The Third Man
Directed by Carol ReedIn postwar Vienna, Austria, Holly Martins, a writer of pulp Westerns, arrives penniless as a guest of his childhood chum Harry Lime, only to learn he has died. Martins develops a conspiracy theory after learning of a "third man" present at the time of Harry's death, running into interference from British officer Major Calloway, and falling head-over-heels for Harry's grief-stricken lover, Anna.
The Third Man Ratings & Reviews
- makdelartMarch 25, 2026It’s a very good film, with an intriguing noir-style plot set in post-war Vienna. The cinematography deserves top marks, though to be honest, we’ve seen it all before – it’s a reflection of a fascination with German Expressionism. Alida Valli was excellent, whereas personally I don’t really feel the greatness of Orson Welles (though, to be fair, he didn’t have much to do here). And finally: the music in this film is a real nightmare.
- Elliot047February 5, 2026This is a fine film, maybe too easy to predict if you’re into Sherlock Holmes. I have trouble here, I realise the cultural impact of this film but even for noir or detective film, I think Hitchcock still surpasses all. Modern audiences will definitely not like this, it’s not something that we have not already seen, and cinephiles will prefer Hitchcock.
The Third Man Trivia
The Third Man was released on September 3, 1949.
The Third Man was directed by Carol Reed.
The Third Man has a runtime of 1h 44m.
The Third Man was produced by Carol Reed.
In postwar Vienna, Austria, Holly Martins, a writer of pulp Westerns, arrives penniless as a guest of his childhood chum Harry Lime, only to learn he has died. Martins develops a conspiracy theory after learning of a "third man" present at the time of Harry's death, running into interference from British officer Major Calloway, and falling head-over-heels for Harry's grief-stricken lover, Anna.
The key characters in The Third Man are Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten), Anna Schmidt (Alida Valli), Major Calloway (Trevor Howard).
The Third Man is rated Not Rated.
The Third Man is a Thriller, Mystery, Drama film.
The Third Man has an audience rating of 9.3 out of 10.
The Third Man has made $1.2M at the box office.