Page "The Third Man" Paragraph 28

The atmospheric use of black-and-white expressionist cinematography by Robert Krasker, with harsh lighting and distorted camera angles, is a key feature of The Third Man.

Combined with the unique theme music, seedy locations, and acclaimed performances from the cast, the style evokes the atmosphere of an exhausted, cynical post-war Vienna at the start of the Cold War.

The film's unusual camera angles, however, were not appreciated by all critics at the time.

C. A. Lejeune in The Observer described Reed's " habit of printing his scenes askew, with floors sloping at a diagonal and close-ups deliriously tilted " as " most distracting ".

American director William Wyler, a close friend of Reed's, sent him a spirit level, with a note saying, " Carol, next time you make a picture, just put it on top of the camera, will you?