Cheap The Third Man - Criterion Collection (2-Disc Edition) (DVD) (Carol Reed) Price

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Customer Reviews of The Third Man - Criterion Collection (2-Disc Edition)

Beautifully Restored With That Magical Zither Pervading a Suspenseful, Post-WWII Look at Duplicity
Rarely has background music made such a transcendent impact on a film-going experience, but such is the case of Anton Karas's haunting zither in Carol Reed's 1949 dark thriller, a genuine classic of post-WWII deception and desperation. The sparkling, sylphlike strumming makes an ironic, dramatically effective counterpoint to the foreboding atmosphere of a bombed-out Vienna barely recovering from the war. There are many ironies embedded In the story, no surprise given that the screenplay is penned by novelist Graham Greene, whose best work reflects the pervasive moral ambiguities surrounding modern man and the moral ambivalence that complicates otherwise comfortable lives. <
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>The intricate story focuses on Holly Martins, a semi-renowned pulp fiction writer of westerns, who comes to Vienna at the request of his old friend Harry Lime. Unexpectedly, Lime turns out to be dead, and Martins begins to discover that his friend was not what he claimed to be but an immoral racketeer dealing with tainted penicillin on the black market. The rest of the story depends on plot twists too rich to divulge here, but suffice it to say that things are not what they appear. Problems for Martins are compounded by the political divisions of the city (Vienna was in four quadrants like Berlin); the limited disclosures of Major Calloway, a likeable British policeman on the Lime case and the allure of Lime's beautiful, mysterious lover Anna. <
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>Graham masters the treacherous turns of the script with his trademark humanism and spirited wit, and Reed brings a cinematic style that recalls not coincidentally Orson Welles' masterpiece, [[ASIN:B00003CX9E Citizen Kane]]. Both films involve the precarious nature of male friendships and feature two of the same leading actors, Joseph Cotten and Welles himself. Working to represent the perspective of the curious viewer, Cotten is terrific in his career-best role as Martins. Welles shows up late and elliptically in the film as the central figure in the plot, but he makes every moment count, especially the suspenseful chase scene through the Vienna sewer system at the end. Eschewing the romantic yearning he displayed three years earlier in David Lean's [[ASIN:0780023420 Brief Encounter]], Trevor Howard plays Calloway sardonically but with a palpable sense of humanity. As Anna, Alida Valli provides a Dietrich-like sultriness that works, even though her thick accent gets in the way of some of Graham's deft dialogue. <
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>Another nod to Welles can be found in Robert Krasker's expressionistic cinematography full of deep shadows and off-kilter angles. It's masterful mood-setting work. The lengthy, melancholic last shot summarizes the story perfectly. Even though the Criterion Collection released an excellent fiftieth anniversary DVD just eight years ago in 1999, they have produced an even robust two-disc 2007 DVD package that will no doubt please followers of the classic film. Same as the 1999 DVD, the newer release provides a crisp print of the black-and-white film, equally impressive audio, an alternate opening which includes more of Holly's first-person narration and a couple of related radio shows with Cotten and Welles. <
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>The 2007 additions include an informative video introduction by filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich; an enthusiastic commentary track by director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Tony Gilroy; a second, more academic commentary track by NYU film professor Dana Polan; and an audio reading of Graham Greene's treatment for [[ASIN:0140286829 The Third Man]] by actor Richard Clarke and played as an alternate track. One of the best extras is a ninety-minute 2004 documentary, "Shadowing the Third Man", where assistant director Guy Hamilton and script supervisor Angela Allen tour the film's locations in modern-day Vienna. There is also archival footage of composer Anton Karas playing his zither in a London supper club, as well as vintage newsreel footage of the Vienna sewers. This is a genuine film noir classic well worth your time.

Worth the double dip
The Criterion Collection released an excellent edition on DVD many years ago and is revisiting it again this year. It is so rare that a double-dipped title is worth buying. Usually, only a few new extras are added and then resold to the public but this new edition is worth picking up even if you have the previous one. A wealth of new extras have been added making this a must-have for any film buff. <
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>The first disc features an introduction by filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich. He talks about Reed as an underrated director and herald's the film's atmospheric black and white cinematography. Naturally, he talks about Welles' role in the film. <
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>There is an audio commentary by filmmaker Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Tony Gilroy. Not surprisingly, they talk about the nuts and bolts mechanics of the story and the film's style. They just don't talk about the film as fans but from the point-of-view of filmmakers as well. This commentary is like watching the film with these two guys in your living room - very casual and conversational but never dull. <
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>There is a second commentary by film scholar Dana Polan. He argues that The Third Man is a hybrid film with various identities and moralities. Polan cites plenty of examples within the film to support his thesis while also exploring its themes. This track is a nice contrast to the first as it is more scholarly in nature. <
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>"The Third Man Treatment" features actor Richard Clarke reading Graham Greene's abridged treatment for the film with a preface that explains the story's origins. <
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>The second disc starts off with "The Third Man File," a collection of featurettes that include a production history by Charles Drazin, author of In Search of The Third Man; a comparison of the U.S. and U.K. versions of the film which included different opening voiceover narrators; subtitles for the scenes that featured untranslated foreign languages which is a nice touch; the original U.S. trailer; and the original U.K. press book. <
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>Perhaps, the strongest extra in the entire two-disc set is "Shadowing The Third Man," Frederick Baker's definitive 90-minute documentary on the film with visits to some of the original locations and archival interviews with key cast and crew members. This is a fascinating look at how this film came together including filming anecdotes told by those who were there. <
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>"Who Was The Third Man?" is a 30-minute documentary made for the 50th anniversary of the film's Austrian premiere with a look on how Vienna and the country in general were presented. <
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>"The Third Man on the Radio" features a radio play that was only one of a series that acted as prequels, fleshing out Harry Lime's past. Many were in fact written and performed by Welles himself. Also included is a radio play adaptation of the film with Cotton reprising his role. <
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>"Graham Greene: The Hunted Man" is a rare 1968 BBC profile of this famous novelist and screenwriter. Almost 60 minutes in length, it is an excellent look at his life and illustrious career. <
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>Finally, there is "From the Archives," a collection of various odds and ends, including a brief look at composer Anton Karas playing the zither; a look at the underground sewers of Vienna and how they were patrolled by the police in old, archival footage; and a pictorial essay about Vienna during the time that the movie takes place which gives a nice historical perspective.