I’m often asked to name my all time favorite movie; well, come to think of it, hardly anyone asks me this question but if someone did I’d have no hesitation in naming Carol Reed’s 1949 classic ‘The Third Man’ starring Joseph Cotton and Orson Welles.
Why do I like it so much you may (or may not) ask? One reason is because of this clip containing Welles’ famous cuckoo clock speech:
Other reasons include the following:
- Best ever screen entrance – a light from a window shines on Orson Welles (as Harry Lime – presumed dead) – he grins with tongue in cheek. One of the most magical scenes in movie history.
- Brilliant screenplay by Graham Greene.
- Shadowy slanted expressionist photography.
- Joseph Cotton as the clueless Holly Martins – his finest role.
- Trevor Howard’s (Major Calloway) shiny raincoat – British cops in movies are rarely this cool. He even makes a beret look stylish!
- The elegant charm of Valli as Harry Lime’s girlfriend, Anna Schmidt – languid and classy.
- Best ever sewer chase scene – not a lot of competition in this field but great drama all the same
- Best ever closing scene – Anna’s long slow walk from the graveyard after Lime’s funeral.
- Daily Dialogue — August 12, 2010 (gointothestory.com)
- Roger Ebert’s Top 10 Films of All Time: 1991 (gointothestory.com)
Martins waits . In a feel good Hollywood finale the two would kiss and walk off arm in arm, instead Anna just keeps on walking. I once attended a special screening of the movie at London’s National Film Theatre where Joseph Cotton was interviewed afterwards. He said that for the closing moment when he lights a cigarette and tosses a match away, he didn’t realise that they were still filming – “Turned out pretty good though”, he commented – a massive understatement.
Anton Karas’ zither theme sounds pretty weird and dated now but it doesn’t detract from a movie that I could watch over and over.
