The Third Man Case Study

The Third Man (1949) 

Summary: Pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, black-market opportunist Harry Lime.

Directer Carol Reed uses many thriller conventions in order to build suspense and obtain the attention of the audience. The film is set in Vienna during the 1940s, due to the wartime situation the city was split into four nations; Germany, Italy, Hungary and Romania. This creates a labyrinth of which Reed uses to his full advantage. As well as depicting the isolation of the characters, the labyrinth enables a lack of police presences thus allowing criminals such as Harry Lime to run wild. The defective city alongside the titled camera angles Reed so loves, enhances the confusion felt by the audience. Additionally, any language other than English is not translated, putting the audience in the same position as Holly Martin and creating a barrier between him and the other characters as well as the audience and the other characters. Reed creates a generic contrast between good and evil through Lime and Martins; Lime is a cunning character whom encourages the audience to be wary of him, whereas Martins is naive and vulnerable, making him the 'good guy'.

Costume: Reed uses conventional 1940s clothing; trilby hats, long coats, high collars and suits. This created a noir fashion, popular within thrillers even today.

Lighting: The film mainly uses non-ambient lighting to create large, dominating shadows which enhance the labyrinth style of the city. The use of shadows creates mystery and makes the character and audience question what exactly is lurking behind them; in turn this creates a paranoia and distress.

Within the scene where the little boy chases Holly and Anna, the little boys shadow appears large and threatening - this subtly encourages the audience to question who people really are / are people what they first seem.

Location: As previously mentioned the city is a major factor in adding confusion for the audience and the characters. The eeriest location used has to be the underground sewers. These are generic as they are long and narrow making the audience intimidated and claustrophobic. Alongside the slimy wet walls, and shiny city streets, every location used engulfs the characters.

Soundtrack: The 'Harry Lime Theme' is used throughout the film. Its whimsical tune contrasts the action and portrays Lime as being manipulative, much like the Joker in The Dark Knight. The soundtrack also makes Lime's actions somewhat ironic. 

Other generic features include the use of 'never ending' staircases, and ladders. When characters walk under the ladder its represents bad luck and foreshadows the characters later upcoming destiny. Martins walks under a ladder on the way to Limes apartment, this subtly hints that his meeting with Lime will not end well, and as the film develops this is confirmed.