Sequence Analysis of the Third Man

10/7/12 The Third Man Sequence Analysis In Carol Reed’s The Third Man, the sequence in which the police and their bait, Holly, anxiously wait for the arrival of their target, Harry, is full of suspense and displayed through over 25 shots in less than 3 minutes. The sequence captures the anxiousness and suspense experienced by all the characters through its quick cuts of empty streets, destroyed buildings, and dark shadows. The score of this sequence heavily influences the mood and different thematic elements of the scene.Through this nearly silent (almost no dialogue) segment, Reed brings the viewers into the scene through the perspectives of different characters surveying the empty, quiet and dark city of Vienna for the man they are trying to capture, Harry Lime. The first shot of this sequence is a fade-in of the cafe in which Holly is settling down while waiting for Harry. The signature zither music picks up again to indicate the suspense of patiently waiting to complete a set-up that will allow the police to arrest a criminal.It then cuts to inside the cafe where Holly anxiously sits and begins to look outside the window examining the ominous, empty streets of Vienna. This shot is a prime example of the unique askew camera placement used throughout the entire film. In this shot, like several others, the frame is angled quite awkwardly. This technique embodies the creation of a dark, odd and intense world in which noir films took place. The next shot takes us outside with a long pan from left to right. This shot puts us in the perspective of Holly as he slowly scopes out an empty street.This zoomed in pan accurately conveys Holly’s anxiety of Harry’s arrival, as he attentively searches the street for any signs of Harry. This cuts back to Holly who is moving closer to the window in order to get a better look down the streets. Then a quick cut puts us back to Holly’s perspective of the street and yet again we see a vacant, dark stre et. However this shot is still and focuses on the Vienna statuary. The next cut is of a policeman hiding among these statues. The juxtaposition of these two shots is a prime example of Carol Reed’s montage and genius editing choices.Holly closely looks at this landmark, which happens to be the police’s hideout. This allows the viewer to see the elaborate plan the police have created and be placed right in the middle of it. We are unable to see the police from the viewpoint of the meetings location but once zoomed in we can see them hidden in the depths off the shadows created by these large statues and columns. The shot of the policeman hidden along the statue cuts quickly to a shot of a still, dark street. The perspective then switches to that of the policeman.The next cut shows another policeman, this time zoomed in on his face. This shot has much more light on the policeman’s face. It is a close up shot from a lower viewpoint. This allows us to understand the different placements and hiding spots of these police officers that are waiting to capture their target. This then cuts again to this policeman’s view of the street. This rapid crosscutting of straight shots juxtaposed with angled shots of the policemen and their vantage points, alongside the portentous strumming of the zither creates a very ominous and suspenseful setting and mood.It places the viewer inside the set-up as if we too are silently and anxiously surveying the war-torn streets of Vienna for Harry Lime. This cuts to a shot that display’s Reed’s undeniable element of lighting. A police officer is placed in the center of the frame in profile. As he exhales, the low-key lighting picks up the fog created by his warm breath. This cuts again to the policeman’s vantage point down a dim alley. This cuts to another shot of a policeman with unique lighting. The lighting only allows the viewer to see the policeman’s nose and below.His eyes and fo rehead are hidden by the shadow of his hat, until he moves his eyes. The lighting allows us to see the whites of his eyes as they move from right to left across the frame. Only seeing his eyes as they move force us to follow his eyes and look into his vantage point that is seen in the next shot of another empty road. This cuts to a close up of another policeman’s face, where again the lighting picks up and reflects off of the fog. This quickly cuts to another empty street view, which then quickly cuts back to Holly.This shot of Holly is still angled awkwardly, only now we see Holly impatiently playing with his cup. The shot is important because it again shows us Holly’s fickle feelings towards the situation he is in. Throughout the film he has had difficulty deciding on whether or not to help the police bring in his friend Harry. This shot of Holly shows the internal debate he is experiencing in the mere three seconds it is seen. We then cut back to the first police of ficer in the statuary. His shadow is beautifully cast on the column next to him and our eyes are drawn to it.We see his shadow move as he notices something. This cuts to his vantage point of a street that is finally no longer empty. A giant shadow is emerging alongside a building. The menacing shadow stands two stories high. This creates a strong feeling of suspicion and fear, yielding an expectation by viewers and the police that the shadow will be Harry. The sight of a humongous shadow approaching sufficiently increases the suspense of the sequence. This cuts back to the policeman in what proves to be one of the most significant and well-filmed shots of the movie.It cuts to the same police officer who makes the first sound of the sequence; a simple â€Å"pssst†. This is to signal that Lime is approaching to someone below. The camera pans down below the officer, and zooms into a dark corner of the statuary covered by shadows. The lighting of this shot is incredible. As the s hot zooms in to its closest point, the lighting reveals the hiding Calloway and Paine as they merge from the shadowy depths of the statuary. Not only is this shot brilliantly lit, but it also displays the film’s mise-en-scene of corruption.The two unscrupulous officers are standing underneath what was once beautiful religious statuary. Post-war Vienna is nothing like what it was and is now a depressing, crumbling, and corrupt city. Before the war, these officers would have been standing in beautiful religious architecture. Their emergence from the murky shadows represents the post-war ruin and corruption of the once beautiful city of Vienna. This then cuts back to the approaching giant shadow, as it closes in on the intersection, signifying the end of anticipation. The next shot is of a policeman leaning in to catch a view of to whom this shadow belongs.This quickly cuts to a short shot of Holly also leaning in to try and get a glimpse. The shot reinforces the suspense and an xiety, and moral dilemma Holly is experiencing while waiting to set up his friend. As the shadow makes the final steps before being revealed, the zither tone changes from the usual haunting strumming to a comical, upbeat, high-pitched progression. It is then revealed that this shadow is a simple balloon salesman. The sudden change in music completely rids all previous tension as the balloon vender makes his way around the corner.This shot symbolizes Reed’s fantastic visual language. All of the shots leading up to this leave the viewer with nothing but certainty that this approaching shadow will be Lime. We have chased him down before through his shadows so there is no reason to believe that the camera is playing a hoax on us. The viewer undoubtedly trusts the visual storytelling, due to Reed’s fantastic imagery and shots. Carol Reed’s rapid crosscuts are a unique tactic that delays the plot of the film, solely to shift all focus to the increase in tension.The qu ick, oddly angled shots bring the viewer into the elaborate set-up, following each police officer and Holly, along with their respective vantage points of the streets of Vienna as if we too are searching for Lime. This sequence proves to be powerful and suspenseful, as well as a direct reflection of Carol Reed’s brilliance. He is able to intensify the suspense of the film significantly through his elaborate camera work, montage, lighting, mise en scene and sound. This short sequence proves to be a noteworthy piece in the cinematic world, and embodies the genre of film noir in just two minutes.

Critique and conclusion of context & rationale paper Essay

Critique and conclusion of context & rationale paper - Essay Example However, that alone is not the sole purpose of rainwater harvesting. Places which receive tremendous amount of rainfall every year have as much a reason for harvesting water as those living in the Sub-Saharan deserts. It is imperative to keep in mind that effective utilisation of water is the key to reduce droughts and floods at the same time. What comes to the rescue is effective design of methods that cater to the immediate requirement of a particular region. One of the best examples is the use of LifeStraw as a water purification method. â€Å"Lifestraw was created by Danish inventor Torben Vestergaard Feandsen. The product could be a lifesaver† (Fridell 58). It is nothing but a tube that one can use to suck water. The water gets purified when it passes through the levels of filtration. This kind of wonderful design is so portable and convenient to use that people do not actually have to set up any complex infrastructure for the same. Thomas Dickson in his book ‘Dansk Design’ has described the implications of LifeStraw on the formidable task of preventing water borne diseases. He says that this product helps in preventing diseases that include typhoid and cholera which result in the deaths of millions every year. Dickson has also presented an interesting point about the lifespan of the product. â€Å"The lifespan of one straw is about 700 litres of water, so with a consumption of two litres a day, the straw can last about a year† (Dickson 550). However, things change when there is a polar shift in the availability of water. In areas that receive very heavy rainfall throughout the year, a large amount of water is directly Rainwater 4 drained without even considering a reuse plan. Considering the damaging impact that a country can face due to a shortage of water, it becomes imperative to understand the importance of saving every drop of water that can be saved. And in doing so, it is an interesting fact to notice the diversities in d ifferent regions. If some places need to conserve water due to less rainfall, some have to do that to prevent water loss. Over the years, several designs have evolved which are tailor made for the particular environment. ‘Raincatch’ is one such example that serves as an easy water harvesting method. It resembles a raincoat with an enhanced collar that serves the purpose of catchment in a rainwater harvesting system. With the help of an inbuilt filtration system, water gets accumulated at the bottom part of the coat through which it can be sucked using attached tubes. This design is the result of an innovative thinking of two Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design students. What is wonderful about this design is the practical approach coupled with the intention of harvesting rainwater. ‘Green Trace’ is another such example that proves how water can be saved without so much of an effort. It is a design consisting of a rectangular mesh that houses a non-wo ven fabric inside it. This fabric has water absorbing capabilities and it holds the seeds in between its sewing patterns. This entire mesh acts as an umbrella stand which captures all the water from a wet umbrella to be passed onto the seeds. The ultimate result is a gradual growth of plants that form a beautiful design pattern. This design, though very simple, is pretty helpful in optimising the use of water that otherwise may be wasted. It

Right to representation at domestic tribunal - common law and ECHR art Essay

Right to representation at domestic tribunal - common law and ECHR art 6 - Essay Example Under Article 6 of the ECHR, all have the right to a fair and public trial in cases that are both civil and criminal in nature, â€Å"within reasonable amount of time†, and â€Å"by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law†. Moreover, for those who are charged with the commission of a crime, Article 6 contains a provision for a defendant to choose legal counsel or to have one given to the defendant for free if defendant is unable to provide the financial means to procure his own counsel, and â€Å"when the interests of justice so require†. The defense can also be undertaken by the defendant on his own capacity and in his own person 1 That said, Article 6 does not contain an express provision for the right to representation for civil cases. 2 On the other hand, there are cases where the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that in some cases, as when the litigation involves complexities that the defendant is unable to understand completely to t he point of being able to ably defend himself or herself and no representation was given to the defendant, that act of not providing representation is deemed to have been a violation of Article 6. . The findings of the court with regard to the proper interpretation of Article 6 of the ECHR is that legal aid must be given even in civil cases, where â€Å"legal representation is compulsory†, as when the case is complex or the nature of the case itself demands legal representation, or when the defendant has limited abilities to undertake his or her own defense. 3 Moreover, with regard to the coverage of the right to a fair trial, Article 6 expressly includes determining the rights and obligations of people from a civil point of view as within the coverage of the Article, so that areas such as the rights related to property, right to undertake commercial acts, and others are deemed to be included within the scope of the Article. 4The rest of the paper continues this evaluation of the extent of the right to legal counsel in tribunals, taking off from this Introduction and the discussion on Article 6 of the ECHR to consider the common law basis, extent and boundaries of legal representation in domestic tribunals as reflected in common law. 5 II. Discussion In Regina v. Home Secretary, ex parte Tarrant and others, 1985 there is common law precedent with regard to considering the merits of a case relating to the right to counsel for a person already in prison, but was to face possible disciplinary sanction within the prison system. That proceeding to determine whether sanctions were to be meted to the prisoner for disciplinary reasons tackled the reasons for a prisoner in such circumstances being provided the proper access to legal counsel/representation. Those considerations were the gravity of the charge as well as the gravity of the potential sanctions or penalties; whether legal points were to surface and the likelihood of that surfacing; the prisonerâ€⠄¢s own capacity for self-representation; difficulties relating to procedure and how well the prisoner is to handle that; the mandate that the charge had to be determined with reasonable swiftness; and the mandate for fairness to rule the relationship between those who are imprisoned and the staff in charge of overseeing them. The case demonstrates common law bases for determining the conditions wherein the right to counsel is acknowledged, where the prisoner in question is to face a tribunal within the prison system. 6 Elsewhere we see that the right to representation is essential to a man who is untrained in the ways of the law and of the proceedings to which he may be