NIGHT FALLS ON MANHATTAN
US, 1997, 108 minutes, Colour.
Andy Garcia, Richard Dreyfuss, Lina Olin, Ian Holm, James Gandolfini, Ron Leibmann.
Directed by Sidney Lumet.
For 40 years, since Twelve Angry Men, Sidney Lumet has been making movies about the law, about trials, about justice and about police corruption (Serpico, Verdict, Prince of the City). He has written the screenplay here, focussing on an idealistic young lawyer who is propelled by circumstances into the limelight as New York District Attorney. The film begins with two effectively staged set pieces: an elaborate stakeout and raid on a drug dealer that goes violently wrong; a trial of the brutal dealer. The rest of the film is moral dilemma as the DA promises to expose police corruption no matter what the cost. It is intelligent adult drama.
Andy Garcia is the DA. Richard Dreyfuss is his legal opponent and Ian Holm is effective as the veteran policeman, Garcia's father, who led the raid gone wrong. We might have seen it before, but it is always relevant and always interesting. Law, justice and the police.
1. Sidney Lumet's work in dramatising police stories of New York City: Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, Prince of the City, Q and A? This film in that league?
2. The use of New York settings, the cityscapes, central Manhattan, the Bronx? The affluent sections, the centres of drug-dealing? Authentic atmosphere? Musical score?
3. The title and its tone? Manhattan, crime, night and darkness?
4. The theme of police work, honesty, the courts and justice, compromise, betrayal? Family relationships, father and son relationships?
5. The opening and close with the lecture about law in New York, the young DA assistants, the lecturer and his themes, Sean and his giving the final lecture, his speech about justice - in view of what he had experienced?
6. Liam Casey and Joey Allegretto, on the stakeout, the warrant, the snitch and his information, their going in, Liam not calling for backup, Joey calling for it? Going into the room, Washington shooting, Liam being injured? His escape, the chase, shooting the police, dressing as a policeman, escaping in the police car? The number of police from the different precincts coming to the scene of the crime?
7. Morgenstern and his role as DA, his haranguing his staff, and having no sense of humour, demanding? The discussion with Sean Casey? The discussions with Eric, the emerging rivalry, the bitterness between them in the race for election? The bad handling of Washington being handed over to the police, Morgenstern suffering in reputation, Eric coming in to gloat? His appointing Sean as the prosecuting lawyer, Eric's offering his resignation, then withdrawing it? Sean's success and Morgenstern's success? The congratulations, the party, his nomination, collapsing? Sean later going to see him and his not accepting his infirmity? A portrait of an intense DA in an American city?
8. Sean: the Irish- Hispanic background, his dead mother, the visits to the cemetery, his love for his father, going to see him in hospital? Interviewing him, the possibility that his father was dirty, arguing with him, getting the truth? The meetings with Sam Vigoda? Meeting Peggy and attracted to her? His conduct of the case, the appeal to the jury, the simplicity of his presentation, the police lying under oat? His working with and against Vigoda? The jury decision, the celebration? His being nominated as District Attorney candidate instead of Morgenstern? The backing of the party?
9. His campaigning, his meeting with Peggy, the beginning of the affair, his Catholic background and calling it "living in sin", his proposal? Her hesitation? Coming from different sides of the law? Their time together, her support of him? The original warrant, her seeing it, the moral dilemma? Her continued support of him?
10. Sam Vigoda, the discussion with Sean, the reasons for his taking on the case? The press confrontation with Washington, getting the press to see that he was uninjured - and making the point about police brutality? His work in the court, the interviews? In the steam room and the discussions with Sean about his own daughter's overdosing? His support of him in his reaching out to corruption? The later steam room discussion, the issue of the warrant, Vigoda and his elaborating who were the real targets, Washington as scum, compromise, the fact that he did not think he was perfect - and the challenge to Sean thinking that he was?
11. The discussion with Internal Affairs about corrupt police, the corpse in the river, the notebook, Joey and his denying things to Liam and Sean, his later confessing? His wanting to do a deal - and Sean's rejection? Joey drinking and killing himself? Sean giving the news to his father?
12. Internal Affairs, the notebook, discussions with Sean, especially as he said he would follow justice to the end, no matter who and no matter what? His interrogation of his father? His father's confession about the warrant, his dilemma, his shredding it? Later talking with Vigoda?
13. The character of Liam, his love for his son, memories of his wife, still working though he could have been retired, the injuries, in court, his concealing the truth about the warrant? His son's confronting him and his desperate explanations? His going to the judge about the warrant, receiving Sean's phone call, the judge forging the warrant?
14. The drug lords, Washington, his being a target, yet the corrupt police, the network wanting to kill him, coming to the scene of the crime? Their being exposed by Internal Affairs, the interviews, the deals?
15. A portrait of law and order in New York City, the difficulties, the challenges? Issues of integrity?
