JohnDoe
Bryn
Brenton
The French Connection (1971) - Footage Included
The French Connection
Part II in John Doe’s series of favourite Best Picture Oscar Winners that started with All About Eve.
Director:William Friedkin
Writer: Ernest Tidyman
Starring: Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Ray, Tony Lo Bianco
“All right! You put a shiv in my partner. You know what that means? Goddammit! All winter long I got to listen to him gripe about his bowling scores. Now I'm gonna bust your ass for those three bags and I'm gonna nail you for picking your feet in Poughkeepsie.’ – Popeye
“All right, Popeye's here! get your hands on your heads, get off the bar, and get on the wall!” – Popeye
Picking up the evolution of the cop film where Peter Yates Bullitt left off and marking the arrival of a Director who helped define a generation. The French Connection is down and dirty guerrilla filmmaking that resulted in 8 Oscar nominations and 5 wins including Best Picture and Best Director for 1971.
Based on a true story novel by Robin Moore, with the real life counterparts on set to advise, The French Connection captures all the extremities of police work. A diet that consists mainly of guess work and following hunches, interspersed with tedious stake outs and abrupt moments of violent confrontations.
“Blast off: one-eight-oh. Two hundred: Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. Two ten: U.S. Government certified. Two twenty: lunar trajectory, junk of the month club, sirloin steak. Two thirty: Grade A poison. Absolute dynamite. Eighty-nine percent pure junk. Best I've ever seen. If the rest is like this, you'll be dealing on this load for two years.” – Chemist
Going against the stereotypes of the day, this is not a good guys and bad guys, cops versus robber affair. Dripping in the grimy, drug soaked atmosphere of the New York streets, a menacing realism sets the tone for an engrossing, convoluted exploration of enigmatic criminals and the twisted, single minded morality it takes for a cop to get the job done.
“The son of a bitch is here. I saw him. I'm gonna get him.’ – Popeye
Gruff, hardened by years on the force witnessing an endless cycle of crime and miscarriages of justice, under cover Detective Popeye Doyle is a brutal, bigot who will catch his man, no matter what the price.
“All right, Popeye's here! get your hands on your heads, get off the bar, and get on the wall!” – Popeye
His more laid back partner, Buddy Russo (Roy Scheider) acts as a buffer zone protecting Popeye from himself as best he can. Living for the hunt the film opens with a memorable, high velocity foot chase as the pair furiously pursues a perp.
Like a tiger on the scent of wounded prey, Popeye smells out trouble and soon he and Buddy intercept a drug shipment that was sent from France by the elusive Alain Charnier (Fernado Ray)
“If that's not a drop I'll open up a charge for you at Bloomingdale's.” – Popeye
With the determination of a crack addict questing for a fix he ruthlessly follows leads, tearing through the city, stubbornly destroying those in his way. Exemplified by the unchoreographed imminent, unhinged carnage of one of cinemas greatest car chases.
Hurtling towards an ambiguous finale that has risen questions ever since and triggers an endless stream of theories and ethical quandaries about the concept of justice and the law.
John Doe says:
The French Connection employed a minimalist plot, attention demanding editing and an unglamorous portrayal of authority to astound audiences at the time. A powerful drama that revolutionized with hand held documentary style camera work, earthy colour toned cinematography and raw sound design fused with a gritty approach to characters and tempo.
35 years later the film hasn’t lost any of what made it great, now however we see its influence stamped all over the world of cinema and television.
Sometimes genius Director William Friedkin (Sorcerer, To Live and Die In L.A) followed up The French Connection two years later with The Exorcist, another confident trip where what we see and are told only scratches the surface of what is actually going on. There is an element of mystery to these films that is seldom practiced because of the tight rope act between being indecipherable and profound.
Cleverly making sure to avoid the pitfalls of traditional action film, Friedkin manages to make it all so authentic that we have to concentrate on every meticulously placed piece of information and the fly on the wall visual details that don’t come with signposts.
The thoroughly researched screenplay by Ernest Tidyman (The Executioners, Shaft, High Plains Drifter) writes dialogue that has you wishing you had a Vulcan’s ears, seemingly casual conversations will expose a crucial plot point or motivation. Natural and unhindered by exposition, silence is used as a weapon.
Filling out the mood is the scorching chello score that is random and striking, ratcheting the tension and directing your anxieties.
Gene Hackman (Royal Tenanbaums, NightMoves, Scarecrow, Heist, The Conversation) was known only for his role in Bonnie and Clyde before this and a gentle soul at heart he had a hard time taking on the part that would win him an Academy Award and lifelong adoration. His career defining performance appears like an extension of his personality now, making us believe with ease that he has spent a life in dark alleys and interrogation rooms.
Roy Scheider (Jaws, Sorcerer, Klute, Marathon Man, All That Jazz, Seven Ups, Naked Lunch) has a chemistry with Hackman that makes both there deliveries closer to perfection.
Ray Fernado as the well mannered French villain is impossible to doubt and would later reprise the role in the John Frankenheimer sequel.
John Doe saw this originally for the car chase when he was very young, ever since the film has been a mystery to solve. Endless screenings since still reveal untasted joys and fresh ideas. A benchmark on which other enteries into the genre (Narc, Serpico) are measured and draws me back with its intriguing execution.
The DVD:
Transfer: Widescreen 1:85:1/Dolby Digital 5.1
Extras: Unmissable 2 Disc Special Edition with Audio commentary by Director William Friedkin and a second with the cast include Hackman and Scheider. On the second disc there is a rivetting and thorough making of feature and also a BBC special “Picking your feet in poughkeepsie”. Deleted Scenes are also a treat.
Click below to view the original trailer
Here it is, the now notorious and monumental car chase....watch closely because they didnt shut off traffic and at one stage a man gets T Boned backing out of his drive way to go to work.
Oscar Accolades:
Wins
Best Picture - Philip D Antoni
Best Director - William Friedkin
Best Actor – Gene Hackman
Best Editing – Gerald B Greenburg
Best Adapted Screenplay – Ernest Tidyman
Nominations
Best Supporting Actor - Roy Scheider
Best Cinematography – Owen Roizman
Best Sound – Theodore Soderburg & Christopher Newman
Part II in John Doe’s series of favourite Best Picture Oscar Winners that started with All About Eve.
DVD Cover
Writer: Ernest Tidyman
Starring: Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Ray, Tony Lo Bianco
“All right! You put a shiv in my partner. You know what that means? Goddammit! All winter long I got to listen to him gripe about his bowling scores. Now I'm gonna bust your ass for those three bags and I'm gonna nail you for picking your feet in Poughkeepsie.’ – Popeye
“All right, Popeye's here! get your hands on your heads, get off the bar, and get on the wall!” – Popeye
Picking up the evolution of the cop film where Peter Yates Bullitt left off and marking the arrival of a Director who helped define a generation. The French Connection is down and dirty guerrilla filmmaking that resulted in 8 Oscar nominations and 5 wins including Best Picture and Best Director for 1971.
Based on a true story novel by Robin Moore, with the real life counterparts on set to advise, The French Connection captures all the extremities of police work. A diet that consists mainly of guess work and following hunches, interspersed with tedious stake outs and abrupt moments of violent confrontations.
“Blast off: one-eight-oh. Two hundred: Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. Two ten: U.S. Government certified. Two twenty: lunar trajectory, junk of the month club, sirloin steak. Two thirty: Grade A poison. Absolute dynamite. Eighty-nine percent pure junk. Best I've ever seen. If the rest is like this, you'll be dealing on this load for two years.” – Chemist
Going against the stereotypes of the day, this is not a good guys and bad guys, cops versus robber affair. Dripping in the grimy, drug soaked atmosphere of the New York streets, a menacing realism sets the tone for an engrossing, convoluted exploration of enigmatic criminals and the twisted, single minded morality it takes for a cop to get the job done.
“The son of a bitch is here. I saw him. I'm gonna get him.’ – Popeye
Gruff, hardened by years on the force witnessing an endless cycle of crime and miscarriages of justice, under cover Detective Popeye Doyle is a brutal, bigot who will catch his man, no matter what the price.
“All right, Popeye's here! get your hands on your heads, get off the bar, and get on the wall!” – Popeye
His more laid back partner, Buddy Russo (Roy Scheider) acts as a buffer zone protecting Popeye from himself as best he can. Living for the hunt the film opens with a memorable, high velocity foot chase as the pair furiously pursues a perp.
Like a tiger on the scent of wounded prey, Popeye smells out trouble and soon he and Buddy intercept a drug shipment that was sent from France by the elusive Alain Charnier (Fernado Ray)
“If that's not a drop I'll open up a charge for you at Bloomingdale's.” – Popeye
With the determination of a crack addict questing for a fix he ruthlessly follows leads, tearing through the city, stubbornly destroying those in his way. Exemplified by the unchoreographed imminent, unhinged carnage of one of cinemas greatest car chases.
Hurtling towards an ambiguous finale that has risen questions ever since and triggers an endless stream of theories and ethical quandaries about the concept of justice and the law.
All right, Popeye's and he wants his spinach!
The French Connection employed a minimalist plot, attention demanding editing and an unglamorous portrayal of authority to astound audiences at the time. A powerful drama that revolutionized with hand held documentary style camera work, earthy colour toned cinematography and raw sound design fused with a gritty approach to characters and tempo.
35 years later the film hasn’t lost any of what made it great, now however we see its influence stamped all over the world of cinema and television.
Sometimes genius Director William Friedkin (Sorcerer, To Live and Die In L.A) followed up The French Connection two years later with The Exorcist, another confident trip where what we see and are told only scratches the surface of what is actually going on. There is an element of mystery to these films that is seldom practiced because of the tight rope act between being indecipherable and profound.
Cleverly making sure to avoid the pitfalls of traditional action film, Friedkin manages to make it all so authentic that we have to concentrate on every meticulously placed piece of information and the fly on the wall visual details that don’t come with signposts.
The thoroughly researched screenplay by Ernest Tidyman (The Executioners, Shaft, High Plains Drifter) writes dialogue that has you wishing you had a Vulcan’s ears, seemingly casual conversations will expose a crucial plot point or motivation. Natural and unhindered by exposition, silence is used as a weapon.
Filling out the mood is the scorching chello score that is random and striking, ratcheting the tension and directing your anxieties.
Gene Hackman (Royal Tenanbaums, NightMoves, Scarecrow, Heist, The Conversation) was known only for his role in Bonnie and Clyde before this and a gentle soul at heart he had a hard time taking on the part that would win him an Academy Award and lifelong adoration. His career defining performance appears like an extension of his personality now, making us believe with ease that he has spent a life in dark alleys and interrogation rooms.
Roy Scheider (Jaws, Sorcerer, Klute, Marathon Man, All That Jazz, Seven Ups, Naked Lunch) has a chemistry with Hackman that makes both there deliveries closer to perfection.
Ray Fernado as the well mannered French villain is impossible to doubt and would later reprise the role in the John Frankenheimer sequel.
John Doe saw this originally for the car chase when he was very young, ever since the film has been a mystery to solve. Endless screenings since still reveal untasted joys and fresh ideas. A benchmark on which other enteries into the genre (Narc, Serpico) are measured and draws me back with its intriguing execution.
DVD Menu
Transfer: Widescreen 1:85:1/Dolby Digital 5.1
Extras: Unmissable 2 Disc Special Edition with Audio commentary by Director William Friedkin and a second with the cast include Hackman and Scheider. On the second disc there is a rivetting and thorough making of feature and also a BBC special “Picking your feet in poughkeepsie”. Deleted Scenes are also a treat.
Click below to view the original trailer
Here it is, the now notorious and monumental car chase....watch closely because they didnt shut off traffic and at one stage a man gets T Boned backing out of his drive way to go to work.
Oscar Accolades:
Wins
Best Picture - Philip D Antoni
Best Director - William Friedkin
Best Actor – Gene Hackman
Best Editing – Gerald B Greenburg
Best Adapted Screenplay – Ernest Tidyman
Nominations
Best Supporting Actor - Roy Scheider
Best Cinematography – Owen Roizman
Best Sound – Theodore Soderburg & Christopher Newman
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Film & TV on DVD
Great film, Great review.
FC2 was also a great film and a bit more disturbing.
Film & TV on DVD
Yep, Gene Hackman always had that lived in look...I also dig the French Connection 2, not quite as good as the original but the crazy plot getting Popeye hooked on smack and all is pretty cool.
Plus I'm a big Frankenheimer (Manchurian Candidate, Seconds, Ronin) fan and this is well suited to his style.
Horrorphile
great review, sensational film, why don't i own this yet on dvd???
Film & TV on DVD
T Boning is nothing to do with tea bagging just to set your mind straight.....its is when one car moving straight ahead, collides with another that is side on so that from above it looks like tle letter "T"....and yeah, why dont you own it yet?
Celebrity Obsession
Horrorphile
BTW, I soooooo want to own Sorcerer on DVD, I was lucky enough to see it on the big screen at the Chauvel, a hugely underrated and little seen (remake) flick! I have the soundtrack too, by Tangerine Dream, ha!
Film & TV on DVD
There is a cool making of on the second disc of the DVD that goes right into the day of shooting the chase and is just as thorough about all aspects of the hectic shoot.
Bryn,
Gene Hackman was supposedly a terrible driver and behind the wheel he was a bit manic, the story is that the guy coming out of his driveway was on his way to work and had no idea they were making amovie on his street.
I own the US edition DVD of Sorcerer (remake of Wages of Fear) and will lend it to you next time I see you. I love the film, there is such an element of unstoppable danger as risk throughout.
ciao
Film & TV on DVD
French Conection is ofcourse and lltime fave of mine, hope you enjoy seeing it again..
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