The Third Man (1949) (Blu Ray) - 8/10

Wow, so I can't believe I hadn't seen The Third Man till today. Watching this new Blu Ray Criterion Collection really helped me appreciate the history and technical aspects of one of the most important movies in history. This is a film that demands multiple viewings so I'm glad I watched it once to kind of get the plot and then another time with a film scholar who gives a very interesting commentary about everything from the source material to the post WWII environment it came out of. What's interesting I think is this represention of the naive American writer who is just coming out to find his friend but gets caught up in a huge conspiracy of murder while also hitting on the girl he should be trying to protect. The realistic representation of London and the archival footage of the military really allow The Third Man to use the B&W to it's advantage, emphasizing the use of light and darkness to signify the uncovering of the truth and deception. Listening to him talk about the influences that are littered throughout like the overlapping dialogue or the unique musical instrument to record the score, it's apparent that this film was a success in the way it kind of balances this thriller murder mystery with love story to ultimately make the audience think for themselves about who is right.

I liked the random facts like how they filmed Orson Welle's famous entrance with the cat using a string they pulled or when they had to get a magician he liked b/c Welle's was so reclusive that he wouldn't come out to set. After thinking about the film and watching all the documentaries, etc. I have a new found appreciation for this type of older classic that still has within it a certain set of editing, pacing, and movie magic that show that everything that's put on screen has a reason within the story. The way that they have each character's theme and motives represented by their place within the frame or the music accompanying them really shows that this is a movie to be dissected and studied. After this and The 400 Blows, I'm looking forward to more Criterion experiences.