Review of The French Connection (1971) by Mikey M — 04 Mar 2010

Almost too real to bear. Here is a film that makes no apology for its immoral protagonist. Hackman's, Doyle is a horrible racist who lives right on the edge in order to work his job as a 'narc' - even his colleagues hate him.

We feel that we need to roll with him though, our understanding that his heart is pure even if his brain is a constant worry - It is his necessity to be a constant thorn in the drug world regardless of what that forces him to do.

I've seen this a couple of times before (as a teenager), but this was the first time I really got it I think. I watched this knowing that the world I was watching is our world and I genuinely fear what Doyle is fighting against (which I guess makes this as relevant today).

Owen Roizman's photography here is staggering because it is genuinely one of the most invisible pieces of camera technique I have ever seen in cinema. I was just utterly glued to the screen when I watched this last night.

Doyle's testosterone fueled determination and rage in his bid to catch a subway train in the car chase is just an unforgettable moment in life - We all want to show that kind of determination, I guess.