Analysis of The Third Man (1949)

The opening title sequence of The Third Man is very unique in its establishment of the location of the film. The credits are shown in front of an Austrian instrument, a Zither. This shows that the film is set in Austria. The long running time of the opening credits is because people, at the time, used them to settle down for the film by taking off their outdoor jackets or hats. If is was not evident to the viewer that the film was set in Austria, a voiceover talks about how much the location, Vienna, has changed since the beginning of the war. The bombed out and destroyed buildings highlight the feeling of hopelessness that was felt in the city at the time. The ruins of Vienna also provide some very original shots throughout the film. The voiceover describes pre-war Vienna as “glamorous” and “full of easy charm”. As the film progresses, we see that the main antagonist, Harry Lime (Orson Welles), could also be described in this way.

The film starts with the main protagonist, Holly Martin (Joseph Cotton), arriving in Vienna, knowing very little about why he is there or what he is supposed to be doing. As he goes to where he has been told to by his old friend, Lime, he casually walks under a ladder. While this connotes that the film will be full of bad luck for him, it as it the first case of a series of black comedy moments that pop up through the entire film. When Holly arrives at his destination, a hotel, he meets the caretaker. As Holly doesn’t speak German, and the caretaker has only a limited grasp of English, their conversation is very confused. This sense of confusion becomes a key theme in the film and correctly represents post-war Vienna, which was being policed by multiple nations, speaking several different languages.

The tilted shots used for most of the film add to the confusion and give a surreal sense to what is happening. The repetition of low-angle shots connote that Holly doesn’t really know what is going on and that he is powerless. Character introduction is another key aspect of the film. When Holly is arguing with the caretaker, a ball randomly bounces past them, then the camera switches to a shot of the stairway. A hand appears in the door before the small boy is shown peeking round the corner of the door. This creepy way of introducing the character gives an indication that the character will later become an annoyance. The child later becomes a sprite-like character, leading a mob of people after Holly in a chase through Vienna. The use of lighting to make the boy’s shadow appear on large walls also adds to the devilishness of the boy. Another character introduction is the introduction of Harry Lime. He is shown hiding in the shadows, only revealed when Holly sees a cat rubbing against his legs. When Holly shines a light on him it only reveals his legs, leaving the rest of his body in shadows. This connotes that Lime is a very shady character, capable of slipping away into the darkness.

There are several chase scenes throughout the film and it is implied that the ruined city of Vienna and its sewer system are similar to labyrinths with their long, winding, dark alleyways and roads. This continued use of case scenes can bring the film together to show that everything is somehow linked. Another use of repetition is the funeral scene at the end of the film. Much like the beginning of the film, it is Harry Lime’s funeral. The second funeral follows the first almost identically which shows that the story has come full circle and that no one is any better of than they were at the beginning.