I watched 'The Third Man' today. It's a wonderful film. I used to think that 'Double Indemnity' was my favorite film noir movie, but I think this one replaces it.
The lighting in this film is great. A true textbook film on how to light a black and white picture. Stunning. There are shots in this film that look like it took the filmmakers hours to light and the shots only last for a few moments. Wonderful.
There are many interesting angles and shot compositions in this one. Great stuff. Shots look like postcards. Really beautifully done.
I'm not for certain, but it seems like Spielberg got a lot of inspiration for 'Schindler's List' from this film. There are moments that reminded me of Spielberg's film. ie. The use of shadows and the lighting in the sewer scenes remind me of parts of 'SL'.
There's a scene that takes place on a ferris wheel that must have been a bear to coordinate for editing purposes. The constant views out of each window in each shot needed to be done just so in order to make the scene flow. It's hard to describe and when you see it it looks flawless but I'm sure it wasn't easy to pull off.
The acting and story are highlights, too. This film had some of the best minor characters and extras I have seen. People that look like every day type people and not some actor/actress.
This movie also wins an award from me for Best Zither in a film.
If you haven't seen this film, see it. It's a good one.