Review of The French Connection (1971) by Patrick S — 28 Jul 2009

Unfortunately, it is never possible for a first time viewer to fully appreciate or understand films that rest so much on being the first to...(insert your own) or that have "the best chase scene" (of that time.) What may have been ground-breaking and gritty in 1970 is common place for a new viewer, and he/she has no frame of reference in which to place the film other than mixed in with contemporary movies; and in that frame of reference, The French Connection is still intense, and satisfingly real: working the street, lonely steakouts, and the criminals walk away - not encouraging, but real.

The opening credits grab your attention from the beginning and Gene Hackman is as tough as they get.

It is also nice that this movie expects a little bit from its audience and doesn't hold your hand all the way through explaining away every detail.

It helps to know going into this movie that this is a true story and that the real-life detectives were on set to provide guidance along the way. Something cool I read, the actor's routinely used dialouge given from the on-set police officers instead of the scripted dialouge - and the film walked away with a handful of Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay, and Best Editing.