Probably the most important American film of the 1970s, The French Connection was William Friedkin's breakout movie and Gene Hackman's first major role. It was also the first big-screen Hollywood drug bust and a pioneer of realistic policing, and in the 40 years since it was released, it's still a classic.
It is a police drama in which the main character is a narcotics detective who gets himself caught up in one of the biggest heroin busts of all time. It's also a thriller and an action film that's based on a real story, and it features a great chase scene and some good acting by Gene Hackman.
In the '70s, there were many cop movies about gangsters and crime in New York, but few gave as much attention to realism as "The French Connection." Here, director Friedkin, who had started out with "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" in 1955, was setting the standard for a bleak, gritty portrayal of contemporary drug dealing.
When the movie opens, we're introduced to Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman), a gruff and truculent bad-boy’ police officer. He's got a lot of attitude but, in spite of it, he's a good policeman and has the guts to do what's right. He's got a good sense of the city and his own hunch, and he goes after Jacques Charnier (Francis Delfosse), the leader of a narcotics-dealing French crew.
The whole thing is so gritty, and it's really very realistic, because it's shot in a kind of low-key fashion, using red and white car lights and subtlety-lit actors' faces that aren't hyped up or over-exposed. It's a style that influenced Taxi Driver and other movies made five years later.
What makes the film so good is that it The french connection hello ep presents an antihero character without any glamour or dramatic shadows, and the realism of the world he's in is emphasized by the grimy, unglamorous surroundings. As a result, the whole thing has an almost documentary feel to it and feels like it's set in real life.
It's also very good at introducing us to the various characters, especially Roy Scheider as Popeye's kinder partner Buddy Russo and Raoul Delfosse as the French detective Barthelemy, whose knowledge of the city helps Doyle find his way.
As a result, the film has an intensely realism that can be hard to digest at times. The f-word is frequently used, and some of the violence can be very brutal.
But, despite this, the film has the kind of pacing that's exciting and never slows down too much. There's a great chase scene at the end that's worth watching all over again and it's really a must-see for anyone who enjoys action movies!
The French Connection is a film that's definitely worth seeing for its realism and sleaze, but it's also a movie that's very well written and deserves a wide release. It's a classic that's still better than a lot of modern Hollywood crime thrillers, and it's well worth the price to see.