Two Men in Manhattan

The dark shadows of New York come to life in TWO MEN IN MANHATTAN (1959), Melville's rarely seen, jazz-soaked noir masterpiece. A French UN delegate has disappeared into thin air, sending reporter Moreau (Melville) and hard-drinking photographer Delmas (Pierre Grasset, Rififi) on an ethically fraught mission to find him. Their only lead is a picture of three women. Set against a smoky jazz score and featuring stunning black-and-white cinematography by Nicolas Hayer (Le Corbeau, Le Doulos) that beautifully captures the gritty streets at night, this is director Melville's love letter to New York City and homage to American film noir.