RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / The Third Man
The Third Man

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

The Third Man (1949)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
100 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:56

Fresh:56

Rotten:0

Average Rating:9.1/10

Consensus: This atmospheric thriller is one of the undisputed masterpieces of cinema, and boasts iconic performances from Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles.

Runtime: 4 hrs

Genre: Action/Adventure

Synopsis: Carol Reed reached the peak of his form with this classic noir, an elegy for American innocence and European elegance. Joseph Cotten, in fine form, stars as unemployed pulp-novelist Holly Martins.... Carol Reed reached the peak of his form with this classic noir, an elegy for American innocence and European elegance. Joseph Cotten, in fine form, stars as unemployed pulp-novelist Holly Martins. When he arrives in post-WWII Vienna on the promise of a job from his old friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles), he finds that Lime has recently died in a dubious car accident. Against the advice of British sector authority Major Calloway (Trevor Howard), who accuses Lime of criminal behavior, the indignant Martins decides to stay to investigate his friend's death. He searches this city of rubble-strewn streets and bombed-out buildings, earnestly questioning Lime's associates, a cynical, war-weary collection of black-market hustlers. At length, he realizes that the stories he's hearing are so full of contradiction, he's getting nowhere. Yet, he's entranced by Lime's beautiful girlfriend, Anna Schmidt (Alida Valli), who, unlike the others, seems to have loved Harry. Calloway finally provides evidence of Harry's treachery, and Martins, despondent, is about to return home when everything changes in a shadowed moment. THE THIRD MAN is a masterpiece of melancholia featuring extraordinary writing, acting, and directing, as well as a classic zither score by Anton Karas. Welles is memorable as the seductive villain, but the true star may be the camera work of Robert Krasker, which transforms Vienna into a coruscating, expressionist nightmare. [More]

Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard

Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Bernard Lee, Geoffrey Keen, Martin Miller

Director: Carol Reed

Director: Carol Reed
Producer: Carol Reed, Alexander Korda, David O. Selznick
Screenwriter: Graham Greene
Composer: Anton Karas

[See More Credits]

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Nov 27, 2001

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for The Third Man

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

One of British cinema's most enduring and atmospheric thrillers. A genuine and endlessly rewatchable classic.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
04/20/09
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Greene's story and screenplay, which he accurately described as "a comic thriller," is a gift that keeps on giving, with patter that's never less than brilliant. [Criterion Blu-ray]

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
12/14/08
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

If The Third Man is a tragedy, it isn't just the tragedy of a hobbled city, scribbled with ruins and parsed into zones of occupation that can't communicate and don't cooperate.

Full Review Source: Nick's Flick Picks | comment Comment
09/13/08
Nick Davis
Nick Davis
Nick's Flick Picks

It transformed the way I looked at the world.

Full Review Source: Newsweek | comment Comment
11/01/07
David Ansen
David Ansen
Newsweek
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

As you watch the film, you feel as though the screen is tilted higher, glowering over you as you wince in its devastating presence, which is probably how Martins felt scurrying through the Vienna darkness.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
07/01/07
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

It's a suspense-thriller-romance steeped in Hollywood's best influences and 'gimmicks,' yet it's crafted with enough looming European 'art-house' style to topple Fritz Lang into an existential funk.

Full Review Source: DVDJournal.com | comment Comment
05/29/07
Mark Bourne
Mark Bourne
DVDJournal.com

This will haunt you.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
09/23/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An iconic film noir that's still fresh despite being familiar.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
08/15/06
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
BBC

An undisputed masterpiece, this movie captures the mood of Vienna in post-WWII like no other, and is also a testimony to film as a collaborative art, benefiting from Greene's writing, Reed's direction, and stellar cast with Orson Welles at his scariest

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
07/28/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out

Welles gives Harry a mask of irony that turns all moral judgment back on itself. He turns a mass murderer into a wry rogue, and makes his villainy all the more horrifying because we rather like him.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
07/21/05
Jeff Millar
Jeff Millar
Houston Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Do herói fragilizado e patético ao fascinante vilão, passando pela fotografia inesquecível, a trilha surpreendente e uma Viena inigualável, o filme é simplesmente perfeito.

comment 1 Comment
10/02/04
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

The Third Man isn't an eager crowd-pleaser, but it's great. The film is distinctly British, with a wonderfully bizarre zither score by Anton Karas.

Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
08/04/04
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

Is it perfect? Maybe the answer has more to do with semantics than film craft; it's at least indistinguishable from flawlessness.

comment Comment
06/08/04
Jake Euker
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)

Seen today, The Third Man ... can be appreciated as a prophetic statement on the eventual moral bankruptcy of the one-world euphoria that clouded men's minds immediately after the second 'war to end all wars.'

Full Review Source: New York Observer | comment Comment
04/22/04
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris
New York Observer
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A monumental arty thriller of British noir.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
02/04/04
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

This handsomely shot black-and-white thriller hasn't aged one bit. Terrific writing, direction and acting never go out of style.

comment Comment
12/29/03
Dan Lybarger
Dan Lybarger
Nitrate Online

About as close to a perfect film as you're likely to get.

Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) | comment Comment
12/04/03
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

No review available.

comment Comment
11/04/03
Rob Blackwelder
Rob Blackwelder
SPLICEDWire

Everything you ever wanted to know about the dark side of human nature can be found in Orson Welles' smirking face

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
09/11/03
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
all

Latest News for The Third Man

February 04, 2009: Exclusive: Inside Pinewood/Shepperton - A Photo Tour
Every year, the BAFTA film awards present a trophy for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema. Introduced in 1978, the award recognises an organisation or a person's career... More...

See All

More DVDs

Close
Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…
19% 19% Transformers: Revenge …
55% 55% Orphan
43% 43% The Proposal
26% 26% Land of the Lost

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
98% 98% Up
88% 88% Ballast
67% 67% The Merry Gentleman

More New Releases…

See All

RT On Current TV

The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV

DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...

Learn how you can be part of the show

More...

What’s Hot On RT

60+ New Moon pics

60+ New Moon pics

You want Twilight images? We got 'em!

Transylmania

Transylmania

Red band trailer for the vampire comedy!

2012

2012

Major havoc in these new clips!

Salt trailer

Salt trailer

Angelina Jolie! Espionage! Check it out!

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Can Avatar Make Money? Source: New York Times
76
  • Robert Pattinson Says Breaking Dawn Could Roll in Fall 2010 Source: Collider.com
18
  • Joe Johnston Talks The Wolfman Source: Ain't It Cool News
7
  • Jason Schwartzman Talks Scott Pilgrim Source: Collider.com
0
  • Weekly Ketchup: Abrams eyes Micronauts, Aykroyd as Yogi Bear
99
  • J.J. Abrams Producing Micronauts Movie? Source: Wall Street Journal
11
  • Peter Murphy Filming Twilight Saga: Eclipse Cameo Source: MTV
18
  • David Goyer Promises "Existential" Ghost Rider Sequel Source: MTV
164
  • Emmerich Plans 2012: The TV Series Source: Entertainment Weekly
21
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
42
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: George Clooney's Best Movies
92
  • Critics Consensus: A Christmas Carol Dazzles But Disappoints
43
  • Ho-ho-horror! 10 Scary Christmas Movies
36
  • Weekly Ketchup: Abrams eyes Micronauts, Aykroyd as Yogi Bear
33
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Christmas Carol Tops, Precious Rocks
32
  • Friday Harvest: Prince of Persia, The Road, and more!
26
  • RT on DVD: Up, the Ultimate Watchmen Cut, and More
15
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
14
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
14
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
15
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
  • Emma Stone talks Zombieland - RT Interview
40
  • Michael Moore: The RT Interview
139
  • Andrea Arnold talks Fish Tank - RT Interview
4
  • Neill Blomkamp talks District 9 - RT Interview
51
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • The Third Man at Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh Links

Featured
Worst Movie Biopics
Worst Movie Biopics External Link

Moviefone brings us 9 failed attempts at biographical films.

Top Cameron Crowe Moments
Top Cameron Crowe Moments External Link

TIME reminisces on the 10 most iconic moments from the films of Cameron Crowe.

November Films
November Films External Link

BuzzSugar wants to know which movies coming out this month you're most looking forward to.

The New Cult Canon
The New Cult Canon External Link

The AV Club takes a look back at Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.