Description
Vintage French Movie Poster
ALEXANDER KORDA et DAVID O'SELZNICK
présentent UNE PRODUCTION CAROL REED
JOSEPH COTTEN - VALLI - ORSON WELLES - TREVOR HOWARD
Le Troisième Homme
D'après une nouvelle de GRAHAM GREENE
Scénario de GRAHAM GREENE, CAROL REED et MABBIE POOLE
Rálisation de CAROL REED
This is a reproduction of a poster for the classic 1949 film noir The Third Man (original French title Le troisième homme), directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. The film is celebrated for its distinctive zither score by Anton Karas, atmospheric black-and-white cinematography, and tilted "Dutch" camera angles.
Synopsis
The movie is set in post-World War II, Allied-occupied Vienna, a city physically and morally devastated by war. The story centers on American pulp novelist Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten), who arrives to visit his old friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles), only to learn that Lime has been killed in a suspicious traffic accident.
Investigation: Martins, skeptical of the official story, decides to investigate the death, uncovering inconsistencies and a mysterious "third man" who was at the scene.
Revelations: He runs into interference from British military policeman Major Calloway (Trevor Howard), who reveals that Lime was a ruthless black-marketeer selling diluted penicillin that killed or injured countless people.
Climax: Harry Lime is revealed to be alive, leading to an iconic confrontation on the Wiener Riesenrad Ferris wheel and a famous chase through Vienna's sewer system.
Themes: The film explores themes of friendship, betrayal, and moral ambiguity in a cynical post-war world. The ending is famously downbeat, with Martins and Lime's girlfriend, Anna Schmidt (Alida Valli), parting ways.
The film is celebrated for its distinctive German expressionist-influenced cinematography and its iconic zither score by Anton Karas.
The screenplay was written by Graham Greene, based on his novella, and the film was directed by Carol Reed.
Artwork by Bernard Lancy.
The poster employs a stark, expressionistic style fitting for film noir, using high contrast and dramatic lighting to create a sense of mystery and shadow play. It features illustrated busts of the main characters—Joseph Cotten, Valli, and Trevor Howard—highlighted against a green background, with a prominent, eerie silhouette of the mysterious "third man" looming above them, hinting at the film's central mystery and shifting alliances.
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ALEXANDER KORDA et DAVID O'SELZNICK
présentent UNE PRODUCTION CAROL REED
JOSEPH COTTEN - VALLI - ORSON WELLES - TREVOR HOWARD
Le Troisième Homme
D'après une nouvelle de GRAHAM GREENE
Scénario de GRAHAM GREENE, CAROL REED et MABBIE POOLE
Rálisation de CAROL REED
This is a reproduction of a poster for the classic 1949 film noir The Third Man (original French title Le troisième homme), directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. The film is celebrated for its distinctive zither score by Anton Karas, atmospheric black-and-white cinematography, and tilted "Dutch" camera angles.
Synopsis
The movie is set in post-World War II, Allied-occupied Vienna, a city physically and morally devastated by war. The story centers on American pulp novelist Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten), who arrives to visit his old friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles), only to learn that Lime has been killed in a suspicious traffic accident.
Investigation: Martins, skeptical of the official story, decides to investigate the death, uncovering inconsistencies and a mysterious "third man" who was at the scene.
Revelations: He runs into interference from British military policeman Major Calloway (Trevor Howard), who reveals that Lime was a ruthless black-marketeer selling diluted penicillin that killed or injured countless people.
Climax: Harry Lime is revealed to be alive, leading to an iconic confrontation on the Wiener Riesenrad Ferris wheel and a famous chase through Vienna's sewer system.
Themes: The film explores themes of friendship, betrayal, and moral ambiguity in a cynical post-war world. The ending is famously downbeat, with Martins and Lime's girlfriend, Anna Schmidt (Alida Valli), parting ways.
The film is celebrated for its distinctive German expressionist-influenced cinematography and its iconic zither score by Anton Karas.
The screenplay was written by Graham Greene, based on his novella, and the film was directed by Carol Reed.
Artwork by Bernard Lancy.
The poster employs a stark, expressionistic style fitting for film noir, using high contrast and dramatic lighting to create a sense of mystery and shadow play. It features illustrated busts of the main characters—Joseph Cotten, Valli, and Trevor Howard—highlighted against a green background, with a prominent, eerie silhouette of the mysterious "third man" looming above them, hinting at the film's central mystery and shifting alliances.
