The Third Man (1949)

5/5

The plot of Carol Reed's The Third Man follows Holly Martins (Cotten), an American author who goes to post-war Vienna at the behest of his friend Harry Lime (Welles). When he arrives, he finds out that Harry has died in a bizarre car accident filled with coincidence, suspects foul play, and tries to get to the bottom of it. The police are reluctant to help him and are in fact glad he's dead. They believe he was a racketeer who profited on the misery and suffering of children in need of penicillin. Harry's lover Anna Schmidt (Valli) disregards their opinions; even if it is true, it doesn't change who he was to her and the love between them. The plot brings up unique viewpoints on betrayal vs. friendship, love to one person vs. duty to all mankind--all very ripe for discussion about your own beliefs.

In fact, I find the characters surprisingly deep. When Martins tells the police that Harry was the best friend he ever had, the police responds that it sounds like something from a cheap novelette. Martins writes cheap novelettes. Perhaps he's written so many he becomes the cheap novelette himself. We later find out they hadn't talked in ten years; is that really the best friend he ever had?

The Third Man is a striking film in many aspects. From its off-kilter camera angles to its all-zither score, the film makes an impression both visually and aurally. And this impression stays with you, even if the techniques are too over-the-top or just not as successful as they could have been. While they are few long takes or moving cameras, the well-envisioned, well-lit compositions more than make up for it. The editing is lean and sharp, with hardly a single unnecessary frame to be found. And Harry Lime's entrance just 30 minutes before the ending is still as memorable and nerve-wracking as the first time it came out. This is a richly-textured film that should be watched, discussed, rewatched, and remembered.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041959/

A Man for All Seasons (1966)

3/5

A Man for All Seasons tells the story of Thomas More and his refusal to acknowledge King Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine and marriage to Anne Boleyn. For some unexplained reason, the king wants--no, needs--his approval. And since he won't give it, they put him on trial for high treason and detate his cappa, as Michael Scott would put it. I was not a big fan of the movie. I couldn't get involved in the story, as none of the characters' actions or motivations were explained or even hinted at. The first half an hour bored me half to death--I could not even sate my desire to look at something interesting due to sparse set design and drab costuming.

Still, not all was bad. The cinematography and music were merely humdrum. And there was some good stuff. There were some tense scenes and a really powerful ending (slightly marred by a worthless voice-over afterwards). Paul Scofield's acting was quite magnificent. Though I disagree with his opinion and his steadfastness, I could still respect him. All in all, not recommended, but feel free to enjoy it if that's your bag.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0060665/