The Third Man (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]
![The Third Man (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]](/images/The-Third-Man-The-Criterion-Collection-Blu-ray-B001EP8EKS-L.jpg)
|
Our Price: $179.95 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $125.00 (click here) Category: Blu-ray See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of The Third Man (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]
Movie Review: ...and Switzerland created only the cuckoo clock...
Summary: 5 Stars
Harry Lime--a wonderful man by almost everyone's estimate--has died in a very ordinary traffic accident in Vienna. His best friend, Holly Martin [Joseph Cotton], can hardly believe that such a great man has died in such an ordinary way, starts a one-man investigation opposed by the British occupation police, personified in the Major [Trevor Howard].
There's a mysterious beautiful woman--Harry's mistress--who grieves pitifully at the loss of her lover. Holly tries to console her but the woman is riven by grief and spends much of the film in tears.
The film is dark and brooding. The effects of lighting and angle are superb. Vienna is still larely wrecked by Allied bombing and many of the scenes show a background of rubbled buildings on which workmen are laboring exactly like busy ants. This depersonalization of human beings plays into the film. Turns out that Harry wasn't quite the savant his friend, Holly, thought him to be. Harry was the brains behind an opperation in which limited Penicillin supplies are diluted and sold to doctors, hospitals and clinics with the results that patients, including children with meningitis, are damaged or die.
From a ferris wheel, Harry explains his philosophy to Holly. I'll paraphrase. 'See those dots down there [meaning people]. What difference does it make if they keep on moving or are blotted out? Remember the Italian Wars? They went on for hundreds of years and produced Michelangelo, da Vinci and the Renaissance. The Swiss, at the same time, had 500 years of democracy and produced the---Cuckoo Clock.'
The last scene, by the way, is very 'unHollywood' and is one of the great scenes in cinema.
Movie Review: Blu-ray version of the Criterion presentation of "The Third Man" (1949)
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of those films that everyone thought he/she saw. This is of course because of all the popular actors and directors. Of those viewers that have seen this film they will never forget.
The default version is the U.K. version. However, you can see the different versions compared on the DVD extras. Speaking about extras, one of the best extra is that of the abbreviated play being read voice-over the film. I defiantly ordered the book.
This film is presented in black and white. You can see how tight the presentation is without a wasted word or glance. The Music is also one of the main characters of the film. I only remember the Blu-ray version so I cannot tell the quality of the other versions.
Even though the book looks from the view of Major Calloway (Trevor Howard in the film) and the film from the view of Holly Martins, it is the character of Sergeant Paine (Bernard Lee) that we find endearing.
Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton) an out of work novelist (Westerns) is offered a job in post war Vienna by his friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles). When Holly arrives he finds he is late for Harry's funeral. The authorities are besmirching Harry's memory. Harry's girl (Alida Valli) after hearing of a mysterious third man at Harry's car accident suggested that Harry's death may not have been an accident.
Now it is up to Holly to clear Harry's name. We may be in for a few surprises.
The Fallen Idol - Criterion Collection
Movie Review: Film Noir with a Different Texture
Summary: 5 Stars
One has only to watch a few scenes from The Third Man to notice what a difference a change of music makes. In startling contrast to the darker orchestral or jazz inspired scores of most other noir films, The Third Man's score was composed by Anton Karas, whose jaunty zither melodies are simply unlike anything else you've ever heard. Karas, believe it or not, was discovered in a tavern in Vienna, where the film takes place.
I will admit, there are times at which the zither seem to pull you out of the mood a bit, simply because if you've watched enough noir you expect a certain musical atmosphere - but The Third Man refuses to give you what you expect. You hear something almost happy, but you know this can't be right. All in all, this works profoundly to disorient the viewer in a most artful way.
The Third Man contains my favorite cinematic sequence of all time - the last scene. I won't give it away for those who might not have seen it, but the music simply makes it, and throws the entire genre to the wind. The movie creates something wholly different, although there are plenty of iconic noir scenes and devices and camera angles prior to this point.
Orson Welles, as if it hasn't been stated before, plays a near perfect villain, and catalyzes outer and internal conflict within our protagonist that is so...well, noir.
Movie Review: The Third Man steams to perfection
Summary: 5 Stars
The Criterion Collection has done a fabulous job at restoring this Film Noir classic to 1080p, video is crisp, absolutely top notch. The director keenly used the wet streets of Post-WW2 Vienna as the stage, effective and intriguing. The steaming streets almost had an eery life to them. But what struck me the most was the brilliant sound-track... It rang out in just the right places, plenty loud, but never interfering with the dialogue.
Orson Wells was spectacular, a mysteriously missing "third man" for half the film, then appears with a shot of a kitten purring at his feet! Somehow he plays the villain, but reels in the audience to be cheering for him in the fantastic finalee sewer scenes. An exploitation of man's sense of greed.
Let's not forget Joe Cotton and Carol Reed as the love triangle. How could it be done any better then the third man coming back from the dead? Reed plays the perfect and the most beautiful saddened soul.
No question this is classic film, one that should be on everyone's "Must Watch" list. And if you can, see the Criterion version on blu-ray, visually and sonically stunning! The list of bonus features is more then any movie buff could ask for! Too bad it is now out of print on Criterion, as the Studio-Canal BD is pale in comparison.
Movie Review: There was a third man. I couldn't see his face.
Summary: 5 Stars
I was quite impressed with the blu-ray transfer. The last time I'd seen this film was when Criterion released it on DVD for the first time. Although the print still has some major blemishes on it, overall the image is free of most of those pesky little artifacts. I would say it is 98% clean. The grain level varies throughout, sometimes becoming quite intense, almost overpowering, but that is part of the original film's elements, not because of the transfer. Detail is quite excellent, revealing little details in people's clothing and hair, as well as all of the sets and locations. The mono sound design is clean and clear, especially the dialogue. One thing that is nice about the higher bitrate encode potential on blu-ray is that dialogue becomes far more natural sounding and more intelligible than what you get from a DVD. This is definitely the best I've ever seen The Third Man look and sound, which made the experience all the more thrilling.