--- title: "The Third Man" year: 1949 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-third-man" fi1m_id: "the-third-man" imdb_id: "tt0041959" tmdb_id: 1092 wikidata_id: "Q271830" fi1m_score: 92 critics_score: 90 critics_reviews: 9 published: "2026-09-12" updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:54.683619+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Third Man (1949) Directed by Carol Reed · 1h 45m · MPA NR · Thriller, Mystery ## Identity The Third Man - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-third-man - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** the-third-man - **IMDb ID:** tt0041959 - **TMDB ID:** 1092 - **Wikidata ID:** Q271830 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041959/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1092, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q271830 **Fi1m score: 92** · Critics 90 from 9 reviews *In a sentence:* A ruined city, a pulp writer and a zither with a worrying sense of fun > Carol Reed’s mystery is gripping, funny and alert to the harm friendship can excuse. Joseph Cotten makes its writer worth caring about, though a few relationships deserve more space amid the intrigue. ## Synopsis In occupied, post-war Vienna, pulp writer Holly Martins investigates the death of his friend Harry Lime. Joseph Cotten plays Martins and Orson Welles plays Lime, with Alida Valli as Anna Schmidt and Trevor Howard as Major Calloway. The enquiry takes place amid black-market corruption, as Martins tries to reconcile his loyalty to a friend with the questions surrounding that friend’s death. Carol Reed directs Graham Greene’s screenplay, which follows the investigation while asking how much personal affection should count when deciding whom to believe. ## Review Carol Reed’s *The Third Man* is a thriller we would recommend even to someone with little patience for mysteries. Graham Greene gives it a pulp writer, Holly Martins, investigating the death of his friend Harry Lime in occupied, post-war Vienna. Writing such stories might seem useful preparation, but it does not make Martins a reliable judge of people. Reed makes the enquiry gripping while keeping us alert to how much Martins wants to believe. Joseph Cotten is crucial to that balance. His Martins has enough decency for us to care about his investigation and enough misplaced confidence to make us worry about it. Cotten allows the awkwardness to show without asking us to dismiss the man as a fool, which keeps the humour from becoming cruel. Greene’s interest in personal responsibility becomes more troubling because the person doing the asking has a friendship to protect. Robert Krasker’s photography gives Vienna a physical menace through tilted views, dark streets and shadows that make the buildings difficult to read. Reed’s location work among real rubble matters just as much as the lighting. The damage is already there, so the film does not need to keep announcing what the city has been through. We can admire the arrangements of light and still believe that people have to live in these streets. Anton Karas’s zither keeps this from becoming oppressively solemn. It sounds almost indecently cheerful in a city where corruption is part of ordinary life. We were unsettled by that cheerful sound over the ruined streets, because it seemed so comfortable there. The tune can be insistent, but its humour belongs in a film that finds so much comedy in a man’s confidence that he understands the situation. Alida Valli’s Anna Schmidt and Trevor Howard’s Major Calloway make useful company for Cotten because neither performance exists simply to confirm his importance. Howard has a firmness that Cotten’s uncertainty needs, while Valli brings feeling to relationships the screenplay sometimes leaves underdeveloped. That is a limitation: we understand their place in the mystery more fully than their history. Orson Welles, as Harry Lime, supplies the charisma the part requires, and Cotten’s less showy work remains essential. Oswald Hafenrichter’s editing keeps the investigation clear enough to follow without removing the pleasure of having to pay attention. The pace gives the actors room, and Greene’s tightly plotted screenplay avoids becoming a mere procession of clues. Reed is less restrained about camera angles, some of which make us notice the tilt before we notice the person in the shot. That is a small irritation, but a film this assured hardly needs so many reminders that something is wrong. *The Third Man* belongs with the noir thrillers that remain worth watching after the novelty of their mysteries has gone. We keep returning to the people, and to Greene and Reed’s awkward questions about what loyalty excuses and what it ought to demand. At 105 minutes, the film gives those questions room without wearing out its welcome. Give it an uninterrupted evening and leave the plot summaries alone. *Fi1m score 92, published 12 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics give The Third Man an emphatic recommendation, with praise clustering around Carol Reed’s direction and the atmosphere of postwar Vienna. The reviews repeatedly single out Robert Krasker’s shadow-heavy photography, the location shooting and Karas’s zither score as crucial to the film’s menace and sardonic humour. Graham Greene’s tightly plotted screenplay also draws praise for its moral complexity, while Orson Welles commands particular attention within a cast that earns broad approval. The disagreement centres on whether that distinctive style strengthens the suspense or gets in its way. The New Yorker finds the camera angles excessive and the zither intrusive, judging the film less gripping despite its strong performances. Sight and Sound is more appreciative but finds some relationships thinly conveyed and the approach emotionally detached. The spread therefore runs from enthusiastic praise to a qualified minority response, rather than any substantial rejection of the film. ## Straight answers **Is The Third Man worth watching?** *The Third Man* is worth watching for almost anyone, including viewers with little patience for mysteries, and we scored it 92. Joseph Cotten's decent, overconfident pulp writer gives the investigation someone to care about, and Anton Karas's zither keeps post-war Vienna from feeling solemn. A few relationships are left underdeveloped, but that is a small complaint. **How long is The Third Man, and what is it rated?** *The Third Man* runs 1h 45m and is rated NR by the MPA in the US. It is a thriller and mystery film. **Where can I watch The Third Man in the US?** *The Third Man* is streaming on Tubi, The Roku Channel and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. It leaves Tubi on 1 October. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is The Third Man, and is it suitable for children?** *The Third Man* is a PG thriller in Britain, so its violence is implied far more than shown and it should suit older children who can follow a mystery. The menace comes from Robert Krasker's tilted, shadowed streets and from black-market corruption rather than from anything explicit. Younger children may find the ruined city and the plotting more tedious than frightening. **How does The Third Man compare to High and Low?** *The Third Man* is the tighter and funnier of the two, while [*High and Low*](https://film.one/film/high-and-low) is the more weighty. Carol Reed's film asks what loyalty to a friend excuses, and its 105 minutes never wear out their welcome; Akira Kurosawa's film makes a tycoon's moral choice painfully absorbing, then loses some tension when the police take over. Start with Reed unless you want a slower, more deliberate crime story. **What should I watch after The Third Man?** After *The Third Man*, try [*High and Low*](https://film.one/film/high-and-low) (1963, Fi1m 90): A kidnapping forces a wealthy man to consider what his principles cost. Then [*The Long Goodbye*](https://film.one/film/the-long-goodbye) (1973, Fi1m 86): Another loyal investigator finds that friendship is poor preparation for dealing with criminals; and [*The Lives of Others*](https://film.one/film/the-lives-of-others) (2006, Fi1m 84): For quieter suspense built from surveillance, private loyalties and the danger of listening. ### Reviews we read (14) - **Radio Times**, David Parkinson (5/5): The review describes the film as a virtually flawless thriller and one of the best British films ever, praising its corker plot, memorable moments and perfect cast led by Welles and Cotten. It singles out Reed's mastery of place, angle and shade in creating a menacing Vienna, enhanced by Krasker's cinematography and Karas's zither music. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-y6q9o4/the-third-man/) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (4/4): The critic praises the film's perfect match of zither score to its shadowy postwar Vienna intrigue and the director's choice to shoot on location amid real rubble rather than sets. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-third-man-1949) - **The Times**, Ed Potton (★★★★★): Praises the impressive lineup of Greene, Welles, Reed and Korda behind this inky noir set in occupied Vienna, noting the bleak ending Reed chose and its timely sombreness seventy years on. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/the-third-man-1949-review-2c8mb38px) - **Time Out**, Ben Walters (5/5): The review calls the film one of the most consummate British thrillers, highlighting Reed and Greene's sardonic vision of corruption realised through superb location work, a zither score and Welles' charismatic yet poisonous performance as Harry Lime. It notes the film's irony and serious-minded exploration of personal responsibility amid charming villainy. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-third-man) - **Empire**, William Thomas (90/100, inferred): Carol Reed's cult 1940s thriller remains a masterclass in atmosphere and style that continues to unnerve and haunt audiences. It excels through its tense plot, character subtleties, brilliant photography, and the dominating presence of Orson Welles. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/third-man-review/) - **The Independent** (90/100, inferred): This classic Graham Greene-scripted thriller improves with each viewing and reveals more humor. It follows a pulp writer investigating his friend's supposed death in post-war Vienna, uncovering black-market corruption amid iconic performances and striking visuals. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/the-third-man-pg-411330.html) - **Total Film** (90/100, inferred): Out of modest aspirations arose a British movie masterpiece, drawing on film noir visuals in bombed-out Vienna with a pungent atmosphere of decay offset by the zither score. The perfectly judged performances, taut writing, and gripping set pieces make it one of the great British movies. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-third-man-review/) - **The New Yorker**, John McCarten (50/100, inferred): The review finds the film less gripping than Reed and Greene's prior collaboration, slowed by excessive trick camera angles and obtrusive zither music, though it notes strong performances from the cast. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1950/02/04/1950-02-04-065-tny-cards-000034516) - **Financial Times**, Philip Kemp: Calls it the finest British movie of all time and an enigmatic masterpiece, highlighting the Reed-Greene partnership, postwar Vienna setting, and Welles’ finest screen performance as the charismatic Lime. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/e7c59b93-2536-44c8-947b-de6c3e904f88) - **Sight and Sound**: The review praises the film's atmospheric depiction of postwar Vienna through location shooting and zither score, along with sharply drawn characters and strong performances, especially by Welles, Cotten and Howard. It notes Reed's impressive stylistic control and skill as an analyst of mood, while observing that some relationships feel thinly conveyed and the overall approach is objective rather than personal. [Read](http://old.bfi.org.uk/features/ultimatefilm/chart/details.php?ranking=26) - **The AV Club**, A.A. Dowd: The critic calls The Third Man a masterpiece and one of the best films currently in theaters thanks to its 4K restoration, praising its collaborative artistry, atmospheric direction, Greene's script, Krasker's cinematography, Karas's score, and Welles's iconic performance as Harry Lime. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/one-of-the-greatest-cannes-winners-is-back-in-theaters-1798281528) - **The Guardian**, Philip French: The critic calls it a near-perfect noir classic from the Reed-Greene collaboration, praising the zither score, Krasker’s photography of postwar Vienna, and Welles dominating the film in presence and absence. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/aug/02/the-third-man-review-philip-french) - **Variety**, Clem.: The review calls it a full-blooded, absorbing story that reflects credit on all concerned, highlighting excellent camera work, direction, and performances especially from Orson Welles and Joseph Cotten. [Read](https://variety.com/1949/film/reviews/the-third-man-1117795637/) - **Eye for Film**, Laurence Boyce (90/100, inferred): The critic calls The Third Man a triumph of direction, performance and script that remains a true classic more than 60 years after release. They single out Graham Greene’s tightly plotted, morally complex screenplay and Robert Krasker’s expressionist cinematography for particular praise. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-third-man-1949-film-review-by-laurence-boyce) ## Details - **Director:** Carol Reed - **Director:** Carol Reed - **Screenplay:** Graham Greene - **Cinematography:** Robert Krasker - **Editor:** Oswald Hafenrichter - **Music:** Anton Karas - **Producer:** Carol Reed - **Cast:** Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins; Alida Valli as Anna Schmidt; Trevor Howard as Major Calloway; Orson Welles as Harry Lime; Paul Hörbiger as Karl the Porter; Ernst Deutsch as 'Baron' Kurtz; Erich Ponto as Dr. Winkel; Siegfried Breuer as Popescu - **Runtime:** 1h 45m - **Certificate (MPA):** NR - **Release (the US):** 2 February 1950 - **Genres:** Thriller, Mystery - **Also in:** [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Nominee, 1949); [Palme d'Or winners](https://film.one/collections/palme-dor.md) (Winner, 1949); [The classics, without the homework](https://film.one/collections/classics-without-the-homework.md) - **Box office:** $1 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7nwySBGqCo ## Where to watch in the US - Tubi: free, hd, leaving 2026-10-01 - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd - Amazon Prime Video: add-on - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $7.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-12.* Also available in: AT, AU, BE, CA, DE, ES, FR, GB, IE, IT, LT, NL, NO, NZ, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 1951: Best Director (nominated); Best Film Editing (nominated); Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (won) - BAFTA Film Awards 1950: Best Film (nominated); Best British Film (won) - Cannes Film Festival 1949: Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix (won) - Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film 1949: Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film (nominated) ## If you liked this - *The Fallen Idol* (1948): For another investigation complicated by affection, and adults who cannot explain themselves - *Le Corbeau* (1943): A French town discovers how readily respectable neighbours can make suspicion contagious - *High and Low* (1963), Fi1m 90: A kidnapping forces a wealthy man to consider what his principles cost — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/high-and-low.md) - *The Long Goodbye* (1973), Fi1m 86: Another loyal investigator finds that friendship is poor preparation for dealing with criminals — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-long-goodbye.md) - *The Lives of Others* (2006), Fi1m 84: For quieter suspense built from surveillance, private loyalties and the danger of listening — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lives-of-others.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-third-man