A railway switchman working near the docks witnesses a murder whilst working the nightshift. Intending to report the crime, he changes his mind when he discovers a suitcase full of money. Soon, a police inspector arrives from London, and the net begins to close in.
Much like his 1988 film Damnation, here Tarr takes a familiar noir blueprint and renders it almost to the point of abstraction. Alienating, nocturnal and frequently absurd, The Man from London is carried by another haunting score from Tarr’s regular composer Mihály Vig, as well as gorgeous cinematography from Fred Kelemen, who would go on to shoot Tarr’s last film, The Turin Horse.
A much-underrated film, The Man from London awaits rediscovery as another Béla Tarr masterpiece.