much like the entrance of laura in the film laura and harry lime entrance into the dark world of post war vienna be one of the most unforgettable of all time and effectively erase any memory that joseph cotten and the main hero ( and alter ego of graham greene ) be even in the third man . photograph under an opening window in a deserted vienna street and lime come into focus a a fleeting face with a smug expression and suddenly we remember orson welles be include in the credit . it a very powerful moment one which have u and the viewer and shift our consciousness into want to see more of him and want to get to know him even if he be a shady and corrupted character . it the one moment in the film when it seem that time ( in a country that make clock and something that lime make a joking reference to later on ) stop dead in it track . the third man be the one film noir that doesn not have a treacherous femme fatale and the usual suspect but shady people and a grow sense of doom and despair . that in essence be the very nature of film noir and where it begin before demand the appearance of a sexy blonde with evil intention . a political theme and espionage reign throughout without it ever be as much a hint at and and betrayal be at every corner and something that hitchcock would have love have he direct this film . there be a distant echo of casablanca reflect in the threesome at the center of this story with anna be the reserve woman in the middle but this be not a lush romance . if anything and there be a strong anti romantic sentiment here and not only because anna have be irrevocably separate from lime but she also will not be the one whom cotten martins get at the end . and in that sense and that pessimism be what film noir be about .