Joseph Cotten, Orson Welles, Alida Valli and Trevor Howard. Screenplay and story by Graham Greene. Superb mystery-adventure set in post-war Vienna. An American western adventure writer tries to find his friend, the mysterious Harry Lime (the king-pin of the Austrian black market). The moral lessons tend to be obscured by the incidents and sinister characters. The clichés abound, but the total spell fascinates. Considered by many to be the greatest suspense film of all time, this Academy Award®-winning thriller (best cinematography) inevitably turns up on every best-film list. The technical brilliance is unparalleled, note the low-key lighting, severe camera angles, rapid-fire editing and those tantalizing, regretful zither themes that still echo today.
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