CANNES, France (AP) – Break out your zithers: “The Third Man” is back.
Sixty-six years after Carol Reed’s noir masterpiece first debuted, “The Third Man” premiered again at the Cannes Film Festival, this time in a freshly restored print as part of the Cannes Classics program. It was a kind of homecoming: “The Third Man” won the Palme d’Or at the third Cannes in 1949, back when Europe was still rebuilding from World War II. “Bombed about a bit” is how the opening narration of “The Third Man” describes its Vienna setting.
If Cannes is movie nirvana, a restored “Third Man” is something like seventh heaven. Ever since audiences first laid eyes on it, “The Third Man” has ranked as one of the most beloved films of all time, endlessly adored for its rich postwar atmosphere, its darkly sly humor and its deep, expressionist shadows. It contains one of the finest movie scores (Anton Karas’ indelible zither), one of the truly great scenes (Orson Welles’ “cuckoo clock”) and almost certainly the most spectacular foot chase ever.
“The Third Man” somehow encapsulates so many of the medium’s best qualities: wit and tragedy, lush imagery and charismatic stars, unforgettable lines and an evocative on-location setting. Roger Ebert said “The Third Man” ”completely embodies the romance of going to the movies.” Welles said it was the only film of his he was always happy to watch.
Fans will be pleased to hear that the extensive restoration by Rialto Pictures, the first major restoration of “The Third Man,” has only enhanced and clarified the film’s gorgeous black-and-white photography. The restored “Third Man” will be released in New York on June 26, in Los Angeles July 3 and tour elsewhere after that.