rating:
(out of
4 stars)United Kingdom; 1949
Directed by Carol Reed; produced by Carol Reed; screenplay by Graham Greene
Starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, Trevor Howard, Bernard Lee, Paul Hoerbiger
Below you will find a temporary review for this film. The real (better, more complete) review will be online very soon.
Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) is invited by his old friend Harry Lime to
come to Vienna. When Martins arrives, Lime is dead, and Martins can just
make it to his funeral. How he is killed is the important question in the
story. Two men who knew Lime claim he was hit by a car and still alive. They
carried him to the sidewalk and he died right there. Another witness who
only heard the accident says there were three men carrying Lime to the
sidewalk and he wasn't alive still alive after he was hit. The story set is
set in Vienna that is separated in five parts. An English, American, French,
Russian and international part. An English official Calloway (Trevor Howard)
investigates a case involving Lime. According to Calloway Lime was no good
and his only interest is that Lime is dead, whether he was murdered or hit
by accident. And then there is the girl Anna (Alida Valli) who loved Lime.
Martins believes she knows more as well. Martins visits all persons that
Lime knew and one thing is sure: not everyone is telling the truth.
The great story is combined with some other great things. First there is the
music, a tune you will not forget, that perfectly sets the mood. Second
there is the camera, which seems to be never really held straight. Even the
camera says things are not the way they seem. Third there is the entrance of
Orson Welles, probably the most famous entrance in a movie ever. The way
Welles is caught by the camera is great. Fourth there is the sewer chase
scene. It has suspense and for some reason you want the villain to get out.
It looks terrific. Fifth there is the ending I of course will not reveal.
This movie, with its superb acting and perfect direction, was named the best
British movie ever. For me it definitely belongs to the best.