BFI Classics: The Third Man

• 9th Jul 2011

Author: Rob White

A true British classic, Carl Reed’s Vienna-set noir thriller is put under the microscope by author Rob White. It must be a real privilege to cover such a well loved title for this series in all its black and white, canted angled glory.

White sticks to the formula and follows the story of the film essaying the film’s narrative and visual style as one would expect – drawing reference from other films along the way. Fans of all the shadow-play (both visual and characterwise) won’t be disappointed as White follows the characters through the dark wetness of the Vienna streets, to the dark wetness of its sewers.

There is a heavy biography element to the book as well as the author charts the journey the filmmakers made at the time, the travels they undertook and where they were in their careers at the time. Simply put – this is another notch of the BFI’s belt.

Steven Hurst