For Those Who Have Seen THE THIRD MAN
Added 2021-08-02 21:43:11 +0000 UTCSo unsurprisingly, that film will be my next review. I watched it with my friend the other day, who had never seen it. He liked it very much, however he found himself feeling disconnected from Joseph Cotton and Alida Valli's character dynamic. And he felt little tension there compared to say, the main relationship between Phyllis and Walter in DOUBLE INDEMNITY, which I also showed him previously. Of course I have my own opinions on The Third Man, but I wondered how you guys feel about it? Whether or not you find their relationship in the film compelling or not.
Comments
I will at some point.
Deepfocuslens
2021-08-03 17:51:46 +0000 UTCOh, is there a Third Man museum?! Really appreciate that tip!😊
Kristian Vessman
2021-08-03 07:31:37 +0000 UTCI felt like Holly saw himself as a hero at the center of a mystery (much like the movie itself positions him, and remember, he writes Western paperbacks), he resolves the mystery and expects to get the girl at the end. I read his surprise as the moment he finally realizes that he is not in charge of this story.
Adam Gregus
2021-08-03 07:26:07 +0000 UTCI live in Vienna - you should check out the Third Man Museum when you make it here 😉
Adam Gregus
2021-08-03 07:22:47 +0000 UTCFor sure, I think the tragedy of knowing that life will never be as it once was for anyone involved makes it hard to move on. And this film gives this empty feeling of people who struggle to do the right thing and find a new path. and Thank you!
Deepfocuslens
2021-08-03 06:41:45 +0000 UTCThe post-war backdrop sure lends it a very special mood. My grandmother grew up in Vienna and made it to Sweden in 1948, I think, so this movie makes me think of her. I've never been to Vienna myself, but planning to take my mother there some day soon, when the virus situation allows it. Not expecting to run through any sewers chasing black market dealers, and I'm sure it's a very different place today, but a fresh viewing of The Third Man may still make it just a tiny bit more magical.
Kristian Vessman
2021-08-03 06:20:56 +0000 UTCFor sure it's more compelling than Holly and Anna but that's because the love story is what drives the tension forward. Whereas here, the idea of Harry Lime is what drives it forward, and naturally there is a bit of a more coldness there. But also, The Third Man did come out a few years after the war ended so there was perhaps more of a perspective and mood there that is being captured. An emptiness and an unpredictability, but a constant misery.
Deepfocuslens
2021-08-03 06:06:15 +0000 UTCI think he has great chemistry with Welles. A more dry straight man to more of the dramatic flare of Welles.
Deepfocuslens
2021-08-03 06:03:18 +0000 UTCAbsolutely. I totally agree with you and I feel that this shadow of Harry represents that bitter melancholy, empty feeling of post war Europe. Being mystified by the past in a way without understanding how that affects the present.
Deepfocuslens
2021-08-03 06:02:33 +0000 UTCI think you've nailed it, and he was quite aware of that too. But yes, more drawn to the risk and the tension involving Phyllis and Walter in Double Indemnity. For me there is an empty melancholy feeling in this one that draws me to it.
Deepfocuslens
2021-08-03 06:00:49 +0000 UTCIf I had to guess why your friend was less than enthused by Holly and Anna’s relationship, it would probably be because it’s not full of ambiguity as it would seem, at least of the moral sort. Harry is loved by Anna because she sees him as a spirited individualist who goes against lawful authority, something that which she has probably despised her whole life. But as far as his sociopathy goes, she clearly has blinders on. So when she famously walks by Holly at the end of the film, your friend probably didn’t have too strong a reaction to it because he or she felt that Holly did the right thing, which, let’s face it, he did. Your friend probably felt that Holly was better off. Yes, both people are fully rounded with conflicting emotions and selfish motivations, but selling out Harry Lime was not exactly a moral conundrum, and that was probably what was responded to.
Bennett Oliver
2021-08-03 03:31:30 +0000 UTCTheir relationship is plenty interesting, but it’s not as compelling as all the other intrigue—the details surrounding Harry’s “death”, his friends and associates, what he got up to in Vienna, right up to the man himself. In fact, their relationship is pretty much defined by Lime. Holly wants to be the man Anna loves rather than Harry, which may or may not have ultimately motivated him to betray Harry. Most interestingly, Anna still loves Harry even when she finds out the devastation he’s caused with his black market dealing. Harry is basically the center that which everyone else in the movie revolves around, and Orson Welles’ performance justifies that. In basically one scene, you understand why he gets away with so much, and why Anna would continue to stand by him. You see his intelligence, his ruthlessness, and his charisma. He’s a great character.
Bennett Oliver
2021-08-03 02:35:40 +0000 UTCMaggie you gotta review Double Indemnity!
Tony Moro
2021-08-02 23:34:44 +0000 UTCIt's something I appreciate more than I love. I have to agree with your friend about Cotton and Valli. I found the chemistry, whether romantic or otherwise, to be lacking and I feel like it's because of Cotton. He's a fine actor but I don't think he has good chemistry with anybody except Orson Welles both in Citizen Kane and here. Any time he's supposed to be relating to another character, romantic or otherwise, he comes off as stiff to me and I just don't buy it. It's why I struggled immensely with The Magnificent Ambersons. He makes a much better supporting character than a leading man imo. However, the detective part of the story is excellent and when Welles and Cotton are butting heads, it's pure gold. Not one of my favorites but still very good.
Wolfman Brandon
2021-08-02 23:18:58 +0000 UTCSaw this once 13 years ago at Santa Barbara City College having to write a 5 page essay on it. I got an A-. Thought it was rather thought-provoking.
Tony Moro
2021-08-02 22:41:35 +0000 UTCBeen a few years since I’ve seen it, but I loved it. I remember being surprised that he seems to be surprised by her reaction at the end. What did he think would happen? Great film. All the iconic stuff with Welles — doorway, Ferris wheel, sewers.
Jim Barnes
2021-08-02 22:22:43 +0000 UTCI never saw it as a romantic relationship, really. Sure, him trying and once or twice making it through, getting one laugh (but not two)... but her heart is still with Harry. Maybe I'm just an expert on the friend zone, eh? She might have warmed up over time, who knows, but I see it more as her finding comfort in having someone around who also knew Harry. In Double Indemnity, I did feel the romance and I never believed it was all just a ruse. I find it more compelling than Holly and Anna, but also less, erh, realistic - not that it has to be! Hard to explain. I guess that's why you're making the review videos and I watch them😊
Kristian Vessman
2021-08-02 22:21:17 +0000 UTCIf my impressions don't deceive me (I sound so old... I saw it like a month ago) I did feel a tension there, in particular because she was so reliant on his goodwill, which in turn relied on his whims. Is it fair to say he wanted to replace Harry in her life too, at least for the duration of his Vienna adventure? It's late and my memory is hazy 🙂 but I do remember feeling like that tension contributed to how tragically her storyline tied up, but good on her for snubbing him at the cemetery! More importantly, congratulations on finally coming around to reviewing this film - we know how personal it is for you and those are always the GOOD reviews.
Adam Gregus
2021-08-02 22:05:14 +0000 UTC
