Harry Lime (can you hear the theme?)

As you most likely know if you have been reading this blog, Vienna is not only the city of music, it is also the city of espionage. And thus, it is the setting of The Third Man, a classic Noir spy movie (and book). So from time to time, in souvenir shops and public places, we are reminded of this connection. They even had music box with the antagonist's Harry Lime's theme. Played by Orson Welles. The character, not the theme. You've heard it before, check here. I do regret not buying a piece of movie memorabilia, but the music, as cheerful as it is, ends up being quite unnerving, especially if you know the story.

The Ferris Wheel from The Third Man

I haven't yet shared a picture of our time in Vienna. I was wondering what to share first, then it struck me: the ferris wheel we see in The Third Man, a movie I really like, both a spy and crime thriller. If you haven't seen the scene, you can find it on Youtube here. You may not know this, but Vienna used to be a center of international espionage and criminality. It might still be the case now, although the city looks far more joyful and bright. In The Third Man, it looked and felt dark, or rather Noir. We went there of course. It really felt like we were in a film.

The Third Man for #Noirvember

I have started celebrating #Noirvember with a bang, with The Third Man. Not, not the movie, which I have watched quite a few times including and especially in November, but the book that was written at the same time by Graham Greene. I know the plot, but I don't mind one bit, it's like knowing the taste of a Sachertorte, you read it for the sheer pleasure. It is very fittingly and perfectly Noir. It's a very short one, a novella, so I will need something else soon after. Nevertheless, it is a very strong start for Noirvember. Now I must find suitable films as well.

Italian civilisation in a nutshell

This is, in fact, a great known line, a great known tirade in fact, which I quoted before here. I have read it, I have heard it, yet I never watched (yet) the movie it is taken from. I will correct this as soon as possible. For some reason, it is in my mind tonight. So I decided to upload it here. Maybe I am in the mood for black and white movies. Or something. Or I have Italy in mind. In any case, here it is, in a few words, Italian civilisation in a nutshell: