spoileri would like my 50th user comment to celebrate a rather special film and so what good than a thanksgiving for the third man . it would go something like this . i never know the old vienna before the war with it what . what city be next mention . that a nice girl that . but she ought to be careful in vienna . who be speak and what be the next line . mr martin and what author have chiefly influence you . how do he reply and what be the response . and so it would go on . time circa 1950 while place a grammar school north west of london while speaker a group of 6th former during a school break test each other knowledge about their late cinematic discovery . if we have know the term cult film in those day the third man would have be ours . we be just a little too young to have be affect by casablanca and the maltese falcon or the big sleep and citizen kane do not really become know in this country until way after it be make . no and the third man be ours and i still think it a light year away from the others i have mention in quality . we saw it on every available occasion and it be not long before i have chalk up ten viewing . imagine my excitement when i be stay with my french exchange partner and he suggest we go to a cinema in anger to see le troisieme homme . it be great share it with him and his mother and a i almost know the dialogue by heart by then and i understood every word . in spite of my limited french . just a few reflection many year on about a work that have be part of my experience for almost as long a i can remember . i could go on at great length about those tremendous set piece and harry lime appearance in the doorway and holly martin disastrous performance at the literary meeting and the ride on the ferris wheel and the sewer chase and but it have all be say before . in any case visual and dramatic bravura alone do not make for greatness . the third man be a masterpiece because it state and or rather understates and some most perceptive thing about the human condition . it be really a film about unrequited love . in a work where chase predominate it be the pursuit by holly martin for the affection of anna schmidt and lime lover and that be at the real heart of thing . it be impossible to understand human chemistry and why anna should be attract to the amoral and ruthless harry rather than kindly holly who want so much to give . but then there be an even great irony inasmuch a holly too be draw to harry while after all they have friend since boyhood . when harry be finally corner it be holly who pull the trigger that put him out of his misery and like an act of kindness to a wound beast . carol reed be at the height of his power when he make the third man and but he still have something almost a great to give before his slow decline . perhaps i shall save the wondrous outcast of the island for my hundredth offering .