the fine acting and stunning cinematography and incredible lighting and and remarkable art direction be all accompany by the numbing and bouncy and unsurpassable zither music . this complex and eerie story be tell with cynical narration and shadowy imagery . from the amateur float in the water and to ( spoiler ) the balloon seller and whose enormous shadow be think to be that of harry lime . the story be almost brutal to the protagonist and the poor sap by the name of holly martin who fall into an unhealthy love story . the final scene and open scene reach perfection . in fact and so do the middle one . this be be one of the few film that i would never change anything in . from the wry humor to the masterful suspense and dark villain and this will always be one of the great and if not the great and movie ever make .