Unforgettable music, haunting shadows and historic alleys in which you can get lost: the thriller masterpiece “The Third Man” is a milestone in film noir. This week it makes its long-awaited 4K home cinema debut.
Impressive images with oppressive shadows and an almost hypnotic pull, a captivating mystery and complex characters full of barbs who not only captivate each other but also wrap us around their finger: the thriller masterpiece “The Third Man” shows this Austrian capital Vienna at a historical turning point, teeming with dangers and opportunities.
A mysterious death and a protagonist who cannot accept the evil that presents itself to him make the film a timelessly gripping story. And its incomparable, expressive imagery makes it a classic that has been celebrated for 75 years. Now he finally gets the home cinema evaluation he deserves: “The Invisible Third” will premiere in 4K on November 7, 2024:
“The Invisible Third” 4K Blu-ray at Amazon*
“The Invisible Third”: A universally celebrated classic
1948: The American writer Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) wants to visit his old friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles) in Austria. Only when he arrives in Vienna does he find out about Lime’s death. A British officer reveals to him that Lime spent his last chapter on earth as an unscrupulous black marketeer. Martins doesn’t want to believe this and decides to investigate on his own what Lime was up to before his death.
Martins receives support from Lime’s lover, Anna Schmidt (Alida Valli), who fled the Russian sector. Their shared search for the truth brings Anna and Holly closer together, but at the same time leads them into a dangerous morass of fraud, corruption, fake identities and murder…
Carol Reed’s award-winning film noir has become an integral part of film lists. It was named one of the 40 best directorial achievements of all time by the members of the US directors’ union, it can be found in the FILMSTARTS ranking of the best thrillers in cinema history and in a vote by 8,797 critics it was included in the best films of all time.
In addition, acting legend Michael Caine revealed that “The Third Man” was one of the ones for him five best films counts that he has ever seen.
Depressing and yet beautiful
An impressive collection of superlatives to which many, many more could be added. And anyone who knows “The Third Man” will have a hard time countering the abundance of enthusiasm it inspires. Not least of all is Reed’s sensitivity to the setting, which he chose based on a story by Graham Greene!
Divided into five occupation sectors, Vienna developed in Reed’s hands and thanks to the extremely atmospheric, multi-layered, expressive camera work Robert Krasker a magnetic effect: it is a deplorable place full of crime, a memorial to the consequences of war marked by rubble, ash, ruins and makeshift buildings, in which a restless life strives for the appearance of normality. But at the same time, the multilingual, multinational Vienna in “The Third Man” is a symbol of persistence and tireless spirit:
In the shadow of the city’s preserved, beautiful landmarks, such as the Ferris wheel in Vienna’s Prater, resourceful and desperate minds prove that they know how to reinvent themselves in this exceptional situation. Partly with criminal energy, partly life-affirming – unwilling to let the past horrors mark them. The dark, imposing alleys, the crookedness of Vienna, clearly illustrated by Krasker, and the extensive sewers in which the furious final act takes place, burn themselves into the memory – as does Anton Karas’ playful, lively zither music, which serves as an acoustic counterpoint.
But It is the complex characters and their tightly networked relationships with one another that fill this formally brilliant film with timeless, exciting life. It’s great that, starting this week, you can marvel at this activity in your home cinema at any time in better quality than ever before. And a colorful classic will soon be getting an upgrade, as we tell you in the following home cinema tip:
Home cinema highlight: Visually stunning cinema classic finally appears as its great pictures deserve!
This is a revised republication of an article that previously appeared on FILMSTARTS.
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