The Movie
Revered by film fans the world over (well, apparently not in Vienna where it is set), The Third Man is rightly deserving of its more-than-half-a-century of praise, without question a crown jewel of cinematic intrigue and style. The story involves down-on-his-luck novelist Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) who travels to post-war Austria to take a job with his best friend, Harry Lime (Orson Welles), but Lime is dead when pal arrives. It looks like it was a simple car accident, perhaps more, and there are rumors that Lime was mixed up in the lucrative but ruthless black market.
Like a character in one of his books, Martins decides to stick around and clear Harry's name, and he meets an interesting array of characters, none of whom are too keen to provide the whole truth. Most importantly, who was the mysterious "third man" at the scene of the accident? The answer will lead to a climactic chase through the sewers of Vienna, one that has clearly influenced many films, perhaps most obviously The Fugitive.
The Picture
The movie dates back to 1949 so of course we'll cut it some slack, but I have to wonder if a newer, more thorough restoration would have yielded results superior to those on display here. The AVC video typically ranges from a respectable 20-30 megabits-per-second, but the 4:3 image comes up short on fine detail. What there is, like the pattern of Joseph Cotten's tweed coat, is twitchy. There's grain, which isn't really problematic, but also noise, and the occasional scratch or negative dirt. It's fine, but I wish it was a "Wow!"
The Sound
The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 is in fact a two-channel presentation of the original mono soundtrack, in high resolution. The overall quality is strong, with very little hiss, and acceptable clarity for the dialogue and dynamic range for the zither-based musical score, which is often placed in the forefront, greatly enhancing the mood.
The Extras
Finding bonus materials for older films like this can be a challenge, and this edition borrows some content previously released for on Criterion Collection discs while adding portions that are brand-new. "The Third Man on the Radio" is a 29-minute episode from 1951 written and performed by Orson Welles himself. The movie's audio commentary is supplied by assistant director Guy Hamilton (who would go on to direct four Bond films), Welles biographer Simon Callow and second unit continuity girl Angela Allen.
Audio-only Guardian/NFT interviews with star Joseph Cotten (from1987) and writer Graham Greene (1984) are archived here, 47 and eight minutes respectively. Cotten's alternate opening voiceover narration is revealed as well, about a minute, in standard definition. We're also given interview with and zither performance by Cornelia Mayer, two pieces from the soundtrack, about five minutes, in high definition.
Most ambitious is The Third Man interactive Vienna Tour, which takes us to a series of informative HD vignettes via remote control, inspired by Brigitte Timmermann's book.
Final Thoughts
This new StudioCanal Collection release of The Third Man offers video that's a cut above DVD and a sampling of extras that might satiate fans, but if you're lucky enough to own the out-of-print Criterion Blu-ray, I wouldn't rush to replace it with this one.
Product Details
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