Review of The French Connection (1971) by Jose M — 18 May 2009
The best cop film ever made, with one of the most riveting chase scenes ever to appear in any Hollywood film. This is definitively one of the most important films to have emerged from the heavily saturated 1970's crime genre.
It is also one of the finest films ever made. Friedkin's direction is frenetic, intense, and gritty. The film feels more like a documentary than a big budget Hollywood production, which is a major factor in what makes it so intense, the illusion of realism.
The performances by Hackman and Scheider are stupendous, with Hackman shining in his Oscar winning lead role. He is a hard-nosed cop who will stop at nothing to apprehend the smugglers, even if it endangers his own life.
In the end however, what struck me the most was the emphasis on the futility of the war on drugs that characterized the final scenes of the film. It is a bleak reality, but still one that echoes more than 30 years later.
"The French Connection" is a film for the ages.
This review of The French Connection (1971) was written by Jose M on 18 May 2009.
The French Connection has generally received very positive reviews.
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