As is typical to the genre of Film Noir, Carol Reed's The Third Man is a film of suspense and intrigue, full of shadows and twisting plots. The film's antagonist, Harry Lime, remains unseen during the first two thirds of The Third Man, however, his presence is felt throughout the entire time he is absent. This is achieved due to the use of cantered camera angles, harsh three-point lighting and a striking non-diegetic aural accompaniment. …showed first 75 words of 1057 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1057 total…is used sparingly, and only when the presence of Harry Lime has directly influenced the plot, or happenings in the plot. The shadows display the duality of characters and the darkness surrounding Harry, and the visual cues give away subtle hints about his fake death. Carol Reed influences the audience and gives them hints about the presence of Lime in the entirety of the film, even if he is unseen for the majority of it.