The Third Man
Postwar Vienna mystery
The Third Man is a 1949 British noir film directed by Carol Reed, set in post-war Vienna and notable for its atmospheric cinematography and zither score.
The title refers to a mysterious figure whose identity drives the plot.
More broadly, a third man is someone whose presence or involvement is unexpected or unaccounted for: Police were searching for a third man in connection with the robbery.
- ViennaAustrian capital
- postwarAfter hostilities end
- thrillerSuspense-driven narrative genre
- British cinemaEngland's film industry
Graham Greene · sewers · black market · occupation · ferris wheel · cuckoo clock · penicillin · Rialto Bridge
Flat stringed instrument, played horizontally
- soundtrackMusic accompanying visual media
- melodyPleasing sequence of notes
- themeCentral recurring concept
- VienneseOf Austria's capital
haunting · jaunty · iconic · instrumental · accompaniment · musical motif · cafe music
Obscured by darkness
- underworldRealm of the departed
- cynicismDistrust of human sincerity
- corruptionDishonest abuse of power
- blackmailCoercion through damaging threats
betrayal · smuggling · conspiracy · double-cross · moral ambiguity · disillusionment · rubble · ruins
Stretched or strained state
- anticipationState of awaiting something
- thrillerSuspense-driven narrative genre
- cliffhangerSuspenseful unresolved ending
- dreadIntense anticipatory fear
foreboding · cat-and-mouse · pursuit · manhunt · revelation · mystery · disappearance · investigation
Of lasting excellence
- masterpieceSupreme artistic achievement
- BFIBritish cinema archive organization
- cultural iconWidely recognized symbolic figure
- influentialHaving considerable effect
restoration · criterion · repertory · film history · enduring · acclaimed · canonical
Orson Welles
Graham Greene · British cinema · sewers · black market · occupation · ferris wheel · cuckoo clock · penicillin · Rialto Bridge · rationing
zither
Flat stringed instrument, played horizontally
- soundtrackMusic accompanying visual media
- melodyPleasing sequence of notes
- themeCentral recurring concept
Viennese · haunting · jaunty · iconic · instrumental · accompaniment · musical motif · cafe music
shadowy
Obscured by darkness
- underworldRealm of the departed
- cynicismDistrust of human sincerity
- corruptionDishonest abuse of power
blackmail · betrayal · smuggling · conspiracy · double-cross · moral ambiguity · disillusionment · rubble · ruins · shadows
tension
Stretched or strained state
- anticipationState of awaiting something
- thrillerSuspense-driven narrative genre
- cliffhangerSuspenseful unresolved ending
dread · foreboding · cat-and-mouse · pursuit · manhunt · revelation · mystery · disappearance · investigation · secrets
classic
Of lasting excellence
- masterpieceSupreme artistic achievement
- BFIBritish cinema archive organization
- cultural iconWidely recognized symbolic figure
influential · restoration · criterion · repertory · film history · enduring · acclaimed · canonical
- Graham GreeneBrighton Rock, The Quiet American
- Classic FilmsCasablanca, Citizen Kane, Gone with the Wind, Some Like It Hot, Vertigo
- 1940s CinemaCasablanca, Citizen Kane, The Maltese Falcon, Rebecca, Mildred Pierce
- British FilmBFI, British comedy, Alfred Hitchcock, Danny Boyle, Christopher Nolan
- Noirfemme fatale, detective, gumshoe, hard-boiled, trench coats
- thrillerssuspense, thriller, nail-biter, page-turner, cliffhanger
The Third ManSome Like It Hot
Phrase about preferring heat
Bringing Up Baby · Mary Poppins · Roman Holiday · screwball comedy · musical comedy
The Third ManSouth Pacific
Ocean region near Oceania
Oklahoma! · White Christmas · The Red Shoes · La La Land · Gone with the Wind
third, thirds, thirdly, manliness, manhood, mankind, manful, unmanned, manned