Movie Description
Released in the same year as Clint Eastwood's DIRTY HARRY (1971), William Friedkin's THE FRENCH CONNECTION marked the beginning of a new era of gritty, urban police dramas. Here, the theme of tough-cop amorality serves a conservative demand for a police-state crackdown on the domestic chaos and subversive youth culture of the Vietnam War period.
The film is based on the true story of two New York City police detectives and their investigation into a French heroin smuggling operation. THE FRENCH CONNECTION is perhaps best known for its infamous, masterfully filmed chase scene (influenced by Peter Yates' BULLITT) in which the lead policeman, Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman), recklessly drives a stolen car through oncoming traffic in pursuit of a sniper escaping by elevated train. The thrill of this crime drama is accentuated by director William Friedkin's early European influences, perhaps best represented by the handheld documentary-style visuals and Friedkin's claims that the Oscar-winning screenplay was frequently disregarded in favor of improvisation. THE FRENCH CONNECTION marked not only a significant change of course for his career, but also a stylistic shift that all of Hollywood would soon follow.
| Credits | | Producer: | Philip D'Antoni | | Cast: | Bill Hickman, Fernando Rey, Frederic de Pasquale, Marcel Bozzufi, Sonny Grosso |
| Details | | Edition: | Single Disc Version; Widescreen |
Notes
DVD Features:
Region (unknown)
Keep Case
Pan & Scan
Widescreen, Theatrical release: October 9, 1971.
Based on events that occurred in 1961.
Shot almost entirely on location in New York City, and briefly in Marseilles, France.
THE FRENCH CONNECTION is number 70 on the American Film Institute's list of America's 100 Greatest Movies.
People were allegedly injured during the filming of the famous chase scene.
Friedkin is rumored to have shot parts of the chase scene himself.
Editorial Reviews
"...A best-picture Oscar that really holds up..."
USA Today - Mike Clark (09/28/2001)
"...To watch it now is to appreciate more than ever Gene Hackman's uncompromising talent..."
Entertainment Weekly - Mark Harris (09/28/2001)
"William Friedkin brings a new documentary-style grittiness and moral ambiguity to the crime thriller."
Premiere - Premiere Staff (12/01/2003)
"[With] the Greatest Car Chase Ever Filmed."
Total Film - Daniel Webb (04/01/2004)
4 stars out of 5 -- "It's one of the most influential and exciting crime movies...[with] a level of grit and realism that is almost impossible to duplicate."
Premiere (02/23/2009)
Awards
1971Academy AwardsBest ActorGene Hackman, 1971Academy AwardsBest Adapted ScreenplayErnest Tidyman, 1971Academy AwardsBest DirectorWilliam Friedkin, 1971Academy AwardsBest Film EditingJerry Greenberg, 1971Academy AwardsBest Picture
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