Review of The French Connection (1971) by Adam S — 10 Apr 2010
One of the grittiest New York cop films of all time, coming at a moment in American cinema when gritty and European was everywhere, and William Friedkin, ever the brash young punk to take the ball from Godard, Truffaut, and Melville especially, infuses his film with a modicum of dirt and jump cuts that all but changed the action genre forever.
Gene Hackman won his first Oscar for his complex turn as Popeye Doyle, a grueling narcotics detective who sniffs out a gigantic heroin deal, almost by chance, at a nightclub, and tirelessly chaces down the leads with frustrated partner Roy Scheider, including one mesmerizing scene involving a car and an above ground subway train (and hundreds of breathtaking edits) that remains a linchpin.
One of a kind, even though it's imitators are plenty.
This review of The French Connection (1971) was written by Adam S on 10 Apr 2010.
The French Connection has generally received very positive reviews.
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