The French Connection is an American action thriller film that grossed $75 million over a $2.2 million budget, eventually becoming the 4th-highest-grossing film of 1971. It is based on the non-fiction book The French Connection: A True Account of Cops, Narcotics, and International Conspiracy by Robin Moore. In Australia, it was originally rated M, which in 2001 was changed to M for medium level coarse language, medium level violence, adult theme, which was changed in 2010 to M for mature themes, violence and coarse language. The following are the 10 most recent IMDb reviews for the film.
gbill-748778 February 2019
Highlights:
- The ending, my god. Plus a half tick in my rating for that.
- The street scenes. The film absolutely immerses us in 1971 New York, and director William Friedkin effortlessly blends well-framed shots with those that show us seamy street life as it is.
- The tension in those chase scenes. The pace of the film is great, showing patience in long stakeouts but gradually working its way up to a crescendo during the pursuits. The cat and mouse game in the subway is fantastic, as is the car chase following the elevated train.
- Great storytelling. The plot is tight and while we may not always believe some of the events, they’re credible and there aren’t giant plot holes or irrelevant subplots. The criminals are pretty clever too, and the car teardown searching for where the drugs might be was great.
- The nuance in the lead detective (Gene Hackman). He initially comes across as an idealized view of the gritty, macho cop, even though he’s got some serious issues (see lowlights). However, as it plays out, he’s not idolized as characters like Dirty Harry, and is instead shown as being as obsessed and out of control as Captain Ahab, and in a subtle, smart way by Friedkin.
- Hey, isn’t it nice that the country the drugs are coming in from, what a moron might call a s***hole country, is France? Apparently that’s where most of the Heroin came into America from at the time, and there’s a lesson in there somewhere.
Lowlights:
- The treatment of African-Americans. Hackman is toxic towards them early on, quipping “never trust a n*****,” and also aggressively shaking them down. His partner (Roy Scheider) points out in the first instance that the person he’s talking about could have been white, but none of this part of what he does is truly challenged. We can say this is what makes Hackman a real person and an anti-hero, but unfortunately I think filmgoers probably saw this as part of the positive side of him.
- I also get the ‘get tough on crime’ vibe from this film, and shudder a little over the direction this would take the country in over the following decades. ‘Dirty Harry’ was made in the same year, and both films show the frustrations Americans had with drug use and violent crime in cities, so part of it understandable. The overreaction that this film advocates, though in a more indirect way, seems to be police brutality and much stiffer sentences, both of which would balloon into real problems in the decades which followed.
CubsandCulture26 December 2018
Between Hackman’s easy naturalism and Friedkin’s Noir-isque gritty realism the film is rather entertaining. It simply moves; it feels like a chase scene the entire time and the film does not dwell on trivial things. The famous train-car chase scene is rather unique. I have never quite seen a two tier chase before. This is something of a weird comparison but it reminds me of the chariot race in Ben-Hur given how both are so central for the their respective films and each scene is the best of their films. But I think this comparison really highlights my problem with the French Connection. Unlike the chariot scene we really don’t know the heavy all that well. We know he is a bad man but that is pretty much it. There is no emotional investment in any of the characters because of professional and impersonal manner the film treats them. Without a doubt this is part of the stories point and them but it doesn’t work for me in light of several other factors.The main one of which is the screenplay is too plot driven. There is no fat here; the film never pauses to catch its breath and each scene, each line of dialog only moves the plot forward. That the film is entirely a crime story with nothing else in mind makes it thin and shallow. I have seen this film 2-3 times and nothing is surprising on each viewing; worse it gets less exciting each time I have seen it as the surprise is less and less. The screenplay is tightly plotted and it is a good story but it is procedural and basic. There is no irony here.And irony was rather needed given Popeye’s brutality. I guess the ending is intended to be tragic-Popeye gets what he deserves in a way-but it is too slight, especially as the Buddy-Popeye relationship isn’t fleshed out a lot. The implied loss of Buddy is not enough of a just dessert. Popeye’s racism, abuse of power and amorality requires a greater cost. The film does not deal with the means enough. Like Popeye it is too concerned with ends. While the works on a certain level, it strikes me as very ugly in the end. The film doesn’t for a second consider maybe the drug war isn’t worth harassing black people over and that robs it of relevancy.A clockwork plot with stylish direction and very good acting results in a fun film not a very good one. This is one of the weaker best pictures.
imseeg8 December 2018
This is NOT a regular thriller, although it is very suspenseful at times. This is NOT a regular action movie, although it has some really exhilarating action sequences. This is NOT a straight cop drama either, although the characters are true to life. What is it then? It is all the above combined. But most of all, it is RAW! F*ing raw, blunt, depressing and bleak.”The French Connection” is a critical portrait of the futility of the war on drugs by the NYPD. Not made to please you. Not made to entertain you. It is DELIBERATEDLY slow and tiresome at times, yet the acting, editing and the photography are one of the best of the entire seventies, for those interested in these oscar awarded talents. Dont expect flashy photography though. It is all bleak, slowburning and blunt. And in your face. It is New York’s seventies gory side of street life, magnificently captured for us movielovers.The story is about 2 narcotica cops, of which one is living on the edge (Gene Hackman). They try to make a big drug bust and the story is all about the cat and mouse game between the drugslord and the 2 cops. Although based on a true story, director William Friedkin admitted that he didnt even read the book on which the screenplay was based. In interviews he mentioned that this movie wasnt about the book, but all about capturing the true to life NYPD narcotics cop scene. Before he made “The French Connection” director Friedkin debuted with documentaries and that shows. Several real life cops do act in this movie and some of the chase scenes were shot in real life traffic, without any permit. Total madness, but they could get away with it, because director William Friedkin had gotten the backing for this movie from the real life NYPD force.”The French Connection” is the epitome of director William Friedkin’s raw energetic way of filming. It’s recommended to watch an interview with this legendary director about the making of this classic, because he is one of the few great directors who dares to speak out freely about whatever he wants. Guaranteed delight to watch this maestro revel and roar. Just as he did in his masterpiece “The French Connection”. (By the way, dont watch the sequel, that one is a disappointment…)
merelyaninnuendo6 December 2018
The French ConnectionFriedkin’s cop and con analysis protrudes the thirst that drives it and the hunger that it feeds off. The concept itself suggests the cat and mouse chase but this is not your usual in and out mission. It stays there along with it. No matter how hard and sweat inducing this labour gets. And since it is based on a true story Friedkin’s hands are tied but his methods aren’t tied to any whatsoever promise. He seeks for an opportunity to stretch its way out through a bang for a more cinematic experience. If there ought to be a simple man to man marking on following a guy, he does it with such panache that you are left with you jaws dropped in the air. He milks out something from these scenes that you have never felt before.In fact, what he does in here, MacQuarie in Mission Impossible Fallout has managed to do so in the Paris sequence. I have never felt the thrills and exhilaration that a chase scene can offer like such. The feature barely resides upon verbal sparrings it is basically all physical sequences performed lethally and for the most part of it, in one shot, that adds a cherry on top of it. One of the primary strength of the feature, is its uncertainty, the makers keeps us under the shades and reveals it at the point of crisis where before that the storyline is just setting up the antics just like the characters are chasing each other blindly with all the dedication and sweat and blood there is.Hackman as a frustrated underappreciated protagonist makes sure you feel the need for him to succeed as much as he does and on that note of vulnerability that is projected, it is a complete triumph. The French Connection “is” connected, speaking effervescently and unapologetically the romance between the characters.
A Volatile Blend Of Kinetic Direction, Restless Screenplay & Strong Performances
CinemaClown4 December 2018
Winner of 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture, The French Connection is a volatile blend of kinetic direction, restless screenplay & energetic performances that’s also notable for featuring some spectacularly shot scenes of pursuit in its retelling of the true account of cops, narcotics & international conspiracy.Set in New York City, the story follows two narcotics detectives who stumble onto a drug smuggling job and upon further investigation find out about a shipment of heroin coming from France. As they try to intercept the operation, a cat n mouse situation develops between one of the detectives & the suave French drug dealer.Directed by William Friedkin (best known for The Exorcist), the contrast between our short-tempered detective & the urbane French drug kingpin is established in the opening minutes after which Friedkin works to bring them within the same frame while branching out other details & characters to create a realistic setting.The film aptly captures the frustrations, failures & long, tiresome waiting involved when working on any case when out in the field. The chase segments start quietly but it doesn’t take long for them to become tense & nail-biting, plus there is one particular sequence that easily stands out for its gritty realism & thrilling quality.
The premise is interesting but it takes a while to warm up to it. The images exhibit a raw, dusty look that adds to its ruggedness. The background score is all over the place. Dialogue isn’t its strongest suit. And the characters aren’t intriguing enough either. Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider & Fernando Rey deliver terrific performances but it’s nothing memorable.
On an overall scale, The French Connection is a skilfully crafted, finely narrated & strongly acted crime thriller but more than its drama or characterisation, it’s the expert execution of the stunts & scenes of pursuit that leave a lasting impression. The film is always on the move, and manages to conclude on a satisfying note but considering its legacy (unless it’s all about that car chase scene), I expected more.
floydreese13 November 2018
This is a great crime thriller directed by the young William Friedkin for which he won an Oscar. This is a gritty film filled with fantastic performances throughout the spectrum- Gene Hackman is amazing as the tough no nonsense cop Doyle well assisted by Roy Schneider, still a few years removed from playing hark hunter Brody. Friedkin has great directing skills and the car chase sequence is already considered one of the finest ever put on film though I personally found it a bit overrated and not as good as the one in Friedkin’s other film To Live and Die in LA. Regardless, you should check this film out if you like hard gritty films full of tough guys.
desertscrpion7 November 2018
Gene Hackman Won An Oscar For Best Actor As He Protryals As Popeye Doyle a New York City Cop With a Bad Attitude Problem And Jaws Star Roy Scheider As His Partner On The Case There Assignment is To Stop And Catch Crooks That They Believe That Are Doing a Drug Trade For Money Meeting Set Up, Fernando Rey As The Main Villian And Marcel Bozzuffi As Right Henchmen Assassin. This Movie Was Directed By The Great Filmmaker William Friedkin And This Film Has One Of The Best And Greatest Car Chases That includes Popeye Doyle Driving a Car To Chase a Moving Fast Train That One Of The Bad Guys is On, But My Favorite Scene in The French Connection is Where Popeye Doyle Spots One Of The Bad Guys Jumping Off On The Other Side Of The Train As He Walks Down The Stairs And The Bad Guy Sees Popeye Pointing His Gun At Him As He Runs Back Up The Stairs Popeye Doyle Shoots The Bad Guy in The Back And The Bad Guy Falls Down Backwords. Five Stars For The French Connection And Quiet Possibly The Best William Friedkin Film Of His Career.
cricketbat5 October 2018
(Sung to the tune of “The Rainbow Connection”) Why is there so much hype about this cop drama, and why is it “Best Film of ’71”? It has a cool car chase, but a tediously slow pace. This movie has little to no fun. So critics loved it and said it was timeless. I know they’re wrong wait and see. Someday we’ll find out, why The French Connection won Best Director, Best Actor and Film Editing.
stevemaitland29 September 2018
Superior 1970s US police thriller with plenty of procedural detail in amongst long, effective action sequences. Iconic cop character Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, played with aplomb by Gene Hackman, puts his and his colleagues safety on the line in pursuit of a savvy intercontinental drugs gang. Roy Scheider and Fernando Rey co-star. The plot is based on a true story., the book of the same name by Robin Moore. More than anything it foregrounds just how dangerous certain streets of urban America were at the time.
cardsrock10 September 2018
Gene Hackman gives a wild performance as the loose-cannon cop Popeye in this classic film. I loved the gritty realism of the movie and especially the long, engrossing sequences of the cops following their man around on the New York streets which built huge amounts of tension. The car/train chase is quite inventive and fun as well.
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