The Third Man

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1:29

The Third Man

1949

1h 44m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

99%

Tomatometer

97 Reviews

93%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Set in postwar Vienna, Austria, "The Third Man" stars Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins, a writer of pulp Westerns, who arrives penniless as a guest of his childhood chum Harry Lime (Orson Welles), only to find him dead. Martins develops a conspiracy theory after learning of a "third man" present at the time of Harry's death, running into interference from British officer Maj. Calloway (Trevor Howard) and falling head-over-heels for Harry's grief-stricken lover, Anna (Alida Valli).

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Critics Consensus

This atmospheric thriller is one of the undisputed masterpieces of cinema, and boasts iconic performances from Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles.

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Richard L. Coe

Washington Post

07/26/2022

It’s all neatly sewn together and recalls the early Hitchcock spy chasers, The Lady Vanishes and the 39 Steps. The playing is fitted nicely to the director’s and writer’s specifications and there are some appealing portraits limned by Austrian actors.

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Ed Potton

The Times (UK)

09/08/2019

5/5

Seventy years on such sombreness seems timely, as does Harry Lime, Welles's deliciously elusive antihero.

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Mark Feeney

Boston Globe

08/06/2015

4/4

Krasker's camera reveals a dank, matte, defeated city - so dully vivid as to be a character unto itself - except that this Vienna becomes something altogether different seen at night or underground.

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Sarah Boslaugh

TheArtsStl

Oct 11

9/10

...The Third Man is a banquet that offers so much of everything that you will never run out of things to enjoy within it, even as you may have already had too much of some other things it offers.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

03/27/2025

4/4

One of those rare birds that improves with subsequent viewings, which is saying a lot since an initial viewing immediately pegs it as a cinematic masterpiece.

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Brian Susbielles

InSession Film

09/04/2024

A+

In a film born out of rebuilding the future, Green, Reed, and the entire cast produce the fatalism of idealism of what a just world should have been, but that this life is, as always, a zero-sum game.

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Jacqueline R

05/21/2024

It was interesting and has a good twist to it.

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Lam N

05/21/2024

the choice for music is baffling. really takes you out of the movie.

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Johannes S

@RT64416087 Feb 2

Holds up surprisingly well for such an old movie! Easy to see that it was groundbreaking during it's height.

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Luca D

@JoeCamel7 Jan 22

Another great Welles movie with the only flaw being the Welles cliche in his movies where even though he's a horrible person, everyone adores him for some reason. I guess it's just a narcissistic thing he adds into all of his movies and it kinda ruins every movie of his. Other than that the soundtrack, plot, acting and cinematography were all top notch.

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jesse P.

@jpilla76 Oct 15

One of my all time favs,maybe my all time favorite.plenty of classic scenes and maybe the best ending scene.great score and cinematography as well

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Arlen S

@RT75490561 Sep 11

Simply one of the best movies ever made. Stands up completely today. My son saw this for the first time at 8 in the theater and he's watched it several times since. Shots of war ravaged Vienna that are actual war ravaged Vienna make this all the more important. Great acting throughout all with Orson Welles at his best, both incredible charming and magnetic yet vile and repulsive. The music puts an already great movie over the top.

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Carol Reed

Director

Orson Welles

The Third Man

Joseph Cotten

Holly Martins

Trevor Howard

Major Calloway

Alida Valli

Anna Schmidt

Paul Hoerbiger

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The Third Man: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Set in postwar Vienna, Austria, "The Third Man" stars Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins, a writer of pulp Westerns, who arrives penniless as a guest of his childhood chum Harry Lime (Orson Welles), only to find him dead. Martins develops a conspiracy theory after learning of a "third man" present at the time of Harry's death, running into interference from British officer Maj. Calloway (Trevor Howard) and falling head-over-heels for Harry's grief-stricken lover, Anna (Alida Valli).

Director: Carol Reed
Producer: Alexander Korda, Carol Reed, David O. Selznick
Screenwriter: Graham Greene, Alexander Korda, Graham Greene
Distributor: Spiegel Media GmbH, Continental Home Vídeo [br], Warner Home Vídeo, Selznick International Pictures, British Lion Films Ltd., Vintage Video
Production Co: London Film Production, British Lion Film Corporation
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 1, 1949, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA): $447.0K
Runtime: 1h 44m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)