Classic Hollywood has a somewhat unearned reputation for being easy, cheerful viewing, full of giddy musicals and sweet love stories. Film noir of the 1940s and ‘50s cut right through these expectations, delivering cynicism by the boatloads; shadowy mysteries with complex, densely woven plotlines, cunning twists, and devastating femme fatales. There are many brilliant film noirs, but 1949’s British noir The Third Man is the best of a remarkable bunch. The film stars Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles, who previously starred together in another masterpiece, 1941’s Citizen Kane.
With The Third Man now available in a new stunning 4K UHD SteelBook edition with a bevy of bonus features courtesy of Lionsgate Limited, there’s no better time to revisit the greatest noir ever made.
