If all human interactions are transactional, then any …show more content…
The film explores nihilistic ideas through the character of Harry Lime who it seems does not appreciate the value of human life. This is showcased in the Prater Ferris wheel speech, as he explain his actions to Holly Martins, Through an aerial shot looking down on the people in the amusement park Lime is given a sense of superiority and power. Lime’s views on human life are further amplified through the dialogue “would you feel pity if one of those dots stopped moving forever? . . . If I offered you 20,000 for every dot that stopped”. This shows how the post-war environment has influenced his character’s perspective, which can be viewed as moral elitism, as he rejects conventional morality. In the dialogue Lime justifies his actions as important because he believes it is only through strife and conflict that human greatness can be achieved. The audience is then presented with a character that is neither morally right nor wrong and this is symbolic of the human condition itself and showcases one’s moral compass alters in different