Lighting in the movie, The Third Man

[Nh3]

Can someone elaborate on how the movie The Third Man looks the way it does? Blacks are black and whites are white, there is hardly any gray.

I don't know anything about cinematography of the yesteryear's and even today but I would love to know what methods they used.

 

[OurManInTangier]

I don't know much about the technical methods they used to expose their film to get the look but I did see a documentary of the making of The Third Man. In this they said how they used massive old search lights to light many of the street scenes for the movie to provide the incredible shadows that characterise so much of the film.

One of my favourite films encompassing humour, tension, a truly unpleasant black market racket, wonderful cinematography, some of the best lines in film and a quirky and beautiful soundtrack.

I hope somebody else here may have a little more knowledge about the movie than me!

 

[jbf]

Its just high contrast lighting. Film noir. Nothing out of the ordinary in todays terms. (Speaking in terms of lighting, etc).

 

[Nh3]

This film is probably one of the best lit movies that I have ever seen. Especially the ending with the chase in medieval streets and sewers, far ahead of its time. Looking closely it seems the lights were placed far from the set and that creates that feeling of natural light.

My favorite scene is when the little boy starts shouting on the scene of murder.