When The French Connection screeched into theaters in 1971, it was a breath of fresh air. It injected the cop genre with a sense of realism that few other films could match. Its greatest asset was Gene Hackman’s performance as ill-tempered narcotics detective Popeye Doyle, whose determination to bust a drug ring in New York City leads him down a dead end.
The pacing keeps the film moving, despite the fact that much of it takes place on foot or at a crawl. It’s the closest Hollywood ever came to a realistic on-the-street police procedural. It’s also the first movie to feature the antiheroes as equals, not as caricatures. Things that are now cliches in cop movies – worn heels and tires, stealthy shadowing – were invented here by Friedkin and screenwriter Ernest Tidyman.
It also has the most famous car chase in film history – one that’s not likely to be eclipsed by any of the Fast & Furious franchise. What makes the chase work so well is the symbiotic relationship between the two elements. The action is visceral and immediate, but it’s framed by an urban landscape that’s so real it’s almost unreal. The camerawork captures a series of The french connection ep moments that would look just as natural on the five o’clock news.
Another aspect of the film that makes it so important is the way it delves into the nature of police corruption. It’s not a subtle film, but it’s a fascinating one to study. It’s also a movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that’s why it works so well today.
The French Connection was the first movie to bring the drug war to mainstream audiences, and it’s an essential piece of movie history. Even today, it’s an interesting film to watch because it offers a glimpse of how much things have changed in the last forty years.
This release features the original stereo soundtrack and includes a bonus CD of Don Ellis’s complete score for the 1975 sequel, French Connection II. It’s his greatest movie score, a dissonant and jazzy piece of work that nonetheless fits right in with cutting-edge ’70s cop scores by the likes of Jerry Goldsmith and Lalo Schifrin. This release is a must-have for any movie fan. It’s 75 minutes of pure ’70s cinematic excellence. Plus, it’s a great reminder of how far the era has come in terms of technology and the effect that the film industry has on our culture.
0 comments: