The French Connection (1971)

Director:

William Friedkin

Writers:

Ernest Tidyman (screenplay)
Robin Moore (book)

Release Date:

9 October 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

The time is just right for an out and out thriller like this.

Plot:

A pair of NYC cops in the Narcotics Bureau stumble onto a drug smuggling job with a French connection.

Plot Keywords:

Heroin | Police | Drugs | French | New York City

Awards:

Won 5 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Gene Hackman	...	Jimmy Doyle
Fernando Rey	...	Alain Charnier
Roy Scheider	...	Det. Buddy Russo
Tony Lo Bianco	...	Sal Boca
Marcel Bozzuffi	...	Pierre Nicoli
Frédéric de Pasquale	...	Devereaux (as Frederic De Pasquale)
Bill Hickman	...	Mulderig
Ann Rebbot	...	Marie Charnier
Harold Gary	...	Weinstock
Arlene Farber	...	Angie Boca
Eddie Egan	...	Simonson
André Ernotte	...	La Valle (as Andre Ernotte)
Sonny Grosso	...	Klein
Benny Marino	...	Lou Boca
Patrick McDermott	...	Chemist (as Pat McDermott)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) | 4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Brazil:14 | South Korea:18 | Canada:18A (video rating) | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:13 (re-rating) | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (special edition) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (special edition) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Ireland:18 | Norway:16 (1972) | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | West Germany:16 (bw) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) (original rating)

Filming Locations:

86th Street, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Schine-Moore Productions

Trivia:

In France the last 2 or 3 digits (3 only on oversea counties) on the license plate referring to the Département the car is from. 13 stands for Bouches-de-Rhône (Marseilles) and 75 for Paris (Paris). The order in France is alphabetically.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Howard the chemist is done testing the purity of the heroin, he blows out the flame of the oil candle under the thermometer. A few shots later, when the distribution is being discussed, the candle is still lit.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle: Merry Christmas. What's your name, little boy?
Little Boy: Eric.
Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle: Uh-huh, Eric. What do you want for Christmas Eric? Hmmm?

Movie Connections:

Spin off The Seven-Ups (1973)

Soundtrack:

Jingle Bells

It Was A Pontiac!!

This film is always referred to as one of the greatest American movies ever made!! That should come as no surprise to anyone!! The movie "French Connection" was very short, and concise, and, it conveyed a stunningly poignant message concerning a breakthrough in the safe guard against drug trafficking!! This movie was based on a true story about a New York detective, Eddie Egan, who made a cameo appearance in this film. The film "French Connection" captivated the interests of some dynamic Hollywood novices, yet, it did not embrace the enthusiasm of the mainstream producers or directors!! The gamble to produce this film, which was based on the book written by Robin Moore, definitely paid off!! The habitual lamentations of the New York City law enforcement branches via Eddie Egan, contended that drugs were smuggled into New York City without any threat of legal repercussions. While most officials spend countless hours inveighing against New York's criminal activity, invariably, they become thwarted, and their competitive nature gets the better of them. If the syndicate is not overtly flaunting their unencumbered acts of illicit behavior to figureheads of the law, their Armani Suits, Chalets on the Riviera, and Park Avenue Penthouses, are doing that job for them!! Originally, Jackie Gleason was suppose to play the role of Detective "Popeye" Doyle. Just like Gene Hackman, Gleason evokes a bittersweet disposition of the hard luck and desultory curmudgeon!! "Requiem Foor A Heavyweight" is a picture-book example of such a role!! Gleason turned down the part in "French Connection" and from there, the producers sought other seemingly appropriate actors for the role. Gene Hackman was the 11th choice for the part, this strikes me as utterly amazing!! By now, it would appear to most people that it would be impossible to fathom anyone else but Gene Hackman for the lead role of "Popeye" Doyle in "French Connection"!! The whole motif of monumental despondence with capital crimes in New York City had to be assertively articulated in this film. The prevailing circumstances to this 1960's heroine smuggling was one which engaged in the polarization of ethnicity!! The detectives and policemen were portrayed as either Irish or Italian, these two ethnic groups comprised the vast majority of the New York City police force during the 1960's. The contention which was pertinent to these two cultural stereotypes was that the Italians had the finesse to effectively commiserate with criminals, and the Irish were so incredibly tough, that they could handle them!! The most ethically deplorable drug syndicate that New York had to deal with was the French syndicate!! Directly smuggling these drugs in from Marseilles, the French culture had accommodated a scruple-less venue for worldwide disruption by illustrating an unmitigated temerity for New Yorkers, as well as Americans in general!! Since the French Underworld have cultivated an imperviousness to a higher spirituality, their philosophy is overly consumed by the ruthless attainment of material accoutrement!! It is this callous and dehumanizing resolve of the pompous and arrogant French syndicate which has effectuated a very emphatic, hierarchal, and almost reinvented ruling plight of pejorative antidisestablishmentarianism to the nth degree!! The intensity of the French syndicate's presumingly vindictive and amoral procedures are what the officials of New York have to take into account when dealing with such a formidable adversary!! Being fatalistic about human nature, the French Syndicate has no boundaries of conscientious remorse which would inhibit them in any way. Apparently, even by comparison to the Italian and the Russian Mafia, they (The French Syndicate) exalted an extraordinary level of nauseating belligerence!! So, what was the final commentary of justice in this movie? It was very demoralizing for one.. Why was a precedent set here? Because, when it was all over, now emanated the proverbial tenet that even if a bully wins, a bully does not even like to be battered around in any way whatsoever!! Win or lose, it is ideologically pivotal when an official takes on organized crime, and he realistically makes a difference!! After viewing this movie, many people may want to ponder this very pragmatic question, Why would anyone want to live in New York City? This cosmopolitan nightmare is a bevy of hard bitten realism, at the same time, people who live in New York actually live.. As that one story has it (I am paraphrasing), he never drank, he never laughed, he never kissed a maiden, he never cajoled, he never chuckled, or engaged in anything pleasure laden, and when he up and passed away insurance was denied, because since they claim he never lived, they claim he never died!! Such an analogy pertains to the gist of this movie, and it affects the thought patterns of Popeye Doyle, BELIEVE ME!! The film "French Connection" was a fabulous movie, the acting, the directing, and the storyline were all first rate!! The film "French Connection" won best picture in 1971, as well as best director, William Friedkin, and of course, best actor, Gene Hackman!! The classic car chase scene in "French Connection" is considered by most movie experts to be one the best scenes in any movie made ... period!! This scene has inspired many virtual reality games in the ensuing years ahead!! Fabulous Film!! By the way, the car Gene Hackman drove in this classic scene, it was a Pontiac!!!