Two Men in Manhattan (Deux hommes dans Manhattan)
Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville
Written by Jean-Pierre Melville
1959/France
Belfort Films/Alter Films
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] “If you’re purely after facts, please buy yourself the phone directory of Manhattan. It has four million times correct facts. But it doesn’t illuminate.” ― Werner Herzog[/box]
This is sub-par film noir but, as a time capsule of late-night late-50’s Manhattan, it’s a winner.
The French delegate to the UN has gone missing. The editor of the French news service AFP assigns crack reporter Moreau (Melville) to track him down. Moreau looks up photographer Delmas, a paparazzi who knows the dirt on everyone. Delmas has pictures of three different women who have been the diplomat’s mistresses.
The two search through the night for the women. They eventually lead them to their man. When they find him, they are faced with an ethical dilemma. The two men face this in very different ways.
This is one of those foreign films containing lots of English. It appears to be both spoken and written by non-native speakers and is a distraction. The plot slowly meanders all over the place until the final act, when the ethical question provides some interest. The ending doesn’t help, though.
However, this was recently restored and Melville makes a loving and beautiful travelogue of New York at night. It is accompanied by a really good jazz score.
Restoration trailer
