The French Connection (1971)

Directed by William Friedkin. Starring Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Rey, Tony Lo Bianco, Bill Hickman, Frédéric de Pasquale, Marcel Bozzuffi, Anne Rebbot, Arlene Farber. [R]

Tough, gripping action film oozing with gritty New York City atmosphere. Single-minded powder keg cop Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle (Hackman) and partner Buddy “Cloudy” Russo (Scheider) go after a heroin smuggling ring led by Frenchman Rey. Dynamite entertainment from start to finish, with suspenseful cat-and-mouse games, detailed surveillance efforts, vivid use of authentic locations, and Hackman’s riveting, Oscar-winning portrayal of a ferocious, racist anti-hero so obsessed with capturing “Frog One” (the nickname he gives Rey’s character) that he’ll stop at nothing. Few characters around him get much development (even his partner, despite a strong performance from Scheider as well), but director Friedkin sets everything up as such a breathless, headlong pursuit that there’s no time for such concerns, headlined by one of the most sensationally exciting car chases ever filmed, still a knockout today. Won four additional Academy Awards for Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, and Editing. Based on an actual investigation and drug bust as depicted in Robin Moore’s same-named non-fiction book; the real-life counterparts of the two detectives, Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso, both have bit parts. Followed by a 1975 sequel, and a TV-movie from 1986 (Popeye Doyle) with Ed O’Neill replacing Hackman.

95/100