In a career that includes Oscar-nominated masterpieces such as Serpico, Prince of the City and The Verdict, director Sidney Lumet has cross-examined the fine line between those who enforce the law and those who exploit it, both in the courtroom and on the streets. Adapting a novel by former NYPD officer Robert Daley (Year of the Dragon), Lumet once again exposes the corrupt underbelly of the city that never sleeps in Night Falls on Manhattan. Sean Casey (Andy Garcia) is an assistant district attorney and a rising star in the New York City legal system. He is forced into a tough position when his ambitious boss, seeking re-election, asks Sean to prosecute a drug dealer caught by two NYPD detectives under controversial circumstances – one of whom happens to be Sean’s father (Ian Holm). As Sean gets closer to the truth in the case, what he uncovers may break his faith in the legal system, threaten his promising career and tear his family apart. Boasting a powerhouse supporting cast including Lena Olin, Richard Dreyfuss and James Gandolfini, this underrated entry in Lumet’s canon of crime classics can be freshly reappraised with a new restoration and illuminating bonus features.

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Video Quality

Night Falls on Manhattan comes to Blu-Ray courtesy of Arrow Video in its original 1.85:1 sourced from a 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative that has been restored and graded in 2K. While it is the slightest bit disappointing they did not go all out for a 4K UHD release, things are forgiven when you see how terrific this new transfer appears. This presentation looks sumptuous with natural grain intact and nicely resolved. We did not spot any indication that DNR has been applied to rob this of its original texture. You get a marvelous amount of detail in the costumes, the urban sprawl, and the production design.

We did not experience any hiccups or downturns in quality in terms of clarity, allowing this to easily look the best it ever has. The contrast is confidently defined with robust highlights that do not veer into blooming. Black levels are perfectly deep with no semblance of crush or artifacts. The transfer has cleaned up nearly all instances of print damage for a sterling veneer. The transfer reveals a significant amount of depth and enhanced detail. Arrow Video has knocked it out of the park with this release.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio and an LPCM 2.0 stereo track that both support the film very well. Dialogue sounds crisp and clear without sound effects or the music overwhelming important information. The tonally appropriate score from Mark Isham is handled with impeccable fidelity. This is more of a dialogue-driven endeavor, but there are plenty of thrilling moments such as the police siege with evocative sound effects that are given the appropriate heft within the mix. The sonic ambitions are perfectly realized as every element coalesces into a dramatically rich experience. This presentation showcases everything you desire without damage or other unwanted issues. The release comes with optional English SDH subtitles.

Special Features

The first-pressing of the Arrow Video Blu-Ray of Night Falls on Manhattan includes a booklet featuring the essay “‘Conscience of the City” by writer Nick Clement. This provides a great analysis of the film, the career of Sidney Lumet, and more. The booklet also contains the original production notes and details of the restoration. There is a double-sided poster included in this initial pressing. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentaries: There are two archival audio commentary tracks in which the filmmaker and the rest of the creative team discuss their experiences making the movie, how they pulled off certain scenes, the reception of the film, and more.

- Audio Commentary #1: Director Sidney Lumet

- Audio Commentary #2: Actors Andy Garcia and Ron Leibman, with producers Josh Kramer and Thom Mount

The Directors – Sidney Lumet: An hour-long archival documentary on the career of Sidney Lumet created in 2002 featuring interviews with Lumet, Garcia, Leibman, Jack Lemmon, Rod Steiger, Christopher Walken, Dyan Cannon, Ossie Davis, Melanie Griffith, Jacqueline Bissett and others

On-Set Interviews: A series of brief archival interviews are provided in which the cast members and Lumet discuss the film, their characters, and more.

- Interview with Andy Garcia (3:30)

- Interview with Richard Dreyfuss (2:46)

- Interview with Lena Olin (2:01)

- Interview with Ian Holm (3:12)

- Interview with Ron Leibman (4:53)

- Interview with Sidney Lumet (5:26)

Behind The Scenes: A 13-minute archival piece that shows Lumet on set setting up shots, working with the performers, and more.

Trailer Gallery: This disc provides the Theatrical Trailer (2:06) and TV Spots (1:33).

Final Thoughts

Night Falls on Manhattan is a top-notch effort from Sidney Lumet that finds the filmmaker exploring the thin line of morality to blistering results. The film starts with a bang and allows things to unravel from there as you get embedded deep into these characters. All of the performers put in great work, but Andy Garcia and Ron Leibman are the standouts. If you like a look at the justice system that exposes the flaws within the system, you are going to love this. Arrow Video has released a Blu-Ray featuring a fantastic A/V presentation and a fine array of special features that are very much worth exploring. Recommended

Night Falls on Manhattan is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Arrow Video has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.