You might spot Vienna’s Riesenrad ferris wheel in numerous movies filmed in the city; it often makes an appearance in skyline and cityscape shots (for example in Michael Winner’s 1973 film, Scorpio).
But this prominent landmark has also contributed some iconic moments to film and television history…
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At the cinema…
We begin with the most famous example…
The Third Man
(The familiar and iconic red wagons)
Easily the most famous cameo performance for this huge steel construction came in the 1949 film, The Third Man, based on the screenplay by Graham Greene and starring Orson Welles and Joseph Cotton. The Riesenrad even features in the trailer.
The film — shot mostly on location in the city — won the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival and an Oscar for cinematography, thanks to the inspired camera work that conveyed the post-war atmosphere of a bombed-out capital.
The story takes place in post-war Vienna, where basic commodities (and often morals) are short on the ground.
Perhaps the most memorable scene comes when Holly Martins — the film’s main character played by Joseph Cotton — meets the man he spent much of the film believing dead…the cynical racketeer and Martins’ old friend, Harry Lime (Orson Welles).
The two confront each other directly for the first time below the Riesenrad. They wax lyrical about the meaning of life and morality, and there’s a suggestion that Lime might throw Martins off the structure.
For much of the remaining scene, Lime stands in the doorway of a moving wagon. A sign in German next to his head says, “No spitting!” As he returns to the ground, he produces the film’s most famous quote…
In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder, bloodshed — they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, five hundred years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.
(The cuckoo clock was actually invented in Germany.)
For the record, it’s only fair to point out that the cabin interior scenes actually used a studio reconstruction (one of the numerous interesting things I learnt at Vienna’s wonderful Third Man museum).
Before Sunrise
(The ferris wheel at night)
The wheel hosted a first kiss in the highly-acclaimed 1995 romance, Before Sunrise.
In the film, young American Jesse (played by Ethan Hawke) and French student Celine (played by Julie Delpy) meet on a train from Budapest.
Sensing an immediate connection, they then spend the next 14 hours (and the rest of the film) wandering the streets of Vienna talking about life, the universe, and everything.
In one scene, they’re in the ferris wheel looking over views of the Prater and the city. Cue dialog…and a kiss. So if you have a romantic heart, you know what to do.
And the rest
(…in winter)
The ferris wheel gained more fame in other international movies from the modern era of cinema. Some you might know include…
The Living Daylights
The 1987 James Bond film The Living Daylights includes a short scene where Bond and his love interest take a spin on the Riesenrad that also ends in a first kiss.
The Woman in Gold
One of the final scenes of this drama around a famous art restitution case sees the main protagonists awaiting a key decision on the meadow right in front of the Riesenrad.
Sachertorte
This romantic comedy perhaps pays homage to some of its predecessors when the couple at the centre of the movie wander around the Prater entertainment complex and go for a ride on the famous landmark.
On TV…
(Wagon, icon, viewing platform and filming location)
The ferris wheel also features in innumerable TV productions, particularly in the German-speaking world. But one international series you might know is…
Vienna Blood
The very first episode of the popular period detective drama series ends at the Riesenrad and the square beneath it with its carousel. Max Liebermann (the young doctor and star of the show) confronts the bad guy in one of the wagons. The wheel also appears in the opening credits.
Of course, the Riesenrad is not the only Viennese location to feature in a famous production for cinema or TV. Check out my guide to find more and follow in the footsteps of some legendary on-screen characters.