Medical Malfeasance: From Film To Real Life

One of the great films of the 20th century is the British made, The Third Man. It is one of my all-time favourites. The setting for the film is post-war Vienna, where the movie was shot in stunning black and white. The movie has a great atmosphere with shadows on walls, dampness on the streets, and the look of a city in despair from the ravages of war-torn Europe. 

Stunning caricatures and the ever-present music of a zither add to the atmosphere, with one of the great chase scenes in movie history. No, it's not the good guys chasing the bad guys in your token car chase. No, the pursuit takes place in the sewers of Vienna.

The Third Man is a gripping study of both hope and betrayal. Though it was released 73 years ago, it is relevant today in the age of Covid. 

Joseph Cotton plays Holly Martins, an American author of cheap American westerns. He has been summoned to Vienna to meet up with his old friend, Harry Lime, played by Orson Welles. All is not what it seems when Martins finds out that Lime has died under mysterious circumstances—or has he?

We also find out from a Colonel that Lime is a nasty fellow. His prime motivation is financial rewards. The black market flourished in post-war Europe. Lime has stolen much-needed penicillin from a warehouse, diluted it and fouled it up, resulting in the deaths and maiming of many, including children. Now what and who does he remind you of?

When I think of Harry Lime, I think of Anthony Fauci. Both are psychopaths, uncaring of the effects they have on the lives of others. Fauci has made his wealth as a bureaucrat, pushing the drug AZT during the AIDS epidemic and, more recently, Remdevisir, which has killed countless in hospitals. He has continued to espouse the dangerous Covid shots as far as the eye can see. 

Fauci has a net worth of $10 million and counting. Will he ever be hunted down for his crimes against humanity? I doubt it. At least in The Third Man, Harry Lime receives his due justice. 

Unfortunately, they don't make movies like this anymore. Also, the movie's ending is not your typical happy Hollywood finish, after all it’s a British film made by the legendary director, Carol Reed.

You are are left, at the end, with a feeling that there are no winners. As so often is the case, this is how life is.