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| Gene Hackman's hero Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle shoots a fleeing guy in the back on this great poster for William Friedkin's The French Connection |
NYPD drug-assigned detective Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle works largely on the basis of "hunches", - and he is often right. Tired of catching the little fish, he now gets a whiff of something much larger ...
The French Connection is written by Ernest Tidyman (Shaft (1973-74)), based on the same-titled 1969 non-fiction book by Robin Moore (Pitchman (1966)), (which details the uncovering of the large-scale heroin-smuggling from France to the US), and is directed by Chicagoan master filmmaker William Friedkin (Rampage (1984)). It is his 5th theatrical feature.
Gene Hackman (Welcome to Mooseport (2004)) has an authenticity, a masculinity and a fallible quality to him as 'Popeye' Doyle, which makes him outstanding in this film, and Roy Scheider (Executive Target (1997)) is good (as usual) as his partner. The city is used with great care, insight and effort, and in a sense New York's criminal underworld becomes the film's lead character.
Very little happens in the first hour, while nothing seems to corroborate Doyle's hunch, but somehow this wildly macho, realistic mammoth work remains effectively compelling despite this. The central car/train chase scene is intense, (cinematography by Owen Roizman (Straight Time (1978))), and Don Ellis' (The Seven-Ups (1973)) score is often fantastic.
The French Connection is always a great watch and a brilliant thriller.
Related posts:
William Friedkin: Top 10: Best drug-themed movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Top 10: Best crime movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Killer Joe (2011) - Friedkin's dark, intense maybe last cinematic package
The Exorcist (1973) - Friedkin and Blatty's masterpiece, one of the scariest pictures of all time
The Boys in the Band (1970) - Friedkin and Crowley's groundbreaking gay birthday party movie
Watch a trailer for the film here
Cost: 2.2 mil. $
Box office: Reportedly 75 mil. $
= Mega-hit (returned 34.09 times its cost)
[The French Connection premiered 7 October (Los Angeles, California and New York) and runs 104 minutes. The film's realism was inspired by Costa-Gavras' Z (1969). Many other famous actors and NY columnist Jimmy Breslin were considered for (and some were offered) the Doyle part, before Friedkin settled on Hackman, who got his major breakthrough with the film. Shooting took place in New York and Washington DC and in Rhône, France from November 1970 - March 1971. The film made 51.7 mil. $ (68.9 % of the total gross) in North America. Roger Ebert gave the film a 4/4 star review, translating to a notch higher than this one. The film was nominated for 8 Oscars: It won 5; for Best Picture, Actor (Hackman), Director, Adapted Screenplay and Editing. It lost Supporting Actor (Scheider) to Ben Johnson in The Last Picture Show, Cinematography to Oswald Morris for Fiddler on the Roof and Sound also to Fiddler on the Roof. It won 3/4 Golden Globe nominations, 2/5 BAFTA noms, a David di Donatello award, 1/2 Grammy noms, 2 National Board of Review awards and many other honors. John Frankenheimer directed the successful sequel French Connection II (1975) with returning stars Hackman and Fernando Rey (1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)). Friedkin returned with The Exorcist (1973)). Hackman returned in Cisco Pike (1972). The French Connection is certified fresh at 98 % with an 8.7/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of The French Connection?
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