The Third Man on Blu-ray & DVD (1949)

The Third Man

1949

Overall rating: 4 out of 5

from 23,031 members

Classic thriller written by Graham Greene and starring Orson Welles in which a writer sets about investigating the death of a friend in post-World War II Vienna. Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten), a pulp Western writer, arrives in the Austrian capital expecting to take up a job with his old acquaintance, Harry Lime (Welles). When he is informed that Lime died a week previously in a car accident, Martins is intrigued by inconsistencies in the accounts of the death and decides that he can't leave the city without investigating matters further. As a consequence, he finds himself drawn into a web of intrigue and searching for the elusive 'third man' who was at the scene of Lime's death. When the head of the local military police, Major Calloway (Trevor Howard), informs him that Lime was involved in black market drug distribution, the plot thickens even further...

The Third Man details

Formats:	PG DVD, Blu-ray
Starring:	Wilfrid Hyde White, Trevor Howard, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Bernard Lee, Martin Miller, Geoffrey Keen
Director:	Carol Reed
Genre:	Thriller - Mystery
Studio:	ELEVATION SALES
Collections:	100 must-see movies, 100 Top Thrillers, American Film Institute's top 100, Cannes-tastic!, Espionage, Full English, HD Thriller, HD Thriller Movies

Name	Discs
The Third Man	PG Feature
The Third Man - Bonus Features	PG Bonus

DVD Information

Run time:	1 hour 39 minutes
Rental release:	14 Jan 2002
Main languages:	English

Name	Discs
The Third Man	PG Feature

Blu-ray Information

Run time:	1 hour 50 minutes
Rental release:	13 Sep 2010
Main languages:	English

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Most helpful review The Third Man

All-time best?

By a customer from Dorset, UK. , 23 Apr 2004

[Highly rated reviewer]

This is an exciting Graham Greene film about post second world war corruption in occupied Germany.

It's many years since I saw it and I remembered it as very good, but on second showing I rate it as perhaps the best film of all.

It can't be flawed. The acting is superb and the choice of actors so right. The locations - wonderful. The photography brilliant.

What a story, and presented with never a dull moment - only the last shot was slow and how right that was - I wanted it to go on forever!

Orsen Welles is great, but Joseph Cotten? - surely a perfect performance.
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Emperor's new clothes

By a customer , 21 Mar 2013

Don't believe the hype! No really don't!! I was really looking forward to it. I'm a fan of Graham Greene and classic films. This one is considered a classic film and finds itself in most fim 'experts' Top 100 lists. It's truly awful. Oh dear.
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Not for everyone, but I liked it!

By a customer , 11 Feb 2013

Can see why people don't like it - it is quite dated, but I loved the 'old school' feel of it and the atmosphere generated
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Vivid drama set in stunning post-war Vienna

By tf510 (32 reviews) , 26 Dec 2012

Splendid, highly memorable drama set in post-war Vienna. Beautifully photographed and featuring an almost-perfect script that gives every one of an impressive cast opportunities to shine.
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Doesn't get any better than this.

By a customer , 30 Nov 2012

Amazing atmosphere , scenes of post war Vienna add to the magic. One of the best and a must see for old time movie lovers.
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Aging badly

By crudpuppyuk (9 reviews) , 18 Sep 2012

I was very impressed years ago, when I first saw it. It's looking very dated and stagey now, and not a good example of Welles' acting. And the zither is absolutely inexorable.
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