The French Connection

Released:  1971

Cast:  Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Roy Scheider, Tony Lo Bianco, Marcel Bozzuffi, Frederic de Pasquale, Bill Hickman, Arlene Farber, Eddie Egan

Oscar Wins:  Best Picture, Best Director (William Friedkin), Best Actor (Gene Hackman), Best Adapted Screenplay (Ernest Tidyman), Best Film Editing (Gerald B. Greenberg)

Oscar Nominations:  Best Supporting Actor (Roy Scheider), Best Cinematography (Owen Roizman), Best Sound (Theodore Soderberg, Christopher Newman)

SUMMARY:  Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle (Gene Hackman) and Buddy “Cloudy” Russo (Roy Scheider) are New York City narcotics detectives who have a history of bringing in lots of small-time criminals.  While having drinks one night, Popeye and Cloudy notice a young couple (Sal and Angie Boca), sitting and talking with known narcotics-involved mob members.  After following the Bocas for a few days, a link is established between the couple and a drug kingpin.

Not long after this, an informant tells Popeye that a huge shipment of heroin is due to arrive in New York.  The detectives, along with a federal agent, place wiretaps to gather more information.  The “French connection” of the title comes in the form of the heroin supplier, Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey), who has smuggled the drugs into the country by hiding them in a car.  Charnier is trying to sell the drugs to the New York Kingpin:  Sal Boca is the middleman.  The detectives continually trail both Boca and Charnier.  After Charnier recognizes Popeye, Charnier’s henchman attempts to shoot Popeye from a building roof.  This leads to a prolonged chase, involving an elevated train and a very sturdy car.  Eventually, Popeye shoots and kills the henchman.

Popeye is also able to impound the car containing the smuggled drugs.  After a lengthy search, the detectives are able to find the hidden drugs:  they then replace the drugs and restore the car, and allow it to be claimed.  Charnier takes the car to an abandoned factory to make the drug sale; on the way back, he is stopped by Popeye, who is fronting a roadblock.  Charnier then drives back to the factory, with the police in pursuit.  Charnier leaves the car and runs into one of the old buildings, followed by Popeye.  Cloudy soon joins Popeye:  unbeknownst to both, the federal agent is also in the building.  When he sees moving shadows, Popeye starts shooting.  Unfortunately, he has shot the federal agent, not Charnier.  Seemingly without remorse, Popeye returns to tracking Charnier through the building.  Although a single gunshot is heard, the end credits reveal that Charnier escaped, and Popeye and Cloudy were reassigned.

MY TAKE:  I wasn’t thrilled with this movie, but there are some good parts.  The car/train chase scene is tense and entertaining, and leaves you marveling at the engineering of 70s-era cars.  The stalk through the factory is also pretty good.  However, I found myself wondering why this was even necessary.  The whole thing starts after Charnier drives into a police roadblock:  he then turns the car around and returns to the factory he has just left.  It seems to me that any decent apprehension attempt would have police cars ready to block the escape route.  Instead, Popeye is left with his jaw on the ground when Boca and Charnier simply put the car in reverse.  I was also left wondering about police procedure during the final scene, where the fed gets shot – as a police officer, why would you enter a building where an armed chase is in process, especially without announcing your presence first?

According to the “1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die” book, there’s a ton of symbolism in the last scene, where Popeye ignores the federal agent he has just shot and takes off through the bleak, trashed factory, but I’m more interested in entertainment than symbolism.  I was irritated that after that, Popeye apparently didn’t get Charnier, and even more irritated that I didn’t get to see the attempt.

RATING:  Eh.  Some good scenes, but nothing I couldn’t live without.