of it had changed by the halfway point, so had mine. It was so unique and so relevant to the theme, the mood, and the setting of the movie that any normal score would not have been as effective. By the final scene it had become such an important part of the film that anything other than those haunting strings would have been a huge letdown. A perfect example of a great movie in itself made even greater by the choice of a musical instrument. The only other film I can think of that also used music and sound to such an extent that it made a powerful movie into a masterpiece was Psycho.
The camera angles, the score, the play of light and dark, the faces, the story....all soooo distinctive! One of my faves. So glad you got to see it! For noir month, I'd love to suggest a little spoken of film: The Dark Corner (1946), with Lucille Ball, Mark Stevens, & Clifton Webb. I Love Lucy in this movie!
@@MoviesWithMia It’s a good one. There is one thing that you should know going in which is while he is a good actor Alec Guinness (Obi Wan in the original Star Wars trilogy) is wearing dark makeup to make himself look Arab. It’s not as bad as blackface or Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, but I thought you should know ahead so you wouldn’t be surprised.
@@etherealtb6021 I begged my mom to let me go see the film last year, but she didn’t want me driving all the way to the theater that was showing the film so I missed the opportunity to see the 4k remaster of the film (once in a lifetime!)
Worth mentioning that there's two different versions of this movie. - A UK/everywhere but US release and a .... US release. The former has an intro spoken by the director Carol Reed
Great reaction! Roger Ebert once called this the film that most captured the romance of cinema and he was completely right (he also described the theme tune as "jaunty but cheerless, like whistling in the dark" which I also love.) Harry Lime has maybe the greatest introduction of any character in film history. I do find it interesting you see Anna's attitude at the end as being one of disillusionment. I always saw it as her fierce commitment to Harry, even knowing all his flaws (“A person doesn't change just because you find out more.”) Also since you liked this I'd recommend 'Our Man in Havana' (1959), also written by Graham Greene and starring Alec Guinness and Maureen O'Hara as the most Irish accented English character you'll ever see in a movie (I'm allowed to say that, I'm Irish.)
Oh boy! Roger Ebert really hit it on the ball with his review! Yes I really loved that ending scene where we see Anna walking towards Holly with this overall feel of disenchantment! So powerful, also thank you for your recommendations!
Orson Welles did a Radio Show about Harry Lime. It showed that Harry was a very complex person. He could be charming. He could be generous. But he also could be ruthless and cruel.
In response to your comments about the returning veterans being let down, that's actually the primary plot point of 'The Roaring Twenties', with James Cagney, which is the last of the great cycle of gangster films from the '30s. It's recommended, if you're interested in that sort of stuff.
@@MoviesWithMia I can definitely recommend Cagney films, Angels with Dirty Faces and White Heat are also immense, but White Heat is best watched after the other two as a sort of gangster swangsong. Really stoked about your reactions, thank you!
Yes! He had that classic British charm! And he also had a roughness to his character that really made me like him!! I must watch those James Bond films!!
Could have sworn you said "Tread on over." But then again I was away from the PC. 😁 But seriously Mia, I just knew you would note the music right away! Nice movie pick too.
Yes, great recommendation, sodapop. For some reason, Reni Santoni following Steve Martin talking about having his "pie-yammas" is the first thing I think of when I remember this movie. That and the napkin-wrapped gift Martin gave the secretary who didn't get the puppy. I think sodapop is right; you'll love that movie.
A wonderful and empathetic reaction to one a strong, dark, scary movie. I've been exposed to this movie from the time I was really young and not able to understand it. Like so many great things, the more you watch it, the more you see and the more details come out, adding to your knowledge and your doubt. Graham Greene wrote some very dark, sometimes very funny (if you approach it right) work. Two of my favorites are "Our Man in Havanna", which is a sort of twisted, ironic view of the spy business starring the great Alec Guinness as a quiet vacuum salesman pulled into very odd dealings; and a meditative, pessimistic cinema poem "Monsignor Quixote" also with Guinness backed by Leo McKern. This is a noir, but not a typical one really - for me the big difference is that there is no femme fatale: that character is generally a woman of initiative and force who will lead the protagonist into trouble and into a dangerous affair. Anna is vulnerable; she is resistant to a relationship with Holly; she loves the ghost of Harry, and is blind to the darkness in him because she has received kindness and help at his hands. In a way, if there is a femme fatale in this story, it's Harry. That first reveal, with the cat at his feet, is one of my favorites (and the build up to it is right there when Anna tells Holly that the cat only liked Harry; then we see the kitty looking up at the figure). The fear you rightly say is in Harry's eyes in the famous ferris wheel scene is there in the doorway, when he gives Holly that wonderful smile and then runs away. That scene was the first one I paid attention to at first watching, and the line that stays with me always is: "In Italy for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder, bloodshed. They produced Michaelangelo, da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, five hundred years of democracy and peace, and what did they produce? The cuckoo clock." I never felt that Calloway was spinning a story for Holly: I always felt he was a very burdened official with lots of responsibility who was now dealing with a difficult wild card in Holly. One of the first things he says to Holly that Harry Lime was a racketeer. We may doubt Calloway, but my doubt always stops dead when we go to the hospital and we see the consequences of Harry's actions. The awful truth about Harry is precisely that he is charismatic and fun, and pulls you in (as he pulled you in), but he will tie you to him, as he did with Anna, who will never be whole, and manipulate you, as he does with Holly, and he does not care about anyone but himself, and he may not even care about himself by this point. This movie is so rich that you can watch it each time from some one else's point of view in addition to Holly: you can walk in Anna's shoes, or Calloway's, and when I walk in Calloway's, I feel awful for the humanity he himself has to sacrifice in order to do his work. He has lost his partner, Sergeant Paine, at the end of this; Paine, who was kind and gentle, and who knew Holly's novels, and whose death is indirectly at the hands of Holly. The instrument used in the score is a zither and the artist is Anton Karas. The zither is a typically-Austrian instrument. Here it is being used by Strauss, in his famous waltz, "Tales from the Vienna woods". The zither comes in at about 2:40: th-cam.com/video/IXO-5mcHAeE/w-d-xo.html. I loved your drawing of connection from pre-war Austria in "Sound of Music" to this post-war Vienna. The rubble and the dark corners do make a terrible contrast. If you watch "Judgment at Nuremburg" and "A Foreign Affair", you'll see similar wreckage in Germany. "The Search", a heartwrenching story of a little boy and his mother searching for each other also shows us Europe after the devastation; it's also noteworthy as a very early Montgomery Clift role. Looking forward to the next one!
Greene wrote the book and screenplay together but the movie came out before the book. The book is great also. The zither soundtrack became a number 1 album right after it came out.
The Man Who Wasn't There by the Coens is a great modern noir in the traditional style. Interestingly though, it was shot on color film and then printed in B&W. The last shot of Third Man was recreated by Scorsese in The Departed.
Yeah, it’s all about that zither music, ain’t it? 🎶 I didn’t even know what a zither was before I saw this film but it sure lends a unique signature sound to these grim postwar events. I love when musical scores contrast unexpectedly with its stories and, yeah, Wes Anderson comes to mind. I think you’re also right about him drawing other stylistic influences from older films, like those tilted angles. Those shots (sometimes referred to as Dutch or Chinese angles) also pop up in other different types of genre films like ‘Pee Wee’s Big Adventure,’ ‘Friday,’ and ‘Pan’s Labyrinth.’ Spike Lee even used them to powerful effect in ‘Do the Right Thing.’ You hit the nail right on the head when it comes to film noirs: those films are usually dark commentaries meant to convey disillusionment, disenchantment, cynicism, and utter futility - just a total lack of hope and faith in the “system,” whether it be government, religion, marriage, family, and even life itself. In fact, the really “dark” ones spit in the faces of all of those institutions. And you’re so accurate about those films being a result of post war fatigue and uncertainty. Those were extremely unstable times, as you pointed out, and the existential angst is even reflected in the disaffected way the characters speak. People felt very disconnected from everything, a symptom of postwar survival. It was really fun watching you try to get a handle on Orson Welles’ Harry Lime character. I’ve had a personal fascination with that character from the moment I saw his mischievous grinning face light up for the very first time in that alleyway. The bottom line is he’s a sociopath. And that amazing speech in the Ferris wheel outlines his whole philosophy. But damn it if he isn’t so suave, debonair, and charming. Which is precisely what makes him so seductive and dangerous. It’s like the gods above were playing a drinking game one night and decided “Hey, let’s give somebody the charisma of both a golden retriever AND a cobra.” And Orson Welles just plays the shizzle schnizzle out of it. That Ferris wheel speech is such a sweet smelling potion, you could almost fall for it hook, line, and sinker. He’s just too smooth. You’re killin’ it, Mia. You’re on a roll. Because you’re so attuned to the social, cultural, and historical underpinnings of the classic films you’re reacting to, I can’t wait to see you feast on the seven course meal that is David Lean’s ‘Lawrence of Arabia.’ When people say “they don’t make ‘em like they used to,” they’re literally referring to this epic. It’s one of the most ambitious films ever made. And David Lean sticks the landing. Cheers! 😊
Jose, I really appreciate your words of encouragement! Honestly, it really gives me motivation to keep improving and moving forward! Also, your insight is so stellar and I feel like we are on the same page! If I may, I am thankful for you and your comments! I look forward to them each video! Thank you so much for your comments :) I am SO EXCITED for Lawrence of Arabia!!
That’s really kind of you to say, Mia. Truly, thanks for sharing. :) You can always count on my support. I’m glad you agree we’re on the same page too because I really believe the work you’re doing is important. You get to be the curator and host of your very own film festival every week. How cool is that? Plus, you’re giving precious attention to very deserving works of art. And I have as much fun discussing films as I do watching them so I appreciate our back-and-forths. :)
I finally got to watch this, and ... wow. What a movie. I agree with what you say about the music. Normally, I find music that doesn't match the mood of the film to be distracting (like a lot of films in the 60s), but here, it really added something unique. And the cinematography was out of this world. So many iconic shots. I especially loved getting the feel of the city at that time. It reminded me of how much I loved living in Eastern Europe. Something about the trees, the architecture, even the empty streets in the rainy nights... so evocative. Methinks I may have to head back east after this pandemic is over. I do wish I had waited to see the review until after I'd seen the movie, because I think the element of surprise would have added a lot to the experience, but it was still an amazing experience even without that.
Brilliant film. Couple of things. Having holidayed in Vienna a couple of years ago, it's still possible to see 90% of the sights in the film (including the big wheel), and you can go on Harry Lime Tours where they take you to all the locations (including the sewer scene). Also Bernard Lee is best known for playing M in the James Bond films for Sean Connery and most of the Roger Moore years.
Wow! I am LOVING your vacation spots! First Salzburg, now Vienna!! That is so cool!! Also, I love that the locations are still accessible to the public! I’d really love to visit someday!! Thank you for sharing your insight :)
There was also a British radio series (voiced by Orson Welles) which was a kind of prequel to the movie that aired on radio in the US as THE LIVES OF HARRY LIME. I remember hearing it rebroadcast on radio in the late 1970's along with the CBS Radio Mystery Theater. : )
The Third Man the the best film I've ever seen and I think I just found my new favorite movie reaction channel. You clearly know your stuff and say such interesting things. Also, the only two places where I've ever heard of a zither is this film and the first Doves album.
Another great reaction video. You're getting so highbrow now with these movies. Anyway I was thinking of good future movies and I came up with 4: - Since TCM began their Noir Alley showing Saturday nights I've really enjoyed them. "This Gun for Hire" was a huge one that made Alan Ladd a star, and was written by Graham Greene, who also wrote "The Third Man." - The grandaddy of all film noir, "Double Indemnity" with Barbara Stanwyvk. - Hey, what about a Westerns week? You can't do classic movies without Westerns. And speaking of Alan Ladd, what about "Shane?" It's not your typical Western, you'll be holding back tears towards the end. One of the all time best. - I think you'd enjoy "High Noon" with Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly. Iconic theme song.
Oh yes Bill! I have a whole month dedicated to Westerns! I am so excited to dive in!! Thank you for your recommendation! I will definitely check it out!
Ohhh, Lawrence of Arabia. I just got that one a few weeks ago and have been meaning to watch it, so now I'll have an extra motivation and will be able to (hopefully) make an intelligent comment! Woohoo!
@@MoviesWithMia And Lean followed it up with another beautiful epic masterpiece, "Doctor Zhivago", also a must-see movie. With Omar Sharif in the lead, and Alec Guiness in another fine character part.
Orson Welles met Churchill a few times and has some very funny stories of their meeting. I remember ration books and lack of food in England and the same drive to survive was throughout Europe only perhaps more desperate that does not excuse crime but we are today so very dependent on others for the basics in life such as food and energy for our homes. Take away the utilities and humans will change.
Welles and Cotton worked together at the Mercury Theater before their film careers (Agnes Moorhead was part of that theater troupe also) - Welles used these wonderful theater actors in Citizen Kane.
@25:50 - You mention Bernard Lee. This was one of his very early roles - He later played the iconic character "M" in the James Bond movies, mostly with Sean Connery
The best latter day noirs that you might enjoy are Body Heat, Chinatown, and L.A. Confidential. Also, the popularity of this film spawned a prequel radio series about Harry Line's various cons and related ne'er do well adventures.
Noir isn't about 'being a douche' or 'having no feelings', it's about being EVIL. Harry Lime isn't a douche, he's quite personable. You'd probably like him. It's not that he has no sympathy for others, he's simply evil. This is why film noir is optimistic--- it genuinely discusses what is good and what is evil, without cynicism that it isn't possible to tell, because it always is possible.
This is why love watching people watch movies. I've seen The Third Man so many times, I'd forgotten how as an audience member, you feel like the characters, you don't know who to trust. I also think the "other layer" is the innocent American, who thinks they can fix everything simply, has to grow up. Kind of like the US had to due to after WW2. Also, I don't think Ana is just mourning Harry. It isn't explained much in the movie, but being Czech, people would've known she went through hell, so she probably has PTSD & survivor's guilt. And being repatriated by the Soviets would've meant the end of freedom. That later is there in her sadness as well, I think. Oh also (info again from my mom) The Third Man Theme was a hot record! Isn't that weird? Then they had songs that they called "novelty hits". Weird, eh? There are morally ambiguous modern film "neo noirs", like L.A. Confidential and Chinatown. Great noirs, if you haven't seen them yet. I'd love to see you watch/review them!
Wow! Thank you for addressing that “other layer” because that is EXACTLY how I felt! Like I wanted to fix the problem or I wanted their to be some sort of solution to all the violence and confusion! Also, I had a feeling that there was more to Anna’s grief, especially as I was editing and rewatching the film! There are layers to her sadness between the loss of Lime, her forged papers being discovered, and the repatriation. I completely get that from Valli’s portrayal of Anna! Such great insight! Thank you, Tracey :)
@@MoviesWithMia no problem! Trust me, I didn't start seeing these things until multiple views of the film. I love movies like this, where it has layers like an onion and each time you watch the film you get deeper and deeper.
Great reaction - "Who killed Harry Lime?" - and we actually do get the answer, at the end, don't we, in a wonderful bit of symmetry - you ask about a silver lining - w this strange, affable darkness, and Holly's frustrating ambivalence, that feels like an inner weakness - but Alida Valli keeps her integrity - that's the sunlight - she never compromises herself, and she's never touched by the darkness - she alone manages to stay above it - re suggestions, The Magnificent Ambersons immediately comes to mind - and here's another one, totally different, out of the blue - but it may capture this hypnotic post-war mood better than anyone else - try La Jetee, by Chris Marker - this will open a whole different dimension of cinema for you, that's still linked to what you're watching
Where is the ending? The long shot of Anna walking by Holly with absolute disdain says everything about Holly Martins as a man. Anna told him earlier that 'you've got your precious honesty, you don't want anything else'. ' Else' meaning fun. Holly Martins was smitten with Anna but she was indifferent to his school-boy crush. Not a happy ending but an honest one. Great film!
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Finally !! A film reviewer who knows film!! Someone who looks beyond the action of the film to get to the statements the film is trying to make. I am so at home here !!
Europe has never really recovered from the effects of the two world wars. America went about its business of building homes and roads. It had to redefine itself as a world superpower. In 10 or 20 years, the efforts produced a brief period of innocent pleasures from the 'hippys' but that soon faded too. The darkness of folks who have become disenchanted and have lost the illusion of a meaningful life is now omnipresent here too. It took the wisdom of C.S. Lewis to try to console England during the war, and his writings still apply.
I love your interest in film's place as a mirror to society, historically speaking. I do wonder what the current state of media tells you about our present condition. I also love your careful manners while speaking (correcting yourself in pronunciation etc.) Very few reactors are as articulate and research oriented as you. You have earned yourself yet another subscriber.
A good example of a more recent film noir is 'Blood Simple' (1984) by the Coen brothers. Someone else recommended 'Momento', but editing that one, with it's backwards storytelling, would be quite a beast.
Nice review. Thanks. That's the thing about Harry Lime - we and the other characters really want him to be a lovable rogue, the Hans Solo type who will do the right thing in the end... but he isn't. He really IS a bastard through and through. His natural charm is a weapon.That's how the most successful con men work. The film is quite brilliantly and subtly merciless in the way it manipulates and then awakens our understanding of his true nature. Yet, we still hope he'll get away at the end! What suckers we are for that... and the film knows it. 🙂 Fantastic movie.
As an Austrian I adore this film! The shot with the cat is one of my favourites ever. :-) And it's somehow funny, what an "anti-hero" Joseph Cotten is. Nobody takes him serious, since he is an "ordinary" American. But the most interesting thing about this film is, how Harry Lime gets the main character, although he has not very much screentime. And I love the very last shot: When Joseph Cotten waits for the girl. A perfect ending.
The song, 'The Third Man theme,' by Anton Karas, was top of the charts in June 1950
Harry is a monster, but he is a thoroughly modern monster. He personifies the indifference, brutality, and selfishness of the worst aspects of capitalism, but manifested in Welles’ charming swagger. In the post war world vampires, werewolves, and mummies can’t compare to the real horror of a world full of Harry Limes. The hospital scene reveals the real stakes here that Martens has been trying to ignore, and he does, ultimately, find himself as a sort of tarnished hero (there’s no other kind in film noir) but the victory, while necessary, is a hollow one.
Yes! I absolutely agree with you! He is the thing that goes bump in the night!
A couple of remarks from a Vienna resident: The Third Man was shot in Vienna in the immediate postwar years where there was great poverty and even greater insecurity. The damage you see in the film was cleaned up in the years that followed. The Sound of Music was NOT shot in Vienna at all, but in Salzburg, a much smaller city of chiefly cultural importance that had remained undamaged during the war. (And of course, by the mid-60s, Vienna was no more the rubble heap either.)
About the music: Anton Karas was a professional musician who entertained the guests with his zither playing (zither: a traditional tabletop string instrument plucked with the fingers) at a traditional Vienna wine garden (Heuriger). The filmmakers heard him and decided to use his music for the film.
The Third Man is still fairly big in Vienna tourism. You can take a tour of the sewers where the film was shot, it is called Third Man Tour. (The sewers are actually quite clean and do not smell bad at all!) There is also an English language movie theater called Burg Kino (fairly close to the Opera House) where they show The Third Man in English every evening.
When Orson makes his entrance, your reaction was priceless. I actually watched this the other day and never commented, I really, really enjoyed this. I hope you do some more Orson! Touch Of Evil, The Magnificent Ambersons , The Stranger definitely....that's almost a month of Orson right there! The Lady From Shanghai was mutilated by the studio, but has classic sequences. His Shakespeare films are all great. Thanks, Mia!!!! I am so excited to have seen a reaction video for The Third Man! :D
Touch of Evil is probably his best performance imo
It's one hell of an entrance
The Third Man is about a man having all of his illusions about the world and his place in it shattered one by one, with the last pane in the window being broken in the closing shot when Anna walks by Holly without even acknowledging his existence. And at a symbolic level, it's about the United States and the position it was in after the war. In a way, the movie is saying that the U.S. would have to grow up if it was to be a world leader. Holly Martins made his living writing pulp westerns, which have a simplistic good-versus-evil world view, but that doesn't work in a place like post-war Europe.
Orson Welles wrote the cuckoo clock monologue. It's a very famous speech that underscores Harry Lime's cynicism. And Lime was a cynic (among other things) - a man with no faith in human nature, who uses his bitter view of humanity to excuse his actions.
The tilted perspective of so many of the shots is called "Dutch angle." It was used a lot by the German expressionist directors. The technique gives the movie an unsettled feeling.
The closing shot took a lot of guts on the part of Carol Reed. A minute and a half with nothing but one character walking toward the camera while another stands off to the side is a lot of screen time while very little happens. I don't think any director (or editor) would do that today. But the length of the shot helps it build tension, which breaks when Anna walks past and out of the shot. It's my favorite closing shot of all time.
One of the many things I love about this movie is that Holly is never portrayed as some sort of great hero. He's over his head through most of the story, and is reluctant to betray his old friend even though he learns how bad Lime really is. Holly isn't even a very good writer. He's just a guy who gets drawn into a dangerous world without knowing what he's getting himself into.
Little things I love in The Third Man include Holly walking under a ladder on his way to the hotel, the balloon man (and his shadow) almost blowing their cover as they lay in wait for Harry Lime, and the symbolism of Lime dying in a sewer.
Thanks for another great reaction!
Oh yes! I absolutely agree that end shot was gutsy, but he nailed it right on the ball! I remember feel the tension as I was watching this scene, like “what’s going to happen?” And then when nothing happened, the story was solidified for me! Such a great ending to such a great film!!
@@MoviesWithMia A movie that begins at a cemetery for a man's funeral and ends at the same cemetery for a second funeral for that man with the same people attending.
@vania1917
Wow, it really is full circle!
@@MoviesWithMia One subtle thing does happen, Cotton dejectedly throws away his match.
The portrayal of the American as a hapless innocent is very much from author Graham Greene. In his works, the same figure of the American as well-meaning innocent fool appears again and again.
Orson Welles' first appearance in the doorway, alongside Omar Sharif's long, slow approach out of the desert in Lawrence of Arabia, are surely the two greatest entrances in all cinema.
How HANDSOME are Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles here? Okay, I feel better. "The Thin Man Theme" was a HUGE hit as an instrumental, even into the 60's. The Iconic shot for me is when Holly sees Harry in the doorway at night and Harry has that knowing smile. Just perfect.
I fell in love with this film the moment I heard the introductory zither music. What followed did not disappoint especially the moment of Lime's dramatic appearance in the light from the window above.
There's a radio show starring Orson Welles called "The Adventures of Harry Lime". It's how I discovered this movie
Excellent review of one of my all-time favourites.
One of the first films I ever saw, along with "Kane" and "2001," to make me realize: THIS is what a movie *can do.*
Next level. Still is.
Great point. "Sunrise" by Murnau is another I'd put alongside those films.
One of my favorite film noir, along with The Big Sleep and Night of the Hunter
You do know what is good.
It is for me the best film ever made🙂
Totally agree with the metaphor for Harry's disillusionment in his friend Harry with American naivete in the aftermath of the war and how monsters like Harry take advantage of the situation.
Another element of this film is how when society is torn apart--as in after the war--the grifter comes out in people who might not otherwise go to such lengths to survive (Anna). Anna's moral compass has become so screwed up that she stays loyal to Harry Lime, who has made no effort to protect her when he goes undercover, and rejects Holly Martens, who as part of his deal to give up Harry Lime has protected her from the police. She has fallen prey to Harry Lime's charm (he got her false papers, but not very good ones, to get favors from her while it was convenient), yet Harry Lime considers her--and everyone else--like those ant-like figures viewed from the top of the Ferris wheel.
Before abnormal psychology became part of the reservoir of general knowledge, few individuals outside the field would have been able to recognize a sociopath. Ordinary people like Holly assumed everyone was basically decent, which left them open to manipulators. Nowadays, the chilling stories Holly tells Anna about his school days with Harry, would send a chill down the spine of any astute listener. But Holly accepts Harry's friendship as an unshakable fact, even when his 'friend' nearly murders him on the Ferris wheel. Anna never does get it, despite learning that Harry has made money from destroying the lives of children. Then again, she behaves like a classic enabler. This is my favorite movie of all time: the plot, the characters, the acting, the dialogue, the setting, the cinematography...everything about it is absolutely perfect. And what a chilling glimpse into the human psyche! Absolutely masterful!
Some classic noir of the 40's- "Out of the Past", "Crossfire", Murder, My Sweet", " Laura" and "The Big Sleep"
Thank you for recommending, Keith! I will definitely add some of these to the schedule!!
Yeah, also The Dark Corner, Whirlpool, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Kiss of Death, The Glass Key, This Gun For Hire, The Blue Dahlia. So many great films.
This is one of my favorite movies of all time, and it's great to see a reaction to it. The performances are all excellent, but I particularly enjoy Trevor Howard and Alida Valli. I watched Brief Encounter because of this movie. I wanted to see Howard in another role, and I enjoyed that one as well.
This film had such a unique "look" to it. Someone told me this film should be colorized. I said that colorization would have completely ruined the entire "feel" of the film. I've always liked the stellar use of camera angles and overall cinematography. Mia, it's wonderful to know that younger people are discovering and appreciating the classic films. Cheers -- W
Yes, it does. Even though it's shot in b&w the film print has a particular 'tone.' It renders the beautiful sets and cityscape of post-war Vienna in a vivid way. I guess it's how they dyed it I dunno.
Really loving your channel -- I teach film and I love your enthusiasm. Producer David Selznick made a number of small but detrimental changes to the US cut of the film, but one thing he insisted on and was absolutely right about: he said Joe Cotten couldn't possibly get the girl. She's been in love with Harry and the fact that he's a villain doesn't matter to her, and Selznick said the women in the audience would absolutely hate it if she suddenly turned around and forgave Cotten for killing her man. Good storytelling instinct.
The period after 1945 was the most optimistic and hopeful in all of human history. The depression had been overcome, and the principles of Keynesian economics and heavy regulation would ensure such depressions couldn't return (at least until Reagan undid the regulation). The second world war ended by total defeat of the Nazis. There was grand promises of social welfare which were being met, the GI bill and the subsidizing of mortgages meant many Americans were financially secure. Film Noir is about the dark parts of the human experience, but it isn't cynical, it is hopeful. The real cynicism only came at the end of the 60s, as people gave up hope on socialism, and turned to drugs.
Best Noir, Double Indemnity, Out of the Past and the French film Rififi.
Noir certainly reached it's height in America in the late 40s and 50s, but there were pre-war Noir Films as well. This was especially true in Germany with films such as the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) and M (1931).
Keep up the great work Mia!
Thank you, Dustin, for your recommendations :) I will be sure to give these a check!! Also, we have Double Indemnity on our list for our Film Noir month!
Ah Riffi!. Lots of great French film noir/policiers out there.
But..... please please react to Clouzot's "les diaboliques"!
If you're looking to expand your reactions, there's a large number of French movies from the the 50s and 60s which have English subs and you can pretty easily get. Practically anything with Jena Gabin and/or Lino Ventura for example.
@@MoviesWithMiaYou've gotta do M sometime.
I actually find the ending of The Third Man to be profound and beautiful and not bleak and hopeless.
Think about it. These two people have been through their own personal hells. They are traumatized and disillusioned. They are not ok... and that's ok.
I mean they literally have Anna putting one foot in front of the other which is sometimes all you can and should ask of yourself after trauma.
Martins comes to terms with what happened enough to attend Lime's funeral and to make the attempt to talk to Anna. That's not nothing.
When my husband and I watched this film, at the end, a lyric from the musical Next To Normal popped into my head. "When you find you don't have to be happy at all, to be happy your alive."
I think The Third Man was probably strangely comforting to a post-war public when so much of the larger culture and societal expectations wanted everyone to just snap out of it and be happy.
I actually found it very comforting during the worst of the covid pandemic before the vaccine.
My favorite Joseph Cotten role is "Shadow Of A Doubt" by Alfred Hitcock.
If you are interest in seeing more Noir films I recommend have you seen "Double Indemnity", "The Maltese Falcon", "The Big Sleep", "Murder My Sweet"or "Laura"? I ask since I love those films and recommend them if you haven't. Its a really interesting genre and you rarely see it anymore since it revels in shadows, darker themes and the isolation we feel in the modern era.
Appreciate the pre-viewing research you did here. A lot of postwar noir was very fatalistic as there was a great confusion in the air. The war was over, the axis defeated - yet there was still injustice and immoral acts in the world. The Third Man is probably the greatest distillation of that feeling, and it remains a cinematic masterpiece.
I adore this song!!!!!!!!!!I play it whenever I get the chance!!!!!!
One of a kind!!
for some bizarre reason i started this video thinking "oh god, here we go..." but was totally turned around. your insights and patience are wonderful and you've earned yourself a sub. thank you for taking the time to make this.
You have given a brilliant analysis of not only the film but of the times. I’m an 80 year old English woman who was born at the end of WW2 and you have a perfect concept of the times
That was a really in depth analysis and couldn't agree more. The plot is hard to follow at first, but not as tough as The Big Sleep, but both fascinating to watch despite that. And the tilt angle shots you mentioned, there's one @ 20:16 where it looks like Joseph Cotton is leaning to his right and the camera is tilted to match him to make it seem he's standing straight, but the wall behind him appears tilted down to the right. I can imagine the director telling him, "Lean a little further Joe. OK, that's it. No, back a little. Now, hold it right there while we check lighting!" Cotton, 10 minutes later: "I'm getting a cramp, Carol. Can we speed this up a bit." LOL! Barnard Lee is best known playing the regular character "M", James Bond's boss at the start of the Bond films in '62. And you mentioned Film-Noir Month. That's going to fun! And next, "Al Lawrence! AL LAWRENCE !!"... wow, what an epic Mia. That has got to be the most widest of the wide-screen movies there is and when you see the shots you'll see why they wanted it that way. That's going to be a good one... I mean two! ✌️😎
I first saw The Third Man 30ish years ago. It immediately became my favorite film, and it still is. One of my favorite little throw-away details is on two occasions when Holly encounters Mr Crabbin, Crabbin is with a young woman who he discreetly maneuvers out of sight. You mentioned wanting Hollywood to make more film noir. Have you seen Brick? It's a 2005 film noir directed by Ryan Johnson starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It's a noir set in a California high school, but it really works. There are a couple of scenes that are clear homages to The Maltese Falcon (Gordon-Levitt in the assistant principal's office is clearly based on Bogart's scene in the DA's office) but it is its own film.
It's SO great to see someone from your generation appreciating enjoying these great b& w movies that kept me as a child / young girl escape from the major family turmoil disfunction!!🍿🍿👍👍
What you said @ 11:05 about contrast is so true too when comparing movies made during the war and just after. The feel of them are quite apparent like when comparing wartime "Objective, Burma!" (1945) to "Crossfire" (1947). And the wartime Casablanca you did to The Third Man here! ✌️😎
Oh yeah! I didn’t even think about Casablanca, yeah it is really apparent between those two movies as well! There is a grittiness to The Third Man that is not present in Casablanca! Wow, very interesting insight!
@@MoviesWithMia And when you have a classic war movie month, you must definitely do Crossfire, if for any reason because it stars the three famous Robert actors of the time... Ryan, Young and Mitchum! An excellent film-noir with Gloria Grahame and Sam Levene, 5 noms including Ryan and Grahame for Best Supporting. 😉👍
Connecting Holly traveling to Vienna with postwar GI's returning to America is brilliant.
When I was growing up, we had a family tradition where every New Year's Day we would all sit down and watch The Third Man on VCR. It's such a brilliant film!
Mia, another beautiful film set in Vienna (in this case mid-1900s Vienna) is Max Ophüls' "Letter From An Uknown Woman" with JOAN FONTAINE...in one of her most acclaimed roles. It's one of the few Ophüls directed in English and outside of Austria. You'll inevitably come across his films. They're always interesting and aesthetically crafted. Thanks for reacting to the greats, as a cinephile I appreciate your videos!
The atmosphere and music, magnificent. It makes you to watch again. And again.
Great video on The Third Man 1949 masterpiece.
Directed by the great English director Carol Reed.
I think this film was chosen by the critics as the best English film of all time, I personally as a fan I totally agree I would put it on any list among the best films that have ever been made.
It is a very entertaining film that has everything a great mystery plot a great truly unrepeatable soundtrack one of the best directors and a great cast.
Great performances by Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard, but especially highlighting the impressive performance of Orson Welles despite the fact that he barely appears ten minutes in the film is an unrepeatable performance demonstrating the great class that one of the best actors and directors has of the history of cinema.
A film that I have seen countless times and never get tired of watching it again is a great movie classic.
Anyone who knows Greene's writing will be familiar with his interest in broken, imperfect Messiahs. In the Third Man, he went for his least subtle exposition of this motiff. Yet it is so well done. The dialogue is finely tuned. The pacing is perfect.
I am really glad that you covered this movie because it is my all-time favourite.
I envy you for seeing it for the first time. It's a treat to watch your enthusiasm and your confusion!
I love the tentative romance between Holly and Anna. No kissing.
And that beautiful, ambiguous ending. It's just the best.
I am so glad you have seen what I have seen. The desperate, dangerous world. One of the great lines was made by Ernst Deutsch: " I wish I could, but you know I am an Austrian. I have to be careful with the police." - an Austrian, in Vienna, the capital of Austria, has to be careful. It stabs one in the heart.
P.S. Paine, the sergeant who got shot was Bernard Lee, who played M, in the James Bond films, and a constant actor in British film. His character is quintessentially British in this setting,
Mia thank you ,it really is a pleasure to hear your enthusiasm expressed so articulately you make excelent points ,I'm a 70 year old Brit and have seen 3rd man many times over the years but you pointed out things I had missed , I am working my way through your reviews , film noir, might I suggest BUILD MY GALLOWS HIGH aka OUT OF THE PAST ,it's my favourite of the genre, Robert Mitchum ,Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas , or maybe a British favourite like Ken Loach's KES it's not noir but a great film and the story was familiar to me as I grew up in a similar place .
Thank you so much! I am so glad you found the channel. I will keep your recommendations in mind, thank you for recommending 😊
A great Joseph Cotton lead? "The Magnificent Ambersons", the film Welles felt was better than "Kane" before the studio edits. But it contains one of Cotton's best performances.
The Magnificent Amberson’s, got it!! I will put it on the list, thank you for your recommendation :)
Great reaction. I absolutely love your channel. I wish more reactors would delve deeper into the early classics.
It was so gratifying to see you pick up on the camera angles. It's such an effective and yet subtle way of giving the audience the feeling that everything is just a little off, and how it hints that no one you see is entirely what they seem at first glance.
For me, the German dialogue places me in Holly's shoes as a fish out of water, and I suspect that was the intent: to make the audience feel what he is going through as an outsider and how that uncertainty of what people are saying leads to uncertainty about their intentions.
What a great movie. What I never absorbed before was the look of actual war-torn Vienna as the setting. It also has one of the best, if not THE best, character reveal in cinematic history.
I also don't subscribe to movie reaction channels. I have with yours because of what you bring to your analysis and your love of cinema.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
Oh yeah, hands down! I had goosebumps when it was revealed!! And I think war-torn Vienna was the perfect setting for this film because it adds to this overall feel of disenchantment and disillusionment! Such a great film!!
Hello MIa Tiffany- your insights and discussion of the first exposure to these classic films is always rewarding for the viewer. Now that I know that you include British films, may I recommend [as strongly as possible!] the films of Michael Powell and Emerick Pressburger, whose works particularly in the 1940's created a series of extraordinary masterpieces. My personal favorite is "Black Narcissus" 1947, but it is just one of a number of films including "A Matter of Life and Death", "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp", "The Red Shoes"- probably their most famous work, "I Know Where I am Going" and "The 49th Parallel". I can't help hearing your viewpoints on each of these superb works. Thanks again for your presentations. I really enjoyed hearing your points of view on "The Third Man" a favorite. Best wishes.
Joseph Cotton films - Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt,, which was a very different role for him. Selznick's Since You Went Away which is World War II as seen by a family at home while the husband/father is away. Great cast - Claudette Colbert, Jennifer Jones, Hattie McDaniel, Shirley Temple, Agnes Moorehead, Robert Walker. Also Song of Bernadette with Jennifer Jones.
Another great job!
Thank you for your recommendations! I will definitely check these out!!
Since we're talking Jennifer Jones and Cotten, can't overlook "Portrait of Jennie."
Looking forward to Lawrence of Arabia. One of the best instrumental musical scores ever for the main theme. Not to mention the great acting and camera work, and locations.
Oh yes! I absolutely LOVED everything you mentioned here about this film!! Such a great film so far!
Oh that music will haunt you forever! We are as untethered from truth as we are from morality. Wonderful confusion in a shattered world.❤
I really enjoyed your commentary of a great film. Thanks.
I think the jauntiness of the score is there to serve as a constant reminder of the kind of film this very nearly was, one about this author meeting up with an old friend in a beautiful foreign city. But it instead becomes chilling as immoral medical dealings and evident war ramifications run rampant. At one point it seems like it’s doing its job of highlighting a genuine happy moment, the reunion with Lime, but this is so bittersweet on my rewatches. So the music itself morphs into something more melancholy. But I think what makes this film is Welles. Lime is such an amoral bastard, and you feel so dirty for being suckered in by his charm, just like Anna had been, but she never wises up to the fact that she deserves better. Perhaps not Holly, but *anybody* over a penicillin snatcher/child murderer. That's who she goes on to mourn, what a waste. Talk about cynicism....
For your noir month, I'd do a figurative back flip to see Laura (1944). Potentially my favorite noir ever and one of my favorites in general. It's no less dark than most of them but it's one of the classiest and wittiest noirs you could watch. The modern variety you're expressing a want for is neo noir, and this is something like Blade Runner 2049. It's not the same, of course. But, looking forward to LoA! Quite literally as far from Brief Encounter as one can humanly get. Lean knew a thing or two.
Yes! What you said about being sucked in by his charm! Absolutely yes! I was so shocked when I learned of the type of man Line truly was because for half the movie he was painted as this great, charismatic guy! Also, I have Laura in the schedule! I can’t wait to watch it!!
@@MoviesWithMia I've always loved how we realize at the exact same moment Holly does on that ferris wheel and thus his righteous yet muted anger is exactly what we're feeling. I think a lot of modern movies like this would be tempted to make Holly consider the offer to get in on it for at least a moment, but we get none of that here. Even if that makes him a "cuckoo clock," he stands his ground.
@@bespectacledheroine7292 yes! Absolutely agree with you!
If you like British movies, you love these:
- The Inn of the Sixth Happiness!
- North-West Frontiers
- Lady Vanished
- I’ll know where l’m going
Mia needs to see IKWIG and other Powell & Pressburger films! Since she loves Brit films, she'll go nuts for their films!
The third man is this atmospheric thriller is one of the undisputed masterpieces of cinema and boast iconic performances from Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles, THE THIRD MAN (1949) 99/100% Certified Approved ☑️ Harry Lime: you know what the fellow said In Italy for thirty years under the borgias they had warfare terror murder and blood-shed they produced Michaelangelo de Vinci and the Renaissance in Switzerland they had brotherly love 500 years of democracy and peace and what did they produce? the cuckoo clock! so long Holly.
There was a full on black-and-white film-noir in set in the 1940s, with a much more frank take on the hyper-masculine culture of the era: 2006 "The Good German" By Steven Soderbergh. I think it's a good noir, and it is influenced the the 1960s turn which changed noir from morality tales to actual darkness.
It's not recent, but “Body Heat” in the 80s is widely regarded as a fine example of modern noir. (And it is essentially a remake of another classic noir, “Double Indemnity.”)
Oh I will DEFINITELY have to check that out!!
Agree, I think "Body Heat" (1981) is the best modern noir I know of - Kathleen Turner is amazing. There were however good earlier examples of noir in color, like "Leave Her To Heaven" (1945) with Gene Tierney and "Niagara" (1953) with Marilyn Monroe. Tierney was also in one of the best classic noir mysteries ever, 1944's famous "Laura".
Blade Runner, though sci-fi, also has a noir feel to it.
Yes ,also Blade Runner is noir really .
It helps if one is European to understand this story line more comprehensively, namley , having a fairly good idea in understanding the dialog spoken in German or at least, having a good idea what was said. But, beside that, this movie has at least 5 or more story lines going on at the same time : a story about friendship, love, disilusion, fear of unknown future, post war anxiety, hoplesness, etc...etc....And the music....I've seen that movie when I was 7-8 years old in late fifties, and though i didn't exactly understood what was going on, I remembered the music!! This movie is a pure art !!! Holywood has a lot catching up to do , despite all the technicall wizardry available.
This is pretty much one of the quintessential film noir films.
Film Noir is to me mostly exaggerations with scenes using high key lighting, or low key lighting. Key lighting is used today, but harder to see in color unlike black and white silver nitrate film.
Did quick research for films of this year and review the color films to this one. Important to note is that films that the studios were unsure about there profitability, they filmed in cheaper black and white and not color.
It is important to note that the rubble of post war Vienna is there to see in black and white. The end result of what the war did to the city. There is not a lot of footage of what post war German occupied areas that were the focus of allied air campaign look like. With this film you see the result.
This is one of the things that I think make this film special
Oh wow! Definitely something special about this film! Thank you for sharing 😊
My first time viewing this film was similar to yours in relation to the music. At the beginning I also thought the music was a weird choice for a thriller-mystery (although I found your sponge bob reference strange, lol) but just as your opinion of it had changed by the halfway point, so had mine. It was so unique and so relevant to the theme, the mood, and the setting of the movie that any normal score would not have been as effective. By the final scene it had become such an important part of the film that anything other than those haunting strings would have been a huge letdown. A perfect example of a great movie in itself made even greater by the choice of a musical instrument. The only other film I can think of that also used music and sound to such an extent that it made a powerful movie into a masterpiece was Psycho.
The camera angles, the score, the play of light and dark, the faces, the story....all soooo distinctive! One of my faves. So glad you got to see it! For noir month, I'd love to suggest a little spoken of film: The Dark Corner (1946), with Lucille Ball, Mark Stevens, & Clifton Webb. I Love Lucy in this movie!
Oh boy! I look forward to the big epic next time!
Yes! I have been wanting to watch Lawrence of Arabia for a while now! I am so eager to watch another David Lean film!
@@MoviesWithMia It’s a good one. There is one thing that you should know going in which is while he is a good actor Alec Guinness (Obi Wan in the original Star Wars trilogy) is wearing dark makeup to make himself look Arab. It’s not as bad as blackface or Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, but I thought you should know ahead so you wouldn’t be surprised.
You're in for a treat. It is best seen in a big theatre (*sigh*), as you feel like you are IN the desert, but it is great in any format!
@@etherealtb6021 I begged my mom to let me go see the film last year, but she didn’t want me driving all the way to the theater that was showing the film so I missed the opportunity to see the 4k remaster of the film (once in a lifetime!)
Thank you, James 😊 I will keep that in mind!
Worth mentioning that there's two different versions of this movie. - A UK/everywhere but US release and a .... US release. The former has an intro spoken by the director Carol Reed
Great reaction! Roger Ebert once called this the film that most captured the romance of cinema and he was completely right (he also described the theme tune as "jaunty but cheerless, like whistling in the dark" which I also love.) Harry Lime has maybe the greatest introduction of any character in film history. I do find it interesting you see Anna's attitude at the end as being one of disillusionment. I always saw it as her fierce commitment to Harry, even knowing all his flaws (“A person doesn't change just because you find out more.”)
Also since you liked this I'd recommend 'Our Man in Havana' (1959), also written by Graham Greene and starring Alec Guinness and Maureen O'Hara as the most Irish accented English character you'll ever see in a movie (I'm allowed to say that, I'm Irish.)
Oh boy! Roger Ebert really hit it on the ball with his review! Yes I really loved that ending scene where we see Anna walking towards Holly with this overall feel of disenchantment! So powerful, also thank you for your recommendations!
Orson Welles did a Radio Show about Harry Lime. It showed that Harry was a very complex person. He could be charming. He could be generous. But he also could be ruthless and cruel.
I love that soundtrack so much.
In response to your comments about the returning veterans being let down, that's actually the primary plot point of 'The Roaring Twenties', with James Cagney, which is the last of the great cycle of gangster films from the '30s. It's recommended, if you're interested in that sort of stuff.
Oh definitely! Thank you for recommending, I will definitely check it out!!
@@MoviesWithMia I can definitely recommend Cagney films, Angels with Dirty Faces and White Heat are also immense, but White Heat is best watched after the other two as a sort of gangster swangsong. Really stoked about your reactions, thank you!
Mia: You favorite Brit in this film, Bernard Lee, was best known for portraying 'M', James Bond's boss, in the first 11 Bond films. He died in 1981.
Yes! He had that classic British charm! And he also had a roughness to his character that really made me like him!! I must watch those James Bond films!!
Could have sworn you said "Tread on over." But then again I was away from the PC. 😁 But seriously Mia, I just knew you would note the music right away! Nice movie pick too.
Haha! Yes! The music throughout is one of my favorite parts of this film!
@@MoviesWithMia Oh BTW, don't feel bad about the Trevor thing, Mia. I accidentally called Trevor Noah, "Trevor Howard" once. 😁
if you like noir, watch one day 'dead men don't wear plaid' with steve martin, a parody-homage to the genre ^.^
I will definitely check that out, thank you for recommending :)
Yes, great recommendation, sodapop. For some reason, Reni Santoni following Steve Martin talking about having his "pie-yammas" is the first thing I think of when I remember this movie. That and the napkin-wrapped gift Martin gave the secretary who didn't get the puppy. I think sodapop is right; you'll love that movie.
I love that you love old films. I’m following.
A wonderful and empathetic reaction to one a strong, dark, scary movie. I've been exposed to this movie from the time I was really young and not able to understand it. Like so many great things, the more you watch it, the more you see and the more details come out, adding to your knowledge and your doubt.
Graham Greene wrote some very dark, sometimes very funny (if you approach it right) work. Two of my favorites are "Our Man in Havanna", which is a sort of twisted, ironic view of the spy business starring the great Alec Guinness as a quiet vacuum salesman pulled into very odd dealings; and a meditative, pessimistic cinema poem "Monsignor Quixote" also with Guinness backed by Leo McKern.
This is a noir, but not a typical one really - for me the big difference is that there is no femme fatale: that character is generally a woman of initiative and force who will lead the protagonist into trouble and into a dangerous affair. Anna is vulnerable; she is resistant to a relationship with Holly; she loves the ghost of Harry, and is blind to the darkness in him because she has received kindness and help at his hands. In a way, if there is a femme fatale in this story, it's Harry.
That first reveal, with the cat at his feet, is one of my favorites (and the build up to it is right there when Anna tells Holly that the cat only liked Harry; then we see the kitty looking up at the figure). The fear you rightly say is in Harry's eyes in the famous ferris wheel scene is there in the doorway, when he gives Holly that wonderful smile and then runs away. That scene was the first one I paid attention to at first watching, and the line that stays with me always is: "In Italy for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder, bloodshed. They produced Michaelangelo, da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, five hundred years of democracy and peace, and what did they produce? The cuckoo clock."
I never felt that Calloway was spinning a story for Holly: I always felt he was a very burdened official with lots of responsibility who was now dealing with a difficult wild card in Holly. One of the first things he says to Holly that Harry Lime was a racketeer. We may doubt Calloway, but my doubt always stops dead when we go to the hospital and we see the consequences of Harry's actions. The awful truth about Harry is precisely that he is charismatic and fun, and pulls you in (as he pulled you in), but he will tie you to him, as he did with Anna, who will never be whole, and manipulate you, as he does with Holly, and he does not care about anyone but himself, and he may not even care about himself by this point.
This movie is so rich that you can watch it each time from some one else's point of view in addition to Holly: you can walk in Anna's shoes, or Calloway's, and when I walk in Calloway's, I feel awful for the humanity he himself has to sacrifice in order to do his work. He has lost his partner, Sergeant Paine, at the end of this; Paine, who was kind and gentle, and who knew Holly's novels, and whose death is indirectly at the hands of Holly.
The instrument used in the score is a zither and the artist is Anton Karas. The zither is a typically-Austrian instrument. Here it is being used by Strauss, in his famous waltz, "Tales from the Vienna woods". The zither comes in at about 2:40: th-cam.com/video/IXO-5mcHAeE/w-d-xo.html.
I loved your drawing of connection from pre-war Austria in "Sound of Music" to this post-war Vienna. The rubble and the dark corners do make a terrible contrast. If you watch "Judgment at Nuremburg" and "A Foreign Affair", you'll see similar wreckage in Germany. "The Search", a heartwrenching story of a little boy and his mother searching for each other also shows us Europe after the devastation; it's also noteworthy as a very early Montgomery Clift role.
Looking forward to the next one!
Thank you, Maria, for your insights 😊
Right. That was a good movie. Showed the devastation of Europe.
Greene wrote the book and screenplay together but the movie came out before the book. The book is great also. The zither soundtrack became a number 1 album right after it came out.
The Man Who Wasn't There by the Coens is a great modern noir in the traditional style. Interestingly though, it was shot on color film and then printed in B&W.
The last shot of Third Man was recreated by Scorsese in The Departed.
Yeah, it’s all about that zither music, ain’t it? 🎶
I didn’t even know what a zither was before I saw this film but it sure lends a unique signature sound to these grim postwar events. I love when musical scores contrast unexpectedly with its stories and, yeah, Wes Anderson comes to mind.
I think you’re also right about him drawing other stylistic influences from older films, like those tilted angles. Those shots (sometimes referred to as Dutch or Chinese angles) also pop up in other different types of genre films like ‘Pee Wee’s Big Adventure,’ ‘Friday,’ and ‘Pan’s Labyrinth.’ Spike Lee even used them to powerful effect in ‘Do the Right Thing.’
You hit the nail right on the head when it comes to film noirs: those films are usually dark commentaries meant to convey disillusionment, disenchantment, cynicism, and utter futility - just a total lack of hope and faith in the “system,” whether it be government, religion, marriage, family, and even life itself. In fact, the really “dark” ones spit in the faces of all of those institutions.
And you’re so accurate about those films being a result of post war fatigue and uncertainty. Those were extremely unstable times, as you pointed out, and the existential angst is even reflected in the disaffected way the characters speak. People felt very disconnected from everything, a symptom of postwar survival.
It was really fun watching you try to get a handle on Orson Welles’ Harry Lime character. I’ve had a personal fascination with that character from the moment I saw his mischievous grinning face light up for the very first time in that alleyway.
The bottom line is he’s a sociopath. And that amazing speech in the Ferris wheel outlines his whole philosophy.
But damn it if he isn’t so suave, debonair, and charming. Which is precisely what makes him so seductive and dangerous. It’s like the gods above were playing a drinking game one night and decided “Hey, let’s give somebody the charisma of both a golden retriever AND a cobra.” And Orson Welles just plays the shizzle schnizzle out of it. That Ferris wheel speech is such a sweet smelling potion, you could almost fall for it hook, line, and sinker. He’s just too smooth.
You’re killin’ it, Mia. You’re on a roll. Because you’re so attuned to the social, cultural, and historical underpinnings of the classic films you’re reacting to, I can’t wait to see you feast on the seven course meal that is David Lean’s ‘Lawrence of Arabia.’
When people say “they don’t make ‘em like they used to,” they’re literally referring to this epic. It’s one of the most ambitious films ever made. And David Lean sticks the landing. Cheers! 😊
Jose, I really appreciate your words of encouragement! Honestly, it really gives me motivation to keep improving and moving forward! Also, your insight is so stellar and I feel like we are on the same page! If I may, I am thankful for you and your comments! I look forward to them each video! Thank you so much for your comments :) I am SO EXCITED for Lawrence of Arabia!!
That’s really kind of you to say, Mia. Truly, thanks for sharing. :) You can always count on my support. I’m glad you agree we’re on the same page too because I really believe the work you’re doing is important.
You get to be the curator and host of your very own film festival every week. How cool is that? Plus, you’re giving precious attention to very deserving works of art.
And I have as much fun discussing films as I do watching them so I appreciate our back-and-forths. :)
I finally got to watch this, and ... wow. What a movie. I agree with what you say about the music. Normally, I find music that doesn't match the mood of the film to be distracting (like a lot of films in the 60s), but here, it really added something unique. And the cinematography was out of this world. So many iconic shots. I especially loved getting the feel of the city at that time. It reminded me of how much I loved living in Eastern Europe. Something about the trees, the architecture, even the empty streets in the rainy nights... so evocative. Methinks I may have to head back east after this pandemic is over. I do wish I had waited to see the review until after I'd seen the movie, because I think the element of surprise would have added a lot to the experience, but it was still an amazing experience even without that.
Brilliant film. Couple of things. Having holidayed in Vienna a couple of years ago, it's still possible to see 90% of the sights in the film (including the big wheel), and you can go on Harry Lime Tours where they take you to all the locations (including the sewer scene).
Also Bernard Lee is best known for playing M in the James Bond films for Sean Connery and most of the Roger Moore years.
Wow! I am LOVING your vacation spots! First Salzburg, now Vienna!! That is so cool!! Also, I love that the locations are still accessible to the public! I’d really love to visit someday!! Thank you for sharing your insight :)
There was also a British radio series (voiced by Orson Welles) which was a kind of prequel to the movie that aired on radio in the US as THE LIVES OF HARRY LIME. I remember hearing it rebroadcast on radio in the late 1970's along with the CBS Radio Mystery Theater. : )
Ohh! That is awesome! I know Orson was phenomenal on radio!! I still want to listen to the full War of the Worlds radio broadcast!
The Third Man the the best film I've ever seen and I think I just found my new favorite movie reaction channel. You clearly know your stuff and say such interesting things. Also, the only two places where I've ever heard of a zither is this film and the first Doves album.
Another great reaction video. You're getting so highbrow now with these movies. Anyway I was thinking of good future movies and I came up with 4:
- Since TCM began their Noir Alley showing Saturday nights I've really enjoyed them. "This Gun for Hire" was a huge one that made Alan Ladd a star, and was written by Graham Greene, who also wrote "The Third Man."
- The grandaddy of all film noir, "Double Indemnity" with Barbara Stanwyvk.
- Hey, what about a Westerns week? You can't do classic movies without Westerns. And speaking of Alan Ladd, what about "Shane?" It's not your typical Western, you'll be holding back tears towards the end. One of the all time best.
- I think you'd enjoy "High Noon" with Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly. Iconic theme song.
Oh yes Bill! I have a whole month dedicated to Westerns! I am so excited to dive in!! Thank you for your recommendation! I will definitely check it out!
Stupendous, iconic sound track.
You have to do the Magnificent Ambersons. The camera angles are wonderful. PS Your hair is magnificent ❤
Ohhh, Lawrence of Arabia. I just got that one a few weeks ago and have been meaning to watch it, so now I'll have an extra motivation and will be able to (hopefully) make an intelligent comment! Woohoo!
Haha! You and me both! I am excited to watch it, but TERRIFIED to review it because it’s a cinematic masterpiece!
@@MoviesWithMia And Lean followed it up with another beautiful epic masterpiece, "Doctor Zhivago", also a must-see movie. With Omar Sharif in the lead, and Alec Guiness in another fine character part.
@@paintedjaguar My favorite movie of all time. I'd really love to see Mia do a review of this one.
There was also a prequel radio show starring OW as Lyme. Pretty well done
Orson Welles met Churchill a few times and has some very funny stories of their meeting. I remember ration books and lack of food in England and the same drive to survive was throughout Europe only perhaps more desperate that does not excuse crime but we are today so very dependent on others for the basics in life such as food and energy for our homes. Take away the utilities and humans will change.
Welles and Cotton worked together at the Mercury Theater before their film careers (Agnes Moorhead was part of that theater troupe also) - Welles used these wonderful theater actors in Citizen Kane.
@25:50 - You mention Bernard Lee. This was one of his very early roles - He later played the iconic character "M" in the James Bond movies, mostly with Sean Connery
One of my favorite movie ever.
The best latter day noirs that you might enjoy are Body Heat, Chinatown, and L.A. Confidential.
Also, the popularity of this film spawned a prequel radio series about Harry Line's various cons and related ne'er do well adventures.
Noir isn't about 'being a douche' or 'having no feelings', it's about being EVIL. Harry Lime isn't a douche, he's quite personable. You'd probably like him. It's not that he has no sympathy for others, he's simply evil. This is why film noir is optimistic--- it genuinely discusses what is good and what is evil, without cynicism that it isn't possible to tell, because it always is possible.
Really good analysis and reaction, Mia!
One of my favorite films.
Yes! It was an intriguing film! Definitely one of my favs!!
This is why love watching people watch movies. I've seen The Third Man so many times, I'd forgotten how as an audience member, you feel like the characters, you don't know who to trust.
I also think the "other layer" is the innocent American, who thinks they can fix everything simply, has to grow up. Kind of like the US had to due to after WW2.
Also, I don't think Ana is just mourning Harry. It isn't explained much in the movie, but being Czech, people would've known she went through hell, so she probably has PTSD & survivor's guilt. And being repatriated by the Soviets would've meant the end of freedom. That later is there in her sadness as well, I think.
Oh also (info again from my mom) The Third Man Theme was a hot record! Isn't that weird? Then they had songs that they called "novelty hits". Weird, eh?
There are morally ambiguous modern film "neo noirs", like L.A. Confidential and Chinatown. Great noirs, if you haven't seen them yet. I'd love to see you watch/review them!
Wow! Thank you for addressing that “other layer” because that is EXACTLY how I felt! Like I wanted to fix the problem or I wanted their to be some sort of solution to all the violence and confusion! Also, I had a feeling that there was more to Anna’s grief, especially as I was editing and rewatching the film! There are layers to her sadness between the loss of Lime, her forged papers being discovered, and the repatriation. I completely get that from Valli’s portrayal of Anna! Such great insight! Thank you, Tracey :)
@@MoviesWithMia no problem! Trust me, I didn't start seeing these things until multiple views of the film. I love movies like this, where it has layers like an onion and each time you watch the film you get deeper and deeper.
Great reaction - "Who killed Harry Lime?" - and we actually do get the answer, at the end, don't we, in a wonderful bit of symmetry - you ask about a silver lining - w this strange, affable darkness, and Holly's frustrating ambivalence, that feels like an inner weakness - but Alida Valli keeps her integrity - that's the sunlight - she never compromises herself, and she's never touched by the darkness - she alone manages to stay above it
- re suggestions, The Magnificent Ambersons immediately comes to mind - and here's another one, totally different, out of the blue - but it may capture this hypnotic post-war mood better than anyone else - try La Jetee, by Chris Marker - this will open a whole different dimension of cinema for you, that's still linked to what you're watching
Great performances by Welles,Cotton and Trevor Howard.Great film noir.
I suggest 'Pickup on South Street" and"Kiss of Death".All film noir classics.
Where is the ending? The long shot of Anna walking by Holly with absolute disdain says everything about Holly Martins as a man. Anna told him earlier that 'you've got your precious honesty, you don't want anything else'. ' Else' meaning fun. Holly Martins was smitten with Anna but she was indifferent to his school-boy crush. Not a happy ending but an honest one. Great film!
If you are looking for film noir, then Double Indemnity must be on your list.
Oh yes! We have a full month of film noir in the works! And Double Indemnity is high on that list!!
If you want to see Cotten later in life, he appeared in a Rockford Files episode "This Case is Closed." 1974.