Carol Reed’s 1949 film, The Third Man, is a cinematic masterpiece that dives deep into the layers of what it means to be human. The story takes place in post war Vienna, where Joseph Cotton’s character, Holly Martins, travels to reconnect with his longtime pal, Harry Lime, played by Orson Welles (www.imdb.com). Holly arrives in Vienna only to find that his pal Harry is presumed dead – but something about his death just doesn’t add up. The story follows Holly on a journey for the truth while the structural aspect provides an abstract reflection of the struggle between good vs. evil. The multi-dimensional use of location, angles and lighting correlates with the theme of the story, the complexity of good vs. evil or dark vs. light, in human nature.
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Although camera angels do not shed explicit insight, it is a technique used in cinematography to stimulate feelings of, “dramatic tension, psychological instability, confusion, madness” (www.masteringfilm.com ). The implication of these aforementioned feelings may impose the question of what is good and evil in the narrative. For example, the scene when Holly is being chased by Popescu’s men - Holly is apparently the good being chased by the evil. From the mesmerizing staircase to the shadows of Popescu’s men as they run throughout the city is distorted by the canted angles drawing out the intensity of the event. Another example of how setting and angles intertwined to emphasis a scene was when Harry and Holly meet in the Ferris Wheel. The setting of a functioning carnival in the middle of a war-torn country is completely obscure yet innocent as it is a children’s amusement park. The characters themselves contrast each other, Holly selflessly fighting for good and Harry selfishly fighting for evil. Despite each other’s quests for good or evil, the two rekindle and try to regain understanding of each other, all while they are tilting back and forth in a cab of the ferris wheel exaggerated by angles. The camera moves between tight and wide angles as they discuss their intentions and work through their deteriorating friendship, showing the complexity of emotions in the …show more content…
The film used the chiaroscuro effect which is derived from the Italian words for light and dark (www.vocabulary.com). This technique was used in the most prominent scenes of the film, for example Harry’s reveal. As Holly is chasing Harry throughout the dark streets at night, he is finally incidentally exposed by a bright light that is cast directly on his face from the opposing side of the street. In this scene, it is as if the light coming from above exposes the dark mystery that is Harry Lime. Another important example of the use of chiaroscuro was the scene where Holly had staged a set up for the police to capture Harry. As the police are staking out, a man’s shadow who is presumably Harry, comes around the corner gradually only to reveal a seemingly drunk man carrying balloons. In the scene following, Harry enters into the light on top of a building, as if to say he is hiding in plain sight. This scene is rich with the use of light and distortion through camera angles causing confusion and anticipation between those fighting for good and the outlaw,
Although camera angels do not shed explicit insight, it is a technique used in cinematography to stimulate feelings of, “dramatic tension, psychological instability, confusion, madness” (www.masteringfilm.com ). The implication of these aforementioned feelings may impose the question of what is good and evil in the narrative. For example, the scene when Holly is being chased by Popescu’s men - Holly is apparently the good being chased by the evil. From the mesmerizing staircase to the shadows of Popescu’s men as they run throughout the city is distorted by the canted angles drawing out the intensity of the event. Another example of how setting and angles intertwined to emphasis a scene was when Harry and Holly meet in the Ferris Wheel. The setting of a functioning carnival in the middle of a war-torn country is completely obscure yet innocent as it is a children’s amusement park. The characters themselves contrast each other, Holly selflessly fighting for good and Harry selfishly fighting for evil. Despite each other’s quests for good or evil, the two rekindle and try to regain understanding of each other, all while they are tilting back and forth in a cab of the ferris wheel exaggerated by angles. The camera moves between tight and wide angles as they discuss their intentions and work through their deteriorating friendship, showing the complexity of emotions in the …show more content…
The film used the chiaroscuro effect which is derived from the Italian words for light and dark (www.vocabulary.com). This technique was used in the most prominent scenes of the film, for example Harry’s reveal. As Holly is chasing Harry throughout the dark streets at night, he is finally incidentally exposed by a bright light that is cast directly on his face from the opposing side of the street. In this scene, it is as if the light coming from above exposes the dark mystery that is Harry Lime. Another important example of the use of chiaroscuro was the scene where Holly had staged a set up for the police to capture Harry. As the police are staking out, a man’s shadow who is presumably Harry, comes around the corner gradually only to reveal a seemingly drunk man carrying balloons. In the scene following, Harry enters into the light on top of a building, as if to say he is hiding in plain sight. This scene is rich with the use of light and distortion through camera angles causing confusion and anticipation between those fighting for good and the outlaw,