Carol Reed’s celebrated British noir The Third Man is widely regarded as the greatest British film of all time. Brilliantly scripted by Graham Greene – and set to Anton Karas’s evocative zither score – this justly celebrated classic is further enhanced by Robert Krasker’s Academy Award®-winning cinematography and Orson Welles in one of his most iconic roles. Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton, Citizen Kane), a naïve writer, arrives in Vienna to meet his old friend Harry Lime (the incomparable Welles) but finds Lime has been killed in a suspicious accident. Martins, too curious for his own good, hears contradictory stories about Lime’s death, and as witnesses disappear finds himself chased by unknown assailants. Complicating matters are sardonic Major Calloway (Trevor Howard, Brief Encounter), head of the British forces, and Lime’s mistress, Anna Schmidt (Alida Valli). Will Martins’s curiosity lead him to discover things about his old friend that he’d rather not know?

For thoughts on The Third Man, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

The Third Man comes to 4K UHD Blu-Ray courtesy of Lionsgate Home Entertainment with a 2160p Dolby Vision/HDR transfer from an older 4K restoration conducted by StudioCanal that looks incredible. This film was most recently released on Blu-Ray in the U.S. in 2010 courtesy of Lionsgate. This 4K UHD upgrade does contain an accompanying Blu-Ray, and we can confidently say this new 4K UHD disc maximizes the potential of the source.

The new transfer shows off a striking amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. Contrast is firmly defined with essentially no instances of flicker or density fluctuation in the print. Black levels are exceptionally deep with no occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. There is a fabulous amount of texture on the clothing and within the production design. Nicks and scratches have been cleaned up immensely, but you may still spot a blemish or two inherent to the source. The natural film grain remains intact within the gorgeous black-and-white photography. Lionsgate has made this one shine as bright as a film of its stature deserves.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio dual mono track which executes the sonic intentions of the movie pretty well. One of the most memorable aspects of the film is the unique score which sounds nice with decent fidelity throughout. There are some minor signs of age-related strain, but everything sounds as good as the material will allow. Dialogue is reproduced with a bit of a hollow quality but fine clarity overall. All of the sounds are balanced well during the more bustling sequences. This audio presentation holds up admirably considering the rocky nature of the surviving elements. Optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles are provided.

Special Features

This release is available exclusively at Lionsgate Limited. It is presented in a sleek new SteelBook that is quite fetching in person. The SteelBook features a removable clear slipcase displaying some of the main characters in front of a Ferris wheel. The artwork underneath shows these characters in the sewer, and the rear is an extension of that image with another character in silhouette. The interior sports a still of a dark alleyway. The packaging also comes with a 60-page booklet featuring on-set photos and essays describing the cinematic impact of the film and four art cards. Video of the SteelBook can be found at the top of this review.

Audio Commentary: Guy Hamilton, Simon Callow & Angela Allen provide a commentary track that offers valuable insights into the creation of the film from both a personal and historical perspective.

Noreen Ackland on Saving The Third Man (Excerpt from BEHP Audio Interview): A nearly six-minute excerpt in which the famed editor discusses how the film was very nearly lost completely to a fire.

The Third Man – A Filmmaker’s Influence: A 17-minute piece in which Martin Scorsese, Ben Wheatley, John Sayles, and others speak about how the film impacted them.

Restoring The Third Man: A 20-minute featurette that delves into the restoration process.

Joseph Cotten’s Alternate Opening Voiceover Narration (1:23)

The Third Man Interactive Vienna Tour: An interactive tour of various Viennese sites from the movie courtesy of historians.

The Third Man On The Radio: A 30-minute radio play performed by Orson Welles.

Interview & Zither Performance by Cornelia Mayer: A five-minute piece that gives you music and insights into the score.

Shadowing The Third Man: An epic 94-minute archival documentary that gives you nearly all of the insights you might want to know about the film.