The Third Man

The Baron is a symbol of fear of the upper class and their power, and through various camera shots tension builds to show this relationship.   In the scene where Holly is walking with the Baron he comes along the porter he spoke to earlier.  As Holly talks to the Porter the camera shot switches back and forth between three shots, the conversation of Holly and the Porter, a long and medium shot of the Baron, and a low angle shot of the Porters wife.  The switching back and forth creates tension it tells a story and we can see the alarm of the wife as she witnesses the advancement of the Baron on Holly and the Porter.  Holly and the Porter converse and then the shot goes to the Baron who looks on at them and we see a medium shot of his face it looks troubled and menacing , we can tell he doesn’t like what he sees and he is going to stop it. He begins to walk towards Holly and the Porter. This switching between shots so quickly, known as a quick edit, creates tension and prepares the viewer to see the situation from the wife’s point of view.   The camera then cuts to the wife in a low angle shot showing her point of view she can see the whole situation form her window .The wife is watching the conversation between Holly and the Porter but she can also see the Baron approach them, as this is happening we see the Baron, then her face, which looks rather alarmed as if she fears him, because she knows he has power. She quickly hurries outside to the two men before the Baron arrives and overhears their conversation, because she knows that contradicting the Baron would be unwise.  The mere presence of the Baron alarms the working class because he is seen as dangerous and powerful, and they don’t want any trouble, and through the quick edits we can see the whole story unfold and the tension it creates.