I lived a few months in New York City in my 20s. When I went I had this expectation of what the city was going to be like. Watching a filmmaker’s visions of NYC gave me a sort of idealized version of the city. The one filmmaker that I felt conjured the New York I stayed in was Sidney Lumet. Dog Day Afternoon with its constant noise and abrasiveness. Serpico with its danger and beauty. The Verdict with its early morning quietness.
Night Falls on Manhattan seems to be all these things and more with its tail of corruption and drug dealing. Showing the day-to-day life of the politics of the NYPD and DA’s office doing what they do in a matter-of-factly style that makes the film even more immediate in this current era. Lumet either by accident or intent shows how corruption even the slightest taints the justice system.
We begin with two plain-clothes cops (Ian Holm and James Gandolfini) and a drug bust gone awry that billows into the murder of two uniformed cops. The DA (Ron Liberman) sees an opportunity in the young Assistant DA (Andy Garcia) helping try the case because his father is one of the Cops (Holm). The young Assistant DA beyond the case must contend with a crafty Defense attorney (Richard Dreyfuss), a bid for the District Attorney’s office, and corruption at every level and how or if it will change his idealism.
There is something fascinating like a car crash in slow motion to the way that Night Falls on Manhattan unfolds. The distance and realism keep everything almost clinically detached. Lumet understood and was at peace with everything that was wrong with not just the city he calls home but humanity. One would miss this all because of how low-key the film plays things. The story plays out like the antithesis of the heated anger of Dog Day Afternoon but keeps the complex humanity.
Even when the most striking and dramatic moments of the film occur they are done in a way that feels like the city continues to move on and forward. Night falls on Manhattan knows that no matter, if a drug dealer jumps at a judge, or kills a cop, or a cop, forgets to renew a warrant, or even if a judge bends the rules to keep a cop from being put in jail – the city moves forward caring nothing of the wreckage left behind. That conceit makes this one of Lumet’s most cynical entries. As cynical as his last film the beautifully bleak Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead.
The Transfer
The all-new 2K remaster from the original negative by Arrow Films is another winner from the boutique label. The image is free of any dirt, scratches, or defects throughout the run time of the film. The transfer is gorgeously luminous retaining all the grain structure, black, and contrast levels without a hint of artificating or crushing of the blacks making the 35mm shot film look beautifully representative of its origins.
The Extras
They include the following;
Archive commentary by director Sidney Lumet
Archive commentary by actors Andy Garcia and Ron Leibman, with producers Josh Kramer and Thom Mount
The Directors: Sidney Lumet
On-set interviews with Lumet, Garcia, Dreyfuss, Olin, Holm and Leibman
Behind-the-scenes footage
Theatrical trailer and TV spots
The first of two archival commentary tracks is by director Sidney Lumet. Lumet opens with the title sequence and his thoughts on this one and what he feels that a title sequence can bring to a film. Some of the other details include the way he built the opening sequence which he did not call a montage – and why he did and what he set up; Ian Holm’s accent and acting; the way he casted the film – which leads to a larger conversation about that process; his history with James Gandolfini – including casting in his part; a great detail from working in prescient on location during productions he’s seen in all of their locker rooms; the realities of police raids and how closely the hue to the mess that’s in this scene; a discussion of police officers drawing their weapons and using them; how the raid in the book/film was based on real life events and a real life person; working with Andy Garcia; his simple rule for shooting on location or building a set; working with cinematographer David Watkins; a great discussion about the modern court rooms that were built in older NYC Courthouses; a discussion of “style” and “stylish” movies and his theories on this; a great discussion of the importance of extras and day players; working with Richard Dreyfuss; how he built the relationship between Lena Olin and Garcia’s characters; a great discussion of sex scenes (“humping scenes” as he calls them) and his aversion to them and why he doesn’t film them – the alternatives he employs in his films; his love of Oreos and placement in all his films; a larger discussion about the various actors that he cast and worked with; a larger discussion of the various locations he used in the film – including anecdotes from the locations and their real purposes for the city, as he was using real locations; a practical discussion about the various locations from a production perspective and working with the Unit Production Manager; a larger discussion of the politics that make things run in the city; and much more. Lumet in the commentary track as in his books about filmmaking provides a wealth of information and insight from his sixty years of filmmaking. The highest possible recommendations on listening to this track regardless if you’ve enjoyed the film or not.
The second archival commentary track by actors Andy Garcia and Ron Leibman, with producers Josh Kramer and Thom Mount. The track opens with the introductions of all participants introducing themselves (which appear to be recorded together). Some of the details include where the material was found by Lumet, the first draft of the adaptation by Lumet, the deal with Paramount, and casting Andy Garcia; the real life events that the Robert Daley novel is based on; the rehearsal process that Lumet put the actors through and how beneficial it was; the casting of Ian Holm as Garcia as his father – their familiarity with his work on stage; the work of James Gandolfini – Garcia’s wonderful compliments to the actor (note this was recorded well before The Sopranos); Lumet’s adherence to reality in each of the scenes – how that translated to a unique film and experience; the number of locations they filmed at during the production; Liebman’s first day on the production – and how difficult it was; Lumet’s working with various actors and their specific needs – one example being Dreyfuss’s needs; a larger discussion of the personal touches that Garcia brought to the process; a larger discussion of the personal touches that Liebman brought to the process; and much more.
The Directors: Sidney Lumet (59:40) – this archival documentary from 2002 from the TV series The Directors focuses on Lumet’s career up until that point. Like the one that’s included on Arrow’s Legend Blu-ray about Ridley Scott, the documentary covers just about everything one could want from an hour-long doc. One could see this being three or four times as long considering that Lumet has directed some of the very best cinema has to offer like Network, 12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, The Verdict, and many others. The doc focuses on the director’s career chronologically from being an actor to working as a Live TV Director to his film career and much more. Featuring interviews with Lumet, Andy Garcia, Ron Leibman, Jack Lemmon, Rod Steiger, Christopher Walken, Dyan Cannon, and many others.
On-set Interview Gallery – the footage comes from the same behind-the-scenes footage.
Andy Garcia (3:30) – Garcia discusses the reasons he chose to work on the film including the material and working with Sidney Lumet.
Richard Dreyfuss (2:46) – Dreyfuss discusses the rehearsal process under Lumet and how the director separates himself from others.
Lena Olin (2:01) – Olin discusses her character, what drew her to the role, and working with Lumet.
Ian Holm (3:12) – Holm discusses his character and working with Lumet and Andy Garcia.
Ron Leibman (4:53) – Leibman discusses his character and how he fits within the plot and how his wife worked with him prior (Leibman is married to Jessica Walter), how Lumet offered him the role two years prior.
Sidney Lumet (5:26) – Lumet discusses the series of procedural police/crime films and the complexity and moral grey area he’s dealt with over the course of his career and how Night Falls on Manhattan lands.
Behind-the-scenes footage (12:47) – this gold mine of raw b-roll footage (shot on 16mm no less) shows Lumet at work as they film in various locations in and around New York City. There are no tags or introductions just the footage. Some footage comes with sound, others do not, but what one gets is the milieu of being on Lumet’s set. For anyone that is interested in the making of films – this is truly a wonderful view at some of the day-to-day of an on-location shoot. Things that everyone but the below-the-line crew takes for granted like directing the background players, stunt work, dealing with crowds, etc.
Trailer Gallery
Theatrical trailer (2:06)
TV spots (1:33) – 3 x 30-second TV spots
The Final Thought
Arrow Video has given Night Falls on Manhattan a wonderful Blu-ray edition filled with extras and remastered picture and sound. Recommended.
Director Sidney Lumet’s tale of police corruption Night Falls on Manhattan gets a new Blu-ray edition thanks to Arrow Video.
The Film
I lived a few months in New York City in my 20s. When I went I had this expectation of what the city was going to be like. Watching a filmmaker’s visions of NYC gave me a sort of idealized version of the city. The one filmmaker that I felt conjured the New York I stayed in was Sidney Lumet. Dog Day Afternoon with its constant noise and abrasiveness. Serpico with its danger and beauty. The Verdict with its early morning quietness.
Night Falls on Manhattan seems to be all these things and more with its tail of corruption and drug dealing. Showing the day-to-day life of the politics of the NYPD and DA’s office doing what they do in a matter-of-factly style that makes the film even more immediate in this current era. Lumet either by accident or intent shows how corruption even the slightest taints the justice system.
We begin with two plain-clothes cops (Ian Holm and James Gandolfini) and a drug bust gone awry that billows into the murder of two uniformed cops. The DA (Ron Liberman) sees an opportunity in the young Assistant DA (Andy Garcia) helping try the case because his father is one of the Cops (Holm). The young Assistant DA beyond the case must contend with a crafty Defense attorney (Richard Dreyfuss), a bid for the District Attorney’s office, and corruption at every level and how or if it will change his idealism.
There is something fascinating like a car crash in slow motion to the way that Night Falls on Manhattan unfolds. The distance and realism keep everything almost clinically detached. Lumet understood and was at peace with everything that was wrong with not just the city he calls home but humanity. One would miss this all because of how low-key the film plays things. The story plays out like the antithesis of the heated anger of Dog Day Afternoon but keeps the complex humanity.
Even when the most striking and dramatic moments of the film occur they are done in a way that feels like the city continues to move on and forward. Night falls on Manhattan knows that no matter, if a drug dealer jumps at a judge, or kills a cop, or a cop, forgets to renew a warrant, or even if a judge bends the rules to keep a cop from being put in jail – the city moves forward caring nothing of the wreckage left behind. That conceit makes this one of Lumet’s most cynical entries. As cynical as his last film the beautifully bleak Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead.
The Transfer
The all-new 2K remaster from the original negative by Arrow Films is another winner from the boutique label. The image is free of any dirt, scratches, or defects throughout the run time of the film. The transfer is gorgeously luminous retaining all the grain structure, black, and contrast levels without a hint of artificating or crushing of the blacks making the 35mm shot film look beautifully representative of its origins.
The Extras
They include the following;
The first of two archival commentary tracks is by director Sidney Lumet. Lumet opens with the title sequence and his thoughts on this one and what he feels that a title sequence can bring to a film. Some of the other details include the way he built the opening sequence which he did not call a montage – and why he did and what he set up; Ian Holm’s accent and acting; the way he casted the film – which leads to a larger conversation about that process; his history with James Gandolfini – including casting in his part; a great detail from working in prescient on location during productions he’s seen in all of their locker rooms; the realities of police raids and how closely the hue to the mess that’s in this scene; a discussion of police officers drawing their weapons and using them; how the raid in the book/film was based on real life events and a real life person; working with Andy Garcia; his simple rule for shooting on location or building a set; working with cinematographer David Watkins; a great discussion about the modern court rooms that were built in older NYC Courthouses; a discussion of “style” and “stylish” movies and his theories on this; a great discussion of the importance of extras and day players; working with Richard Dreyfuss; how he built the relationship between Lena Olin and Garcia’s characters; a great discussion of sex scenes (“humping scenes” as he calls them) and his aversion to them and why he doesn’t film them – the alternatives he employs in his films; his love of Oreos and placement in all his films; a larger discussion about the various actors that he cast and worked with; a larger discussion of the various locations he used in the film – including anecdotes from the locations and their real purposes for the city, as he was using real locations; a practical discussion about the various locations from a production perspective and working with the Unit Production Manager; a larger discussion of the politics that make things run in the city; and much more. Lumet in the commentary track as in his books about filmmaking provides a wealth of information and insight from his sixty years of filmmaking. The highest possible recommendations on listening to this track regardless if you’ve enjoyed the film or not.
The second archival commentary track by actors Andy Garcia and Ron Leibman, with producers Josh Kramer and Thom Mount. The track opens with the introductions of all participants introducing themselves (which appear to be recorded together). Some of the details include where the material was found by Lumet, the first draft of the adaptation by Lumet, the deal with Paramount, and casting Andy Garcia; the real life events that the Robert Daley novel is based on; the rehearsal process that Lumet put the actors through and how beneficial it was; the casting of Ian Holm as Garcia as his father – their familiarity with his work on stage; the work of James Gandolfini – Garcia’s wonderful compliments to the actor (note this was recorded well before The Sopranos); Lumet’s adherence to reality in each of the scenes – how that translated to a unique film and experience; the number of locations they filmed at during the production; Liebman’s first day on the production – and how difficult it was; Lumet’s working with various actors and their specific needs – one example being Dreyfuss’s needs; a larger discussion of the personal touches that Garcia brought to the process; a larger discussion of the personal touches that Liebman brought to the process; and much more.
The Directors: Sidney Lumet (59:40) – this archival documentary from 2002 from the TV series The Directors focuses on Lumet’s career up until that point. Like the one that’s included on Arrow’s Legend Blu-ray about Ridley Scott, the documentary covers just about everything one could want from an hour-long doc. One could see this being three or four times as long considering that Lumet has directed some of the very best cinema has to offer like Network, 12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, The Verdict, and many others. The doc focuses on the director’s career chronologically from being an actor to working as a Live TV Director to his film career and much more. Featuring interviews with Lumet, Andy Garcia, Ron Leibman, Jack Lemmon, Rod Steiger, Christopher Walken, Dyan Cannon, and many others.
On-set Interview Gallery – the footage comes from the same behind-the-scenes footage.
Behind-the-scenes footage (12:47) – this gold mine of raw b-roll footage (shot on 16mm no less) shows Lumet at work as they film in various locations in and around New York City. There are no tags or introductions just the footage. Some footage comes with sound, others do not, but what one gets is the milieu of being on Lumet’s set. For anyone that is interested in the making of films – this is truly a wonderful view at some of the day-to-day of an on-location shoot. Things that everyone but the below-the-line crew takes for granted like directing the background players, stunt work, dealing with crowds, etc.
Trailer Gallery
The Final Thought
Arrow Video has given Night Falls on Manhattan a wonderful Blu-ray edition filled with extras and remastered picture and sound. Recommended.
Arrow Video’s Blu-Ray edition of Night Falls on Manhattan is out now.
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