The Third Man is easily the best example of the noir genre, and may well be the best single movie ever made. The greatest reason for this: Orson Welles. Off screen for almost two-thirds of the movie, he's nevertheless the most intimidating villain in screen history; you know nothing of what to expect from him, because he is evil incarnate. Furthermore, Greene and Korda's script awes me. For an example of how to write suspense better than one could imagine, read the scene in the Ferris Wheel car. This film is all-around sublime.
Review of The Third Man
