The French not only coined the term film noir, but also identified it as a distinct genre within Hollywood crime thrillers. Little wonder that important French filmmakers have dipped their hand into classic Hollywood’s darkest category. One of the most striking examples, Jean-Pierre Melville’s Two Men in Manhattan (1959), is out on Blu-ray.
The story concerns the unexplained absence of the French ambassador at the UN General Assembly; the search for the missing diplomat is an excuse for a conscientious reporter (played by Melville) and an unscrupulous photographer (Pierre Grasset) to play follow the thread in the labyrinth of New York City. The gorgeous black and white cinematography of Nicolas Hayer is Two Men’s greatest asset and nocturnal Manhattan is the true star, its landmarks lovingly caressed by the camera. Most of the action unfolds during a long inky night broken by headlights and a forest of blinking, arcing neon lights against the dark canyons of skyscrapers as the two newsmen hunt for leads in all-night diners, burlesque bars, jazz clubs and even a recording studio.
The evocative score by French pianist Martial Solal, one of the greatest of jazz noir soundtracks, drenches the film in just the right mood and atmosphere. The look and sound of Two Men in Manhattan will remind cineastes of Alexander Mackendrick’s classic, The Sweet Smell of Success.
Extras include a conversation between film critics Jonathan Rosenbaum and Ignatiy Vishnevetsky. They add several interesting footnotes, identifying the subtle homages to Melville’s favorite film, The Asphalt Jungle, and verifying a suspicion: the interior scenes were shot in France. What they don’t mention are the small mistakes in the interiors, including a European style phone and a sign reading “The Roosevelt Hospital,” a moniker more idiomatic in French than in English.
