Review of The French Connection

In line with my study of Crime films I read the screenplay and watched The French Connection twice. The film is based on a true story and there is a sequel to it set in France. I don't know how good the sequel is. It is not directed by Friedkin or written by the same screenwriter. I feel compelled to watch it to see what happens to Popeye and Frog 1. Popeye is what drives the film forward. He is brash, outspoken, and racist. In the film he tells his partner to never trust anyone. He is a hard nosed New York City detective looking for a big score. But to what end? That's a question which came to me after the end of the film. How many nickel and dimers do you arrest before the war on drugs seems futile? And it seems the detective duo were always busting black men.

The story doesn't center around small time dealers. It centers around a big smuggler from France who is trying to move in millions of dollars worth of heroin. Fernando Rey plays the smuggler with typical Frenchness. He is exceptionally cultivated and is shown dining at a fine restaurant while Doyle eats a slice of pizza freezing his ass off in the street. The film is a thriller so it follows a pattern of need to knows or reveals. The action really picks up pace when Rey's hit man does a job on Doyle. He doesn't get Doyle and a chase ensues. The chase scene is the best part of the movie. It has Doyle racing through Brooklyn following a subway car with the sniper on board. The action heats up until the subway crashes and Doyle kills the sniper. I was really impressed with the cinematography in the chase. The camera was at bumper level while Doyle was driving through the street. He crashes several times and almost hitsa lady with a baby carriage. I thought that was a nice touch that Doyle misses the lady and finally catches the hit man.

Along the lines of other film noirs or detective films the cops stake out Sal Boca and the French connection in painstaking ways. The viewer is constantly wanting to know what will happen next. Will the cops get incriminating evidence? Will they make a bust? In a very well done scene a chemist is shown testing the drugs which adds to the tension building as the criminals get closer to making a big deal and avoiding the police. It seems there is always a need to know and complications that heighten the drama as the film progresses. There are levels of police bureauacracy that the two detectives have to deal with. Popeye is just an NYPD detective. His boss brings in Feds and the two don't mix well. So there is conflict within the police and the criminals seem to be getting away with bringing in the heroin.

The World of the film is also very grungy. Most of the shots in the beginning happen in seedy bars in Brooklyn or take place on the bridges linking the boroughs together. It's definitely an upgrade from the old film noirs of the 40's. The realism of the New Hollywood really shines bright in this film. It reminded me of Scorsese's Mean Streets. Both films show the grittiness of New York City far from any tourist destination. The topic of heroin smuggling is also new. The Maltese Falcon or The Big Sleep didn't deal with heroin smuggling or Feds or a character like Popeye. Compared to Popeye, Bogey is a cliche that walks out of a novel, not someone you could really find in 1970's New York. It really shows how film was changing with the rise of the New Hollywood.

The characters, the fact that it's based on a true story, the editing, and the cinematography all make the film a great two hours to watch. The story progresses from one event to the next while building in seriousness from one scene to the next. It does get a little tedious with all the police tailing that really seems boring. It seems to be a pattern of stasis and action, stasis and action, until the final scene where Rey gets away. There is another scene of police tailing where Popeye and Rey go back and forth until Rey leaves Popeye on the subway platform and gives him a little wave. In the final bust scene Popeye gives the wave back to Rey. It is a little humorous and a bit of a false hope given that Rey escapes.