Day 217 - The French Connection

Wednesday November 23, 2011

The French Connection (1971) directed by William Friedkin

If I had to describe The French Connection in one word it would be gritty. In that way it sort of reminds me of another cop movie, Serpico. Both are set in crime ridden 1970's New York. Both feel cold and hard and feature strong willed cops that are often at ends with their peers. The difference is that the protagonists of the two films are very different. Serpico is a clean honest cop who only wants to do the right thing; Popeye will do anything to get the job done even if it means using police brutality, endangering innocent bystanders in reckless car chases and shooting first asking questions second.

Within the first two minutes of The French Connection a man gets shot in the face. It's a "Oh snap!" moment that sets the mood for the rest of the film. It is dark and gritty, tense and exciting. Popeye Doyle is a narcotics officer that stumbles upon the big case he's been waiting his whole career for. A mysterious Frenchman, Alain Charnier, is in New York looking to sell $32 million worth of heroin and Popeye and the cops are out to bring them all down. The film is basically one big chase. There are intermittent moments of staking out a location or talking about the case, but inevitably it always leads to Doyle and his partner tailing various different suspects whether by car or by foot. What is remarkable is that the film is able to maintain a high level of suspense and tension throughout the film's many chase sequences without getting monotonous or tiresome. This is done by its great direction, cinematography, and editing. It's no surprise that this film won Oscars in these categories.

The two memorable chase sequences of the film are quite remarkable. One involves Doyle tailing the Charnier through the streets of New York on foot. It leads down to a subway station where Charnier undoubtedly realized he was being followed the whole time and plays a cat and mouse game with Doyle. The other is perhaps the film's most famous scene, the ballyhooed car chase where Doyle must keep pace with a train, weaving in and out of traffic, narrowly dodging pedestrians and causing plenty of property damage. Director William Friedkin is no stranger to car chases as he would later direct an arguably better car chase in To Live and Die in L.A.

While the film is brilliant all the way around, it is highlighted by Gene Hackman's performance as Popeye Doyle. I don't think he's ever had a better role. He has a gritty toughness to him yet is terribly flawed. He's racist, temperamental, and very reckless. While many other people may be commended for determination and focus on their jobs, it is arguably a detriment for Doyle. I don't want to give away the ending but his reaction to his actions says it all; he is a man who doesn't care about anything but getting his guy. It is what makes the ending all the more bitterly fitting.

Grade: A