THE THIRD MAN (Carol Reed, 1949) (Magdalen Auditorium, 7:30pm Monday 5th Mar)

It is post-war Vienna, and Harry Lime is dead. This is what confronts American author Holly Martins when he arrives to meet Lime, and unravelling the mystery surrounding his demise takes us on a tour not only of the darkened doorways of the ravaged city, but far below it though the cavernous sewers, and far above it in a ferris wheel. Here we learn what Lime really was, and we see the biting cynicism of a man fallen to corruption and greed. Screenplay by Graham Greene, directed by Carol Reed, this is a strikingly atmospheric study of friendship and betrayal, set against the shadowy backdrop of the Viennese underworld and the black market. Orson Welles is at his finest as the enigmatic Lime, making him a cinematic icon despite limited screen time. Exquisitely shot and beautifully scripted, this well exploits the combined genius of Reed and Greene, but perhaps most memorable is the inimitable and audacious soundtrack: the zither music of Anton Karas. That, if nothing else, confirms this film as something quite exceptional.

Claire Kirwin (Magdalen FilmSoc Committee)

CITIZEN KANE (Orson Welles, 1941) (Magdalen Auditorium, 9:30pm Monday 5th Mar )

Consistently topping 'Greatest movie' lists, Citizen Kane is as iconic as cinema gets. The film opens in Xanadu, the vast estate of media tycoon Charles Foster Kane, who is on his deathbed. We hear his last word - "Rosebud" – and then follow a reporter seeking to uncover the meaning of this dying sigh. Kane's extraordinary life is recounted through the memories of those who knew him and his character is pieced together from these fragmentary flashbacks. But who or what was Rosebud? And can one word explain a man's life?

Citizen Kane is famous for all sorts of reasons - the groundbreaking cinematographic effects; the controversy surrounding its attempted suppression by real-life magnate William Randolph Hearst who believed the character of Kane to be based on him; and, of course, the ending - Rosebud. If you've seen it, you'll want to see it again, and if you haven't seen it, you should.

Claire Kirwin (Magdalen FilmSoc Committee)