#FalconAndTheWinterSoldier has connections to a lot of iconic stories, but one of the deepest might be to the 1949 noir classic film The Third Man. Here's what I see:

It starts with Baron Zemo’s coat, which is clearly a nod to Third Man’s Baron Kurtz. Zemo and Kurtz are both shady dudes, both fallen nobility. Both Barons, in fact! (And both thin in the lip dept)

Zemo and Kurtz play nice with our heroes, but ultimately they have their own agendas and are not to be trusted.

The main character of The Third Man is Holly Martins, a naive, optimistic American who also has a petty, entitled streak. #FalconAndTheWinterSoldier divides Holly into two characters!

Sam is the best parts of Holly. Like Holly, Sam can be naively optimistic, but he’s also brave and loyal like Holly. Holly is also restless and a wanderer, which are qualities of Sam’s that Sarah alludes to.

John Walker is the worst parts of Holly. He’s petty and entitled. He gets mad when people don’t default to respecting him right away, and he thinks he knows more than he does.

Sharon Carter is a lot like Anna. She’s been instrumentalized by the men in her life, even though she’s way more clever and tough than they realize. They care about her plight—but on their terms, not hers.

The million dollar question is: who is Harry Lime in #FalconAndTheWinterSoldier ? Who’s the center of the hunt, the mystery, the pursuit, and ultimately the disappointment?

If Sharon’s the Power Broker, there are similarities there. The Contessa shows up at the end in a similarly dramatic way. But no, it’s none of them. It’s actually not even a person. And this was my ah-ha moment for this particular movie connection...

Steve’s shield is Harry Lime! This is the thing that both Sam and Walker are nostalgic for (in different ways) that drives the entire story.

Sam thinks of the shield fondly, as something deeply connected to his past that he looks up to and played a role in defining who he became. But it also casts a long shadow for him, just as Harry does for Holly.

Walker also sees the shield as something he’s close to. But! Holly only *thought* Harry Lime was his best friend. In truth, Lime didn’t care about him. Holly only imagined it. Harry didn’t belong to Holly anymore than the shield does to John.

The shield is the thing that means something unique and profound to each character, like Harry did. But in the end, it’s also something that can never live up to the hype. It’s flawed. And given Isaiah’s story, it’s problematic. Like Harry Lime!

Now, what about Bucky? This is the toughest fit, but he plays a role much like Major Callaway’s. Holly and Callaway team up reluctantly, ribbing each other as much as helping each other.

Callaway sees the truth of Harry Lime that Holly doesn’t. Bucky isn’t that insightful. But like Bucky, Callaway is cynical for most of the story and needs to find his warmth.

I hope this gives folks another fun lens for thinking about #FalconAndTheWinterSoldier And if you haven’t, watch The Third Man. It’s damn good!