The Third Man

Title: The Third Man
Director: Graham Greene
Year: 1946
Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten

At the start of the film we hear a zither playing in the background. This non-ambient sound sets the mood of the film and attempts to give us an idea of what kind of character Harry Lime is. Based on this music we can assume that Harry Lime is a bit mischievous and plays around with people, alike the zither being 'played'. The background of the credits correlate with the instrument. The lines going horizontally across the screen are meant to represent the zither and it's strings. The music is surprisingly cheerful which challenges the conventional, stereotypical music associated with thriller films.

Soon after the opening credits we are introduced to many aspects of the thriller convention which do not fail in explaining to us the exact theme of the film and the environment it is set in. For example there are different shots of the black market that appear. These immediately give us the impression of a corrupt environment which is often associated with the thriller genre. In this case the man is selling watches; time is another key thriller convention. It often proves essential in creating suspense because it makes us feel as though we are rushed or in a hurry. This technique of referring back to time has been later used in the film 'Heavenly Creatures' by director Peter Jackson (1994). We see a body floating in the water which to many people is extremely shocking. However it is ignored in the film and simply passed over. This explains how this image is one that doesn't prove at all shocking to this city and displays therefore, how the city as a society is seriously disturbed and fractured.

We see a steam train from a low-angle shot. This means that the train fills the vast majority of the shot and creates a sense of journey as a result - another key theme that is present in many thrillers.
We then see a man getting off of the train. He is dressed in a suit with a trilby hat on his head. This is a typical outfit for a thriller film and is used most notably in ‘Once upon a time in America’ and ‘The Godfather’. The trilby hat often covers the face slightly which means that the person wearing it is sometimes enigmatic; mystery is created as a result of this - another key theme throughout the thriller genre that Graham Greene is attempting to establish in his work. 

We then follow the man on his walk to his destination. Along the way he walks under a ladder. This is a known form of bad luck and as a result we are lead to believe that something bad will happen to this man. This symbolic negativity juxtaposes with the happiness that the man is showing in his expression and the light hearted non-diegetic music playing in the scene, creating again, a fractured feel to the environment in which the film is set.

Staircases are often used in a symbolic way in thriller films. Walking up stairs can sometimes be hard work and might be seen (as a bigger picture) to represent a struggle in life for the character walking up them. These are used regularly throughout this film. We see the mans shadow as he walks up the stairs. This suggests another presence although we do not know what it is just yet. This arises the theme of mystery which is present in the film throughout as well as being a conventional thriller film. A tilt shot is used - this suggests disorientation, perhaps not just of the shot but of the country as a whole. Again, a recurring theme throughout that is adressed in numerous ways by Greene.

A man begins to talk in a foreign language which we believe to be German. At the time, this would have immediately forced the audience into anxiety as the film was released shortly after the second world war and so the shouts of the German opposition would still be ringing in mosts ears. It comes as a surprise that the speech is not supported with subtitles and proves somewhat frustrating to consume as an audience. This also creates further mystery about the film because we have no idea what the man has just said and whether it was significant or not. It also allows us to position ourselves and sympathise with the character we were earlier introduced to as he also is clueless as to what has been said, just like the audience. The technique of association with characters in thriller films is very often used in order to make the audience more involved in the film and feel more on edge as a result. It is most notably used by Quentin Tarantino in his film, Kill Bill (2003). This gives us the idea that he is going to be the main character throughout the rest of the film.

The shot we see next is a high angle shot from the perspective of the foreign man. The fact that he is up high and looking down on the other character suggest his superiority over him and puts the character we met earlier on in a position of weakness. Because we have already associated with the, now inferior, character, we begin to feel vulnerable and uneasy as an audience.

We are soon introduced to Anna. Her face proves extremely hard to read, meaning we are not able to tell much about her character, thus creating her as an enigmatic figure. Her ‘hard to read’ face could be associated with the face of ‘The Mona Lisa’. We soon find out that Anna is an actress. Her job is very important to her and she takes it very seriously. Because she is an actress it means that she is not always herself. Perhaps not only when she is acting but also in real life. Mystery is emphasised here again.

Here we see two men striking a relationship. This kind of relationship is very often present in the thriller genre, for example in Jackie Brown with Louis (De Niro) and Ordell (L. Jackson). This relationship could stimulate a constant contrast throughout the film.

We see a man whose first action is to smile. However, it is not an ordinary smile. This smile strikes the viewers as that of a villain. A somewhat evil smile. A villain is usually present in most thriller films and so we can immediately assume that this is the role that this character might play. When talking to who we assume to be the villain, the man interrogates him and takes on the role of detective. This again is a key thriller convention which is used in many other films. Usually, the detective is successful in determining the outcome of the dilemma and is a heroic character as a result. This further emphasises the fact that this man is going to be the main character who we are expected to empathise with. The man we assume to be the villain gets closer and closer as the scene progresses. This portrays him as a threatening character and adds to his stereotype of a villain. He is also wearing fur which is often directly associated with death, thus, further emphasising the negativity of his character.

There is a shot which involves a key thriller convention - a wet street. This can be associated with films made post to this one such as Thelma and Louise and Jackie Brown. Props can also prove key in emphasising the conventional themes of thrillers, in this case, the prop is a die. Just by seeing dice we assume that gambling is taking place which is often associated within the same field as other things that are also present in this film such as violence.

We see a young child watching what is going on here. This brings back our sense of reality as we begin to understand that what has happened has affected a young innocent little boy. This can be referenced to the film ‘Witness’ in which a young amish boy witnesses a murder and is mentally scarred as a result. The next shot is from the childs perspective. This shifts our sympathy from the main character to the young boy.

There is an arch that appears in the film which can be related to one similar from ‘Once upon a time in America’ by Sergio Leone. This is one of several references to this film, another key one would be the costume - the suit and trilby hat.