Director Carol Reed has spectacularly transferred the nightmare of the urban world from the Hollywood “black” movies of the ’40s to a European setting. We see Vienna under the joint control of the four victorious countries, flooded with looters and racketeers. Into this devastated and corrupted world comes American Holly Martins (Cotten). He is an author of tabloid novels, invited to give a lecture on literature for intellectuals. In Europe, Holly learns that his childhood friend Harry died the other day in an accident. In reality, he faked his own death.
An unusual English movie, flawless, made in the best Hollywood traditions.