Analysis of 'The Third Man'

The ending of the thriller film The Third Man is very generic. The shot types, lighting, sounds and locations all make the audience feel as if they are on edge and are not sure of what will happen next.

The sequence starts with pan shots; these establish the scene and show where the character is. Then the tilt shot connotes his broken world, nothing is normal, this could also reflect than the city of off balance because of the devastation left behind by the war. The next shot is one of Hollie sitting in a café, through a window, he is waiting for Harry and the lighting is reflecting in through the window from the street lights. The connotation of him inside the cafe but the camera outside the cafe could show how he might be shut off from the world. The next collection of shots shows different types of people around the area watching and waiting for Harry to appear. They are different shot types depending on where the character is situated. For example, there is a shot of a man looking out of window from a three story building and the shot used is a high angle one, this shows his position over everyone else watching. Maybe in life he is further up the social ladder. ­­­

The use of shadows adds to the tension as people may appear as something they are not. There is also a comical aspect of when the man appears holding the bunch of balloons as the audience cannot tell who or what he is until he appears from behind the wall. His shadow is distorted and disfigured. The shadows are created using large artificial lights.

Throughout the film, the music that was played at the start has been repeated and it is again repeated at the end of the film. This creates continuity and is something that the audience recognises even though it is slightly different each time you hear it, depending on what situation is being showed in the scene.

The use of another pan yet again establishes the scene to show the audience the city of Vienna, where the film is set. Because the film is set just after the end of the war, it’s broken and the buildings are piles of rubble. It looks like a building site; it looks even more dramatic as most of the outside scenes are shot in the evening or on a dark day.

Eventually Harry appears and a chase around the city ensues. This gives the audience a better view of the city even if it as at a fast pace because Harry is running away from the police. He ends up in the sewers as he thinks he can hide from them underground.

The sewers are a generic location for a scene in a thriller film as they are a confined space which creates a sense of claustrophobia.   

The Third Man - Chase and Sewer Scene