Remembering The Third Man Photo

Photographer’s Note

‘Vienna: Remembering The Third Man’

When I was young I saw the movie ‘The Third Man‘, a British film noir directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard and Orson Welles. The screenplay was written by novelist Graham Greene.

In the movie Joseph Cotton is looking for an old friend, Harry Lime, in Vienna right after World War II when the city is divided into separate zones controlled by the United Kingdom, France, the United States and the Soviet Union.
The most famous, remembered and dramatic scene in that movie is recorded in the giant wheel, the ‘Wiener Riesenrad’ (German for ‘Viennese Giant Wheel’).

After seeing the movie, I knew that if I would ever be in Vienna I’d certainly take a ride in the Riesenrad.

In the workshop I also posted a picture taken from in a gondola.

Today Ferris wheels (or ‘observation’ or ‘big’ wheels) can be found in many big cities all over the world.
The Riesenrad in Vienna is one of the earliest big wheels, erected in 1897, to celebrate the golden jubilee of emperor Franz Josef I.
The first big wheel in the world, designed by George Washington Gale Ferris, was built in 1893 for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

More about the Wiener Riesenrad:
The designer was an Englishman, Walter Bassett, which explains why the wheel's diameter is a round number in Imperial units - 200 feet (approximately 61 m).
The Riesenrad is now one of Vienna's most popular tourist attractions, and symbolizes the district as well as the city for many people.

The wheel originally had 30 gondolas, but was severely damaged in the Second World War, and when it was rebuilt, only 15 gondolas were replaced. The spokes are steel cables, in tension, and the wheel is driven by a circumferential cable which leaves the wheel and passes through the drive mechanism under the base.

As said before the Riesenrad famously appeared in the post-war film noir The Third Man. It is also featured in the 1987 James Bond film, The Living Daylights, and appears prominently in Max Ophuls' Letter from an Unknown Woman and its Generation X counterpart, Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise. In 2008, Alex Tamayo Wolf's historic novel, Revolution, was published. It features the Riesenrad in an historic context, drawing on its rich history to develop it into an important character in the story.

Information from Wikipedia.

ManuMay, bakes888, diomed, Charo, gracious, UlfE, parbo, BWJ, gentedilivello, ribeiroantonio, skippy007, Jardim, AiresSantos, racheltafoya, ophelcia has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

ManuMay (10552) 2009-03-01 22:39

Hi Paul!!

Great view, from an optim point of view, very well composed and with good colours conjuction, link to the movie...of course!!

Your frame election adds value to the image!!

Well done.

Best Regards

Manuel

bakes888 (18055) 2009-03-01 23:00

Hi Paul. Nice photo. Well saturated colours and good sharpness suit the scene well. Nicely composed also. Thanks for sharing.
Have a good week, Paul.

francio64 (10738) 2009-03-02 0:09

Ciao Paul,
bellissima inquadratura della ruota panoramica di Vienna.
Il POV angolare dà senso di movimento alla ruota e il colore rosso delle cabine e della base, catturano lo sguardo dell'osservatore.

Well done!
Francesco

diomed (3717) 2009-03-02 8:59

Hi Paul,
perfect point of view with amazing perspective, great sharpness and marvellous colours. Very usefull your note too.
Nice evening
Antonio

Charo (31665) 2009-03-02 13:14

Hello Paul,
A magnificent view of the big wheel with a considerable antiquity. The wheels I have seen do not wear closed booths, is the first that I like.
The WS is the magnificent view of the city from on high, I guess it must be a wonderful feeling.
Excellent work.
Greetings,
Charo

gracious (20017) 2009-03-03 11:30

Bonjour Paul,
Many thanks for sharing this absolutely beautiful Riesenrad that built in 1897! from here we can clearly seen the design and technology druing that time which materfully done!
very sharp with good details also a nice colour contrast!
the notes is outstanding
merci
tony

UlfE (8929) 2009-03-03 11:46

Hi Paul,

A beautiful and colourful shot of the Wiener Riesenrad. Really well composed and with excellent sharpness and details. TFS and have a good evening!

Cheers,

Ulf

parbo (10966) 2009-03-03 13:07

Hello Paul,

Amazing view of this interesting wheel just tied with steel ropes. It must be great pleasure to have enviable aerial view of cities as you did that I saw it in your complementary post.

I liked splendid geometry there while the red gondolas and front red part creating eye catching contrasts with crystal clear blue sky. Congratulations.

Best Regards,

Ertugrul

delpeoples (5764) 2009-03-04 0:45

Hi Paul, this photo is so eye-catching. The colour contrasts are so beautiful, you've chosen well. I like the vertical framing and whilst I don;t usually go for coloured frames, this looks fantastic, Lisa.

aadilj (17950) 2009-03-04 0:47

This one is fill of vibrant energy and deep saturation. I like the way you have compsoed this. Lovely work Paul

BWJ (1771) 2009-03-04 18:18

Hello Paul,
What a wonderful capture of vivid colors The ferris wheel fills the frame nicely and the POV from the bottom up is very good. Your note is just superb.
Kind regards,
Betty

bracasha75 (21900) 2009-03-05 13:58

Helo Paul
One sharp and clear image and nice POV
Distance here is good
TFS
Cheers,Braca

gentedilivello (1799) 2009-03-06 12:56

Hi Paul,
a perfect POV to show this panorapic wheel. Great work, the red color is amzing in contrast with the blue sky.
Regards.
Gabriele.

sacimar (7325) 2009-03-06 13:00

Hello Paul,

interesting picture, I like the combination of red&blue colours here, good details and perspective, I like the frame also, well done.

Regards

Sergio

skippy007 (6949) 2009-03-06 19:11

Hello Paul, your note is very interesting & full of information, I was surprised to hear how old this Giant Wheel is & in good working order. The one they built in Melbourne recently was in operation for only a short time before it was closed for repairs, first they blamed the heat now they say a design fault, the engineers are working on it, they don't know what the exact problem is. It says a lot for modern Engineering. Thanks for a bright coloured pic, your low POV gives it a sense of movement & accentuates the hight, good colour & detail, this is enhanced by your very informative & entertaining note. Spectacular view from the gondola in the sky.
Regards
santo

Jardim (3197) 2009-03-09 15:11

Olá Paul,

You combine two strong colours wich give a great contrast to the photo.Well done.

jj

Waylim (10717) 2009-03-09 19:55

Paul,
Excellent shot, and yes, who can look at this image and not think of the Third Man. Beautiful and well saturated colors of read and blue. I thinkg the red fram is not really needed, I find it rather distracting. The red box in the foreground is also kind of distracting for me, I would like the see the whole ferris wheel. Nothing is wrong, that is just my personal taste and preference.
Way

jimkilgallon (0) 2009-03-13 16:20

Hi Paul
A fine perspective of this wheel with first rate colours and details. The lines in the structure give good graphicism and the light was very well handled.
Well done and regards
Jim

AiresSantos (41780) 2009-03-16 14:17

Hi Paul,
Fine contrast between colours. Excellent POV and sharpness. Very well framed and done
Greetings
Aires

racheltafoya (505) 2009-05-10 13:34

Greetings Paul,

This stunning image caught my eye immediately in browsing your gallery. I love the intense reds against the blue, and your red frame really brings it all together. Excellently chosen POV to get the best perspective on this machine, and to include the entire wheel and base.

Simple yet superb. Congratulations!

Best Regards,

Rachel

ophelcia (5303) 2009-06-04 15:42

Hi!
When I was a guide I noticed people know NOTHING about Vienna except PRATER!
They had no idea about the existence of such film:)
So...on the right you can see Prater and its most valuable old wheel...
Greetings,
G.