They don't make them like this any more and it's never likely to happen because this film is such a creature of 40s Warner Bros - you've got the sets, the sumptuous black and white photography, an Eric Ambler story, Jean Negulesco directing, and a rogues gallery of support players, in particular Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet.
In some ways the film this reminded me most of was Citizen Kane (I'm aware the novel predated the movie)- a writer (Lorre) looking into the past of a dead person (Zachary Scott), interviewing people in his life. There's a police chief (Kurt Katch, playing the same role Orson Welles did in Journey Into Fear), his ex lover (Faye Emerson), former partner (Greenstreet), boss (Victor Francen). Then it goes into a Third Man twist with Dimitrios really being alive, which gives us a third act.
The story has a patch work quilt feel to it. The vignettes really tell us the same thing again and again i.e. that Dimitrios was dodgy. He doesn't have any of Citizen Kane's complexity. And Lorre's character doesn't have the personal involvement that say Joseph Cotten does in The Third Man - he's only on this for a lark.
I did like how Lorre and Greenstreet became friends, so Scott shooting at Greenstreet at the end infuriated Lorre... more of this and the film might have had more heart. Or maybe using Emerson more.
But there are other compensations. It's so beautifully shot and directed; there's a tonne of atmosphere; Lorre is great fun in a hero role and him and Greenstreet are always good value together; Scott makes an impressive debut. It is fun.
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