
The story of The Third Man is a strange one. Holly (Joseph Cotten) is unemployed American, moves to Allied occupied Austria to work with a childhood friend. Holly however can not be satisfied by the details of his friend’s (Harry played by Orson Welles) death. Every one he meets warns him to give up quest. But Holly is unswayed in his mission. As a result Holly is faced with truth in it’s ugliest form. Ultimately has to make a choice no human should have to make to choose between being a means to a friend’s death, or choosing to turn a blind eye to the cause to so much pain and suffering. An interesting angel to this story is the love angel. In Holly’s quest for answers he meets up with Harry’s old girl friend Anna (Alida Valli). She is a quiet girl who is mourning the loss of Harry. I think a reason I like her is t

hat she is not easily won over to the love of another after Harry’s death. Another interesting thing about The Third Man is the music is done wholly done by one instrument a zither an odd sound that goes with an odd movie. But in the my mind one of the best. And I can't forget that it is a part of The Criterion Collection.