The French Connection (1971) *****

The French Connection is a fast paced cops and robbers story about heroine being smuggled into the United States by French criminals. Detectives Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle (Gene Hackman) and Buddy "Cloudy" Russo (Roy Scheider) literally stumble onto the conspiracy and the film follows the relentless pursuit of Popeye and Cloudy to bust the scheming smugglers and their American buyers.


William Friedkin directs the film in a documentary style that, at times, makes you feel like you're riding right along in the chase. The crowning achievement is the car chase in which Popeye follows one of the Frenchmen who has highjacked an elevated train. It's not just the chase itself, but Hackman's reaction to the drive and how he reacts when it's over.

Which leads us to Hackman's performance. Considering the guy was the ninth actor asked to play the role, it seems like a perfect fit for him. He lifts the role than the stereotypical cop in a cop movie. He's on a quest. He's almost like a machine in the way he chases and stakesout the Frenchmen. Hackamn's portrayal embodies all that. Roy Scheider is along for the ride as Cloudy. Even though he doesn't seem as obsessed as Popeye he still gives us a great character that's almost a ying to Popey's yang. the two have great chemistry together on screen. Fernando Rey plays the main French smuggler Chairnier, a man who is charming and, unlike most movie villains, doesn't really use violence that much. Rey gives the role that charm and that sense of diplomacy is more important to this man than bashing skulls- but he will if it's the last resort.

The French Connection is another one of those gems that came from the 1970's and this one seems to have opened the decade up to the gritty New York saga that started with Midnight Cowboy. It deservedly won the Oscar for Best Picture against some stiff competition (A Clockwork orange and The Last Picture Show being the two other standouts that year). Just as importantly it was one of the first films, along with Dirty Harry later that same year, that gave us the anti-hero, the good guy that doesn't always do good things. But they still got the job done.