On DVD (1971). Rated R, 104 minutes.
The early 1970's yielded a ridiculous number of classic films, including The French Connection, Best Picture for 1971. Directed by William Friedkin (he won an Oscar for directing) and starring Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider (Jaws), this film redefined the cop drama at the time.
Gene Hackman (in an Oscar winning performance) portrays Popeye, a hard charging, 'damn the rules' cop with good intentions. Scheider (nominated) is his partner, Cloudy. They are narcotics cops in 1971 New York, and randomly happen upon a big shipment coming in from France. The film follows their building of the case and surveillance of the various characters in the drug deal. Friedkin weaves the French and NY storylines masterfully, and the action sequences are frenetic and interesting. This was groundbreaking it was released, as many of the shots and chase sequences meet or exceed the quality in even today's films.
Hackman's Popeye is brilliant. His past hunches resulted in a cop being killed, and he seems hellbent on righting that wrong, losing sight of what needs to be done along the way. Friedkin juxtaposes the lavish lives of the criminals with his own meager and obsessed existence to great effect. The film ends with a depressing set of results for the criminals he chases, and the overall message of the film is bleak. A great film.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
The French Connection - A-
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1 comment:
A for me. Love the Santa Claus bust scene and of course the classic chase scene. But it's all first-rate - all the way to the downbeat ending. The 1970s are amazing with only one so-so Best Picture winner in the whole decade (Kramer vs. Kramer).
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