The Third Man is a 1949 British film noir, directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Many critics rank it as a masterpiece, particularly remembered for its atmospheric cinematography, performances, and unique musical score.The screenplay was written by novelist Graham Greene, who subsequently published the novella of the same name (which he had originally written as a preparation for the screen play).Anton Karas wrote and performed the score, which used only the zither; its title cut topped the international music charts in 1950.
American pulp Western writer Holly Martins arrives in Post-World War II Vienna seeking his childhood friend, Harry Lime, who has offered him a job. Martins discovers that Lime was killed by a car while crossing the street. At Lime's funeral, he meets two British Army Police: Sergeant Paine, a fan of Martins's books, and his superior, Major Calloway. Afterwards Martins is asked to give a lecture to a book club a few days later. He then meets a friend of Lime's, Baron Kurtz, who tells Martins that he and another friend Popescu, carried Lime to the side of the street after the accident, and before he died Lime asked them to take care of Martins, and Lime's actress girlfriend Anna.
Martins goes to see Anna, and becomes suspicious that Lime's death was not an accident. The porter at Lime's apartment building says Lime was killed immediately and that three men carried the body, not two.
Martins and Anna discover the police are searching her apartment. They confiscate a forged passport and detain her. The next evening Martins visits Lime's "medical advisor", Dr. Winkel, who says he arrived at the accident after Lime was dead, and only two men, were there.
The porter offers to give Martins more information, but is murdered before Martins can see him. Escaping from a hostile crowd, Martins is taken to the book club. He makes a poor speech, but when Popescu asks about Martins's next book he says it will be called The Third Man, "a murder story" inspired by facts. Popescu says Martins should stick to fiction. Martins sees two thugs advancing towards him, and flees.
Calloway again advises Martins to leave Vienna: Martins refuses and demands Lime's death be investigated. Calloway reveals that Lime’s racket was stealing penicillin from military hospitals, diluting it, and selling it on the black market, leading to many deaths. Martins, convinced, agrees to leave.
Martins learns that Anna too has been told about Lime's crimes and is about to be sent to the Russian sector. Leaving her apartment, Martins notices someone watching from a dark doorway. A shaft of light reveals Harry Lime, alive; Martins summons Calloway, but Lime has escaped through the sewers. The British police exhume Lime's coffin and discover the body is Joseph Harbin, an orderly in a military hospital who stole the penicillin for Lime.
The next day, Martins meets with Lime and they ride Vienna's Ferris wheel, the Wiener Riesenrad. Lime obliquely threatens Martins, reveals the full extent of his ruthless callousness, and then reiterates his job offer before hurrying off.
Major Calloway then asks Martins to help capture Lime, and Martins agrees, asking for Anna's safe conduct out of Vienna in exchange, but when Anna learns this, she refuses to leave. Exasperated, Martins decides to go, but en route to the airport Calloway detours to show Martins children dying of meningitis that had been treated using Lime's diluted penicillin.
Lime arrives to rendezvous with Martins, but Anna warns him. He tries once again to escape using the sewer tunnels, but the police are there in force. Lime kills Sergeant Paine and is wounded by Major Calloway. Badly injured, Lime drags himself up a ladder to a street grating, but is unable to lift it. Martins then kills him using Paine's revolver, but only after Lime has told him "Yes" with a nod.
Martins attends Lime's second funeral. Afterwards he waits, hoping to speak to Anna, but she ignores him. WIKIPEDIA
