- Film Review
- Reviewed By David Parkinson
-
5 out of 5
Developed by Graham Greene from an idea jotted down on the flap of an envelope, this virtually flawless thriller is one of the best British films of all time. Set in postwar occupied Vienna, the plot is a corker, littered with memorable moments and played to perfection by an unforgettable cast that's led with distinction by Orson Welles and Joseph Cotten. A master of place, angle and shade, director Carol Reed (helped by his Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Krasker) fashions a city in which menace lurks around every corner, while Anton Karas's jaunty zither music uniquely echoes the wit and drama of this dark yet daringly playful picture.
Plot Summary
Classic thriller written by Graham Greene, starring Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles and featuring Alida Valli. Holly Martins, a writer of western stories, arrives in Vienna after the end of the Second World War where he has been promised work by his old friend, Harry Lime. However, on his arrival, Martins is told that Lime is dead and was involved in racketeering. Martins resolves to clear his friend's name but his investigations uncover some disturbing truths.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Holly Martins
- Joseph Cotten
- Anna Schmidt
- Alida Valli
- Harry Lime
- Orson Welles
- Major Calloway
- Trevor Howard
- Sergeant Paine
- Bernard Lee
- Harry's porter
- Paul Hörbiger
- "Baron" Kurtz
- Ernst Deutsch
- Popescu
- Siegfried Breuer
- Dr Winkel
- Erich Ponto
- Crabbin
- Wilfrid Hyde White
- Anna's "old woman"
- Hedwig Bleibtreu
- Porter's wife
- Annie Rosar
- "Little" Hansl
- Herbert Halbik
- Brodsky
- Alexis Chesnakov
- British policeman
- Geoffrey Keen
Crew
- Director
- Carol Reed
- Share this episode
-