this stunning film noir politics may seem a bit dated and but besides that it hasn not age a day . the cinematography be brilliant and the performance flawless . easily rank with chinatown and the maltese falcon and touch of evil among the great film noirs of all time . orson well leave a lasting impression in his mere 3 scene . joseph cotton be brilliantly restrain a the out of his depth american writer . carol reed direction be magnificent . that last shot be and in my opinion and the best end to a film noir ever .