THE THIRD MAN (1949)

Director: Carol Reed
Writer: Graham Greene 
Stars: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli
Runtime: 93 minutes

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

Review: In this Cold War spy classic, Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten), a third-rate American pulp novelist, arrives in postwar Vienna, where he has been promised a job by his old friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles). Upon his arrival, Martins discovers that Lime has been killed in a traffic accident, and that his funeral is taking place immediately. At the graveside, Martins meets outwardly affable Major Calloway (Trevor Howard) and actress Anna Schmidt (Alida Valli), who is weeping copiously. When Calloway tells Martins that the late Harry Lime was a thief and murderer, the loyal Martins is at first outraged. Gradually, he discovers not only that Calloway was right but also that the man lying in the coffin in the film's early scenes was not Harry Lime at all--and that Lime is still very much alive. 
The cast includes Joseph Cotten as the American who blunders upon mystery and romance, Alida Valli, the cool Italian actress, who plays the refugee girl of the "dead" man, Trevor Howard as a British police major, Bernard Lee as his capable sergeant. Orson Welles does a great job of shaping a dark and treacherous shadow as the "third man."
Many consider The Third Man to be the best British post-World War II film noir, while others consider it one of the best-ever examples of film noir to come out of Europe. It has all the right ingredients: an engaging, twisty storyline; one of the most diabolical and charismatic villains to grace the screen; crisp, innovative directing; a soundtrack that's completely unique; and cinematography that uses the black-and-white medium to its fullest. This movie is an unquestionable must-see for all film noirs.

Reviewed by S.M. Intisab Shahriyar