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The French Connection is a classic, and it's still better than any of the cop thrillers Hollywood has churned out in recent years. It was made in the early 70's, at the creative peak of the New Wave that brought a breath of politically incorrect excitement and gripping realism to American cinema. And at its heart is one of the most memorable and unforgettable cinematic antiheroes in movie history: Gene Hackman as narcotics detective Popeye Doyle.
A cliche has grown up around the character of the streetwise detective who leads by his gut instinct and pisses off his superiors – but this is a film that created that cliche as well as many others. It focuses on the tension between the FBI and local police, and it doesn't shy away from showing the ruthlessness of the stake-outs in which Doyle and his partner Buddy "Cloudy" Russo hide out in cramped cellars while waiting for their mark to walk by.
This movie's greatest The french connection fact or fiction strength lies in its depiction of real-life narcotics trafficking and law enforcement. The director, William Friedkin (Scarface, The Exorcist), filmed the movie using techniques borrowed from documentary film-making, and he has a keen eye for the details that make important action seem realistic and intense. The claustrophobic stake-out scenes are especially effective, and the car chase sequence is truly thrilling.
The acting is also top notch, with first-rate performances from Hackman and Scheider. But the key to this movie is its script by Ernest Tidyman (Shaft), which is tightly written and full of the kind of tense, exciting dialogue that makes a great film.
And the soundtrack by Don Ellis is another major plus for this movie. The score is a blazing piece of '70s crime scoring, and it compares favorably to Jerry Goldsmith's travelogue cop scores. This CD features the original stereo soundtrack, along with a bonus track of Ellis's complete underscore for the 1975 sequel directed by John Frankenheimer.
It's a shame that this movie has not been available in a good quality DVD for so long. But it's finally here, in a remastered transfer that's just as impressive as the film itself. It's a must for any fan of classic American movies.
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