Mise-en-scene analysis and stylisation in The Third Man (1949)

Carol Reed’s The Third Man (1949) is a famous film noir and has recently been voted the ‘greatest British film of all time’, whilst TOTAL FILM has described it as “A British movie masterpiece”. It is also highly rated within noirs, and it's not hard to see why, as its mise-en-scene is brilliant throughout.

Chiaroscuro lighting, for example, and the use of shadows are used to ultimate effect in some scenes, such as in the examples given below:

It is also full of other noir mise-en-scene conventions. For example, the tilted angles to create disorientation and hint at the fatalistic nightmare theme are used brilliantly. Also used to create this theme is the consistent presence wet and shiny pavements. Furthermore, it is almost always night time (as it is conventional in noirs), which further supports the theme.

Going back to the use of tilted angles, the slight camera movements in the enclosed space of the Ferris wheel scene are extremely effective in inducing claustrophobia and unease. It is difficult to notice that the camera even tilts as it is done so gently and subtly to ensure that the viewer feels himself or herself to be inside the unstable cabin. The tilted, high and low angles are also used very effectively in many other scenes, such as in the example below:

Also present in these shots, however, is excellent location filming. A prime example of this can be found in the chase scenes, in particular the final chase of Harry Lime (Orson Welles). What also stands out in this sequence is the build-up of claustrophobia. The shots of Lime running and of the group chasing him are shown alternately, and when it switches back to Lime he’s always in a smaller and smaller space, thus showing that his time is running out.


It is clear, then, that the mise-en-scene in The Third Man uses plenty of film noir conventions to great effect, and this has undoubtedly played a large role in the film's success.