#93: The French Connection (1971)

Oscar Winner: Best Picture, Best Director (William Friedkin), Best Actor (Gene Hackman), Best Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay

The best way to describe The French Connection is a cat and mouse chase. Except for a few of the character-building scenes, it’s as if somebody is after another in some form or fashion. This characteristic provides for a movie that overall I wasn’t blown away by, but one that is heavily entertaining throughout. It’s a cop movie that has elements that are all too familiar, but I had to remind myself that it’s from 1971, so in reality it is the source of all the copycats we see today.

The French Connection perfectly embodies the launching ground of the anti-hero movement in 70’s film. The main character, Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman) is a cop who is overtly racist and fights crime for the thrill of fighting, not for justice. With his partner Buddy Russo (the always good Roy Scheider) in toe, he comes across a heroin smuggling ring that may be his ticket out of sniffing petty drugs out of local bars every day. What follows are French crooks and mafia men who push Popeye’s temper and patience to a point where he tries everything to solve the case just because he can’t stand not solving a case.

Unlike most cop films, you find yourself not rooting for either side because you don’t want the chase to ever end. Friedkin’s direction is very spot-on and calculated, providing for shot compositions and transitions that are unforgettable. This movie is most known for its subway/car chase scene that still holds up today. It remains so raw and computer effects free, that you feel every crash, screech and near miss. Even more so, I think I enjoyed a foot chase between Popeye and the main villain, because it’s more mental in its suspense than physical.

It was hard to keep in mind that this film was revolutionary for the cop drama because there have been so many incarnations of Popeye Doyle since then (a more carefree Sgt. Riggs comes to mind). As a pure enjoyable ride, it hits all the marks, but it forgets about its themes too often until the last shot. The ending is about as bleak and surprising as one you’ll find, but I wished that was strung throughout the film more. It just comes off more as a blockbuster to me than an Oscar winner.

Still, I feel like The French Connection is one of the more accessible films on this list. I give it 3.75 out of 5 subway chases.