Like a lot of commentary posted here, I think Carol Reed has made a master work. The focus of most critics and scholars seems to be on Welles and Cotten as the main actors, but rarely has a movie had such a perfect supporting cast. Trevor Howard and Bernard Lee are beautiful to watch, as recognizable as cops anywhere on earth. Valli is coolly stunning, and very carefully shot by Krasker for maximum use of her eyes and mouth for conveying emotions that are subtly erotic and hungry at the same time. Only Louise Brooks was better at looking natural while smoldering. Even the little parts by obscure actors are excellent. A lot of the visual clues are nifty as well - the slicing of a juicy duck at a time of suffering for others, the hungry-looking whores at the bar where Holly is watching the the erotic dancer, (a very adult scene for that time!), and the cat who loved Harry Lime. I also noticed some people feel the book was better. It was a little different, still excellent, but this story was a screenplay from the beginning. I saw this back-to-back with "Lady From Shanghai" once, and I was unable to look at modern movies the same after that.
Review of The Third Man
