The Peak of The Noir Thriller

Shown here: a small clip from a sequence that defined a genre.

Back in the early 1930s, and continuing through the 1950s, a genre was born, refined, perfected and finally lost, only to be then occasionally re-imagined by authors in later times. Film Noir became a window for spectators to dive into the underworld of crime and ruthlessness, something that is not uncommon to see in today’s pictures, however the reason it stands out from contemporary crime dramas and thrillers is that the Film Noir genre possesses a very particular aesthetic that happens to be partly a result of the times in which the pictures were being produced.

Now, while there are plenty of great movies in the genre all with their own particular style, there is one that I feel perfectly elevated the genre from its pulpy origins to a more complete cinematic experience.

The Third Man is one of those movies everyone’s heard about but they probably haven’t seen, and that is perfectly understandable considering its age and the fact that sites like Netflix would sooner fill their catalogue with trash like Touch of Evil, making any newcomer to classic cinema be completely put off by it thinking it must all be laughable and melodramatic. I can assure you that Third Man is none of those things and can easily stand among the best in whichever decade is your preference.

The performances are very solid, specially Welles’ who demonstrates he’s not only a great director but also has the acting chops to stand out in a scene. The music is fantastic, the soundtrack to the film is truly a good part of what adds to its very unique aura; it consists entirely of a zither that artfully drives the mood of every scene. I’m sure, considering the site we’re on, this is a point of interest for you.

Finally, what I would consider the strongest element bringing this movie to masterpiece status, is the cinematography. Suffice to say there is not a single poorly framed scene and there are certainly no poorly lit shots to talk about, everything looks sharp as it should and the contrast between light and darkness and use of shadows is so superbly done that it resulted in some of the most iconic scenes ever put on film. And, despite being so well known for its darker scenes in particular, I have to say that my favorite has to be the final sequence which is shot in broad daylight; in my opinion one of the most beautiful in the whole of cinema.

I know you’ve heard about this one before, your snob friend has mentioned how he watched it in his Kino-Center (his living room with the lights off) and how it’s a “relentless tour de force that insists upon itself”, but really you have to trust me on this one, whatever has been putting you off from finally getting around to watching it just get over that, you will not regret it.

Let me know what you think of it!
Thank you for reading and I’ll see you next time!