During the 1970s, Twentieth Century-Fox released a movie that became the benchmark against which other police thrillers are judged. The French Connection, based on the true story of two New York City police detectives who busted one of the largest drug rings in history, is not only one of the best films of all time, but also made stars out of Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider and launched the careers of director William Friedkin and screenwriter Ernest Tidyman (Shaft).
Even today, there’s something intoxicating about The French Connection. It could be the way it’s shot — handheld, with an almost documentary style – or the way the actors seem to be glued to their seats as they wait for leads and follow up on clues. It could be the way the script lets you see the cops make mistakes and then chastise them for it, or the way it makes you feel like you are on the streets with them as they run down the suspects and pull off their daring heists. But really, it’s all of these things together that make it so special.
In the film, Hackman is the tough-but-fair Det. Popeye Doyle, a hard-nosed, street-wise cop who is willing to break the law to do his job. He’s not perfect, but he does what he needs to do and isn’t afraid to let his emotions run wild at the right moments. It’s a remarkable performance, and it makes the other actors around him look good in their supporting roles.
The movie is a bit of a The french connection hello ep downer in some ways, but it’s never boring. The pacing is fast and the performances are top-notch. This is the closest Hollywood ever got to a realistic on-the-street crime drama in a blockbuster, and it has shaped the way cop movies are done to this day. Many of the things that are now cliche in cop movies were invented here, from the use of handheld cameras to the way the characters walk with purpose and are always looking over their shoulders.
There are long stretches, in fact, nearly the entire film, where no dialogue is spoken at all. This adds to the realism of the film, as does the tense stringy score by Don Ellis. It isn’t the most memorable or melodious of scores, but it does what it’s meant to do: establish the tone for a gritty and intense thriller.
The most impressive thing about this movie, however, is the amazing car chase that comes towards the end. It’s not just the speed of it or the startling violence, though – it’s the way that sequence plays out in the context of the grit that has been so carefully established before it. It’s an example of what a movie can do when it is willing to push past the limits and go for broke, and it’s why The French Connection is such a classic.
Milan Tomic
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