The Third Man (1949)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.