The Third Man Analysis

How does the sewer scene from the Third Man use framing and composition techniques, mise en scene and cinematography to create meanings, metaphors and effects? 

Figure 1

In figure 1, we see a large section of the frame taken up by a wall on the left creating a more claustrophobic, dynamic environment by closing off anything we may be able to see in the distance. this reflects the confusion and dis-orientation of the characters in the sewer and how they are slowly descending further and further into Harry limes twisted agenda. Furthermore chiaroscuro style lighting is used in the bottom right quadrant of the frame to create a silhouette of the character -Holly- perhaps in order to create a metaphorical fight within this character between good and evil or right and wrong in terms of morality and his friendship with Harry Lime. In all 4 corners of the frame we can also see a gradient-like fade into darkness, creating a trapped and claustrophobic tunnel of darkness in which Harry has been operating, a symbolic reference to the evil within all people and the acts that we are capable of which are comparable to pure evil, therefore metaphorically the lack of light shows the lack of hope for humanity felt by many after the atrocities of the second world war, which is a key influence in the birth of Film Noire 

Figure 2 

Figure 2 uses quadrants to create a balanced frame, showing Harry Limes attempted escape in the top left and his pursuers in the bottom right. This also emphasises the binary opposition of the morally corrupt Harry and the combined police forces, a symbol of justice and moral good. This shot also empowers the audience to a certain degree, as we observe Harry's struggle to escape but also how close the two parties are despite neither knowing where the other is. This gives the audience an omniscient ability, and develops our empathy and understanding of the dis-orientation and confusion of both parties, but in particular Harry. The use of the curved slope in the bottom left quadrant ,however, confuses the audience and juxtaposes the angular, German-expressionist style of the upper half of the   frame, a possible metaphor for the constant fight     between good and evil, or perhaps the balance between good and evil, that one can't exist without the other.  

Figure 3

This shot uses converging vanishing points towards the centre of the frame to put the audience in a similar situation to Holly, who has been forced down a moral choice (to kill his friend) by Harry Lime's actions in a similar way that our eyes are forced down this tunnel to the circle of light at the end, symbolic of Holly's resolution and the hope and justice that he feels he has gained through overcoming the difficult situation he was put into. The chiaroscuro lighting used to represent this symbol of victory over evil could be seen as having multiple meanings however,on one hand there is quite literally a "light at the end of the tunnel" for Holly, his dark silhouette juxtaposes this light, and we are left wondering if his experiences with Harry Lime have tainted his sense of morality and made him question his own values and actions, in some way we feel that Harry Limes evil lives on through Holly, ironically the person to kill him and end this evil. We also see the light creeping into the tunnel from the centre, showing how the police and Holly have ,in some form, cleansed the dark underbelly of the city from its violent and criminal activity. This could be reflecting the feelings of Post-war Americans as they felt that their society was being eaten away slowly by a hidden enemy, never seen but always present      

Figure 4

Figure 4 is very similar to figure 3 in the way that it uses light and contrast to represent the fight between good and evil, and the Dark area underneath the city occupied by Harry Lime being infiltrated by the powers of good and justice. however this shot differs in the way that the light is represented as an opposition to evil, and therefore Harry. in the centre of the frame, we see Harry   caught by the police's searchlights, and we can see his panic and understanding of his inevitable downfall. Harry's positioning creates a metaphor of  how he has been obstructing Justice and creating a darker side of society, it constructs the idea that until the police deal with Harry, society is in some way tainted and un-clean. This is a reflection of the masses of people that moved from Nazi occupied Europe to America in order to start a new life and escape the oppression of their "tainted" Homes.