SPOILER<br /><br />I would like my 50th user comment to celebrate a rather special film, so what better than a thanksgiving for "The Third Man".<br /><br />It would go something like this...."'I never knew the old Vienna before the war with its - 'what?" "What city is next mentioned?" "'That's a nice girl that. But she ought to be careful in Vienna....' Who is speaking and what is the next line?" "'Mr Martins, what author has chiefly influenced you?' How does he reply and what is the response?"...And so it would go on. Time - circa 1950; place - a grammar school North-West of London; speakers - a group of 6th formers during a school break testing each other's knowledge about their latest cinematic discovery. If we had known the term "cult film" in those days "The Third Man" would have been ours. We were just a little too young to have been affected by "Casablanca", "The Maltese Falcon" or "The Big Sleep" and "Citizen Kane" did not really become known in this country until way after it was made. No, "The Third Man" was ours and I still think it as light-years away from the others I have mentioned in quality. We saw it on every available occasion and it was not long before I had chalked up ten viewings. Imagine my excitement when I was staying with my French exchange partner and he suggested we go to a cinema in Angers to see "Le Troisieme Homme". It was great sharing it with him and his mother and as I almost knew the dialogue by heart by then, I understood every word. in spite of my limited French. Just a few reflections many years on about a work that has been part of my experience for almost as long as I can remember. I could go on at great length about those tremendous set-pieces, Harry Lime's appearance in the doorway, Holly Martin's disastrous performance at the literary meeting, the ride on the Ferris wheel and the sewer chase, but it has all been said before. In any case visual and dramatic bravura alone do not make for greatness. "The Third Man" is a masterpiece because it states, or rather understates, some most perceptive things about the human condition. It is really a film about unrequited love. In a work where chases predominate it is the pursuit by Holly Martins for the affection of Anna Schmidt, Lime's lover, that is at the real heart of things. It is impossible to understand human chemistry, why Anna should be attracted to the amoral and ruthless Harry rather than kindly Holly who wants so much to give. But then there is an even greater irony inasmuch as Holly too is drawn to Harry; after all they have friends since boyhood. When Harry is finally cornered it is Holly who pulls the trigger that puts him out of his misery, like an act of kindness to a wounded beast. Carol Reed was at the height of his powers when he made "The Third Man", but he still had something almost as great to give before his slow decline. Perhaps I shall save the wondrous "Outcast of the Islands" for my hundredth offering.