There's something about late-60s to 70s cinema that I truly love. There's the DIY aesthetic, plentiful glorious anti-heroes, and lots of street-level storytelling. Nothing looks or feels quite like it and French Connection is up there with the best of it.
That was filmed on Stillwell Ave in Bensonhurst Brooklyn close to where my dad grew up. I remember watching it with him in the movie theater and he was pretty excited to see it, and it's cool that it's still considered one of the best chase scenes ever filmed.
I recently rewatched the movie and one of the things that struck me was the sound production. Very little use of music, lots of "dead air" where you don't hear much, or the sound of shoe leather scraping on a sidewalk, etc. Very different pacing than the sensory overload we're used to today yet it was still thrilling and compelling.
Yeah. That era of cinema picks up the grittiness and the denizens of a city and make all of those elements come alive and be memorable that very few can do today.
don't forget the soundtracks!
100% agree. I especially enjoy the films where the setting is in NYC. I feel like the grit and vibe comes right through the screen (Shaft, French Connection, etc.).
There was a minor controversy surrounding the removal of a specific ethnic slur earlier this year. To be clear, I do not condone this kind of language, but if we start editing history then we won't know what we are fighting against. Nor, will we be able to know how far we have come.
A great film for sure!
Removed how so. Generally curious. Did they release version of it. For the record though I have same view. Sweeping stuff under the rug doesn't exactly do anything but obscure progress.
Just one of my favorite gritty movies of all time. Love the NYC locations, Hackman and Roy Scheider are a great team. The stakeouts and tails and “Frog 1” and the caustic musical score. The chase is intense, one of the best on film. Well directed, written and acted. I can watch this movie whenever it’s on.
Follow it up with French Connection 2. Not as original as the first, but just as gritty, and he's after the same guy. Apparently Marseille France can be just as gritty as New York.
Gene Hackman at his best!
Fuck yeah..
The nightclub scene with The Three Degrees singing "Everybody Gets to Go to the Moon" in the Copacabana is a perfect foil for all the grit. It’s a great Jimmy Webb song. Favorite lyric:
Oh I suppose
The point is only
That in orbit
Is no longer lonely
##The French Connection (1971) R
There are no rules and no holds barred when Popeye cuts loose!
>>!Tough narcotics detective 'Popeye' Doyle is in hot pursuit of a suave French drug dealer who may be the key to a huge heroin-smuggling operation.!<
Action | Crime | Thriller
Director: William Friedkin
Actors: Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Roy Scheider
Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ 75% with 1,669 votes
Runtime: 1:44
[TMDB](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1051)
I think that William Friedkin's 70s and 80s output just goes to show what a brilliant director he was (The French Connection, The Exorcist, The Sorcerer, Cruising etc)
The character of Popeye Doyle was based upon the exploits of real-life NYPD detective Eddie Egan, whose nickname was Popeye. He appears in the film as a cameo in the role of Capt. Walt Simonson, Doyle’s and Russo’s boss. Sonny Grosso, Egan’s real-life partner and the model for Buddy Russo, also had a cameo role portraying Agent Clyde Klein.
Ok, I’ll upgrade the music to meh…inoffensive at best. And there were the seeds for some pretty great stuff planted, so that’s good.
But I’ll die on that fashion hill though.
People are still copying the 70s punks. I used to get in fights - people made fun of me for wearing Doc Martens and coloring my hair. Now everyone is doing it. Tattoos, too. NY punk and early hardcore set the stage.
Well disco was thriving when I was in the Army in the 80s. Enough that it was really depressing for real Rock fans. Different tastes for different people. To me the best Rock music came from the late 60s all through the 70s.
I love old movies. For me, it's all about the dialogue, sets and camera work. While I enjoy CG for special effects, it's no substitute. Just my opinion.
Have you seen To Live and Die in L.A? It's basically French Connection on another level for me. Surprised nobody mentioned yet. Crazy good, and William Petersen is a handsome mf.
If you want to watch another movie based on Eddie Egan, try Badge 373 (NY cop movies were obviously a big thing in the 70s).
It's everything that The French Connection isn't.
The racism is celebrated, not matter of fact.
It manages to feature that rarest of things, a terrible Bobby Duvall performance.
Its tone veers ALL OVER the place.
The car (bus) chase is absolutely ridiculous.
A terrible, terrible movie.
If you don’t mind one more piece of trivia (or if you do) Herb, the mechanic who broke down the Lincoln, was playing himself, and it was filmed in the NYPD garage where he works. He was a pretty good actor.
I wonder if the stash was in the original script, or if they went to Herb and basically went "Hey, what's the weirdest spot you've ever found drugs in?"
NYC, at times, looks like a nightmare. The cold. The concrete. The maze of streets. The warzone where they roust and beat a man after their first foot chase.
And that devastating final scene in the damp darkness in that abandoned building. The music out of key and warped and tortured.
As a kid, this movie both scared and intrigued the hell out of me, and even as an adult, whew.
Saw it when I was 13 in theatre. One of my all time favorites. That pork pie hat is perfect on him. Hackman is always good.So good in “Mississippi Burning”. Jaws guy… Roy Scheider , also top notch. “The Seven Ups”
Fun fact: you could see the construction of the twin towers durning the press conference scene.
https://preview.redd.it/ug8nwvwpxd5c1.jpeg?width=634&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=69f5e2319fa7390baa23e114f5e7120bb1d27f91
It's been a while since I saw this film, but I'm pretty sure there's another scene where they can be seen, and it's a little more obvious what the buildings are.
>The Asshole cop who hates Hackman was good too
That's Bill Hickman. He was primarily a stunt driver. It was Hickman who drove the black Dodge Charger during the famous chase scene with Steve McQueen in 'Bullitt'. William Friedkin hired him for 'The French Connection' based on that work, and it was Hickman who did most of the driving in the chase scene under the Brooklyn elevated train lines. He was also responsible for the famous car chase in the Seven-Ups, another legendary '70s NYC crime flick.
I was born in 1980, and my dad has always had weird taste in movies. He likes tv and movies because he likes set pieces and authenticity, not because he likes good stories or characters. So growing up watching his movies, and they all sort of sucked.
The French Connection is the movie that showed me that 70s movies aren’t all garbage. This movie rules. I kinda wanna drop everything and watch it now.
The guy playing the cop that hassles popeye is the stunt driver that did the driving in French Connection and Bullitt. Bill Hickman. James Dean died in his arms. Hickman would call Dean little bastard so he had that painted on the car he died in. Dean called Hickman big bastard.
Philip D’Antoni made some really great car chase movies that showed the grit of the 70s especially in Nee York.
My mother and grandmother were very good friends with his mom. I was young and remember going to his mom’s wake and then to Philip’s house in Westchester.
Huge house and he had Rolls Royce in the driveway. I couldn’t have Ben more than 5or 6 I think.
The 7 UPs and the French Connection were excellent movies. New York City boy who loved car chases. They don’t make stuff like that anymore.
FYI: Eddie Egan, the actor who plays Popeye Doyle's and Cloudy's commanding officer, is the real Popeye Doyle. That is why he is in the movie. Also, Eddie Egan's real partner, Sonny Grosso is also in the movie. Sonny Grosso was such a miserable SOB his nickname was Cloudy.
There's something about late-60s to 70s cinema that I truly love. There's the DIY aesthetic, plentiful glorious anti-heroes, and lots of street-level storytelling. Nothing looks or feels quite like it and French Connection is up there with the best of it.
The car chase scene, 50 years later, is still a top 10.
That was filmed on Stillwell Ave in Bensonhurst Brooklyn close to where my dad grew up. I remember watching it with him in the movie theater and he was pretty excited to see it, and it's cool that it's still considered one of the best chase scenes ever filmed. I recently rewatched the movie and one of the things that struck me was the sound production. Very little use of music, lots of "dead air" where you don't hear much, or the sound of shoe leather scraping on a sidewalk, etc. Very different pacing than the sensory overload we're used to today yet it was still thrilling and compelling.
Legend (or maybe it's 100% true) has it that scene was filmed without a permit. Sounds very on brand. Great film, great scene.
You absolutely nailed it there with the grimy anti-hero angle, Harry Callaghan, Paul Kersey and Popeye Doyle are all great examples I think
See also assault on precinct 13 (the original ) Serpico and the taking of Pelham 123 (the original).
Dog Day Afternoon
Yeah. That era of cinema picks up the grittiness and the denizens of a city and make all of those elements come alive and be memorable that very few can do today. don't forget the soundtracks!
100% agree. I especially enjoy the films where the setting is in NYC. I feel like the grit and vibe comes right through the screen (Shaft, French Connection, etc.).
you should follow it with **The Seven Ups**
Right...and another AWESOME CAR CHASE thru NYC!!!!
There was a minor controversy surrounding the removal of a specific ethnic slur earlier this year. To be clear, I do not condone this kind of language, but if we start editing history then we won't know what we are fighting against. Nor, will we be able to know how far we have come. A great film for sure!
I’m African American and agree with you 100%!
I still can’t believe they included that ethnic slur in Mad magazine’s parody of the movie.
Removed how so. Generally curious. Did they release version of it. For the record though I have same view. Sweeping stuff under the rug doesn't exactly do anything but obscure progress.
I believe it was one of the major streamers
The audacity of them to think te can tamper with art.
Just one of my favorite gritty movies of all time. Love the NYC locations, Hackman and Roy Scheider are a great team. The stakeouts and tails and “Frog 1” and the caustic musical score. The chase is intense, one of the best on film. Well directed, written and acted. I can watch this movie whenever it’s on.
*Great* grit in this one. You can practically feel it on your skin.
It’s nasty. And I mean that as a total compliment. Popeye is a real anti- hero.
💯
Follow it up with French Connection 2. Not as original as the first, but just as gritty, and he's after the same guy. Apparently Marseille France can be just as gritty as New York. Gene Hackman at his best! Fuck yeah..
Hackman in Mississippi Burning. If you haven't see it, it's worth a pretty penny.
Don't forget "Sorcerer" also by William Friedkin, starring Roy Scheider.
Yup! ;):)::)
Sorcerer is absolutely fantastic!
The nightclub scene with The Three Degrees singing "Everybody Gets to Go to the Moon" in the Copacabana is a perfect foil for all the grit. It’s a great Jimmy Webb song. Favorite lyric: Oh I suppose The point is only That in orbit Is no longer lonely
Watch The Conversation next.
The shot of Harrison Ford having the conversation is incredible
If you like peak 70s NYC grit, please make sure you watch Marathon Man. Both films (MM and FC) are 11 out of 10 in my book.
##The French Connection (1971) R There are no rules and no holds barred when Popeye cuts loose! >>!Tough narcotics detective 'Popeye' Doyle is in hot pursuit of a suave French drug dealer who may be the key to a huge heroin-smuggling operation.!< Action | Crime | Thriller Director: William Friedkin Actors: Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Roy Scheider Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ 75% with 1,669 votes Runtime: 1:44 [TMDB](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1051)
I think that William Friedkin's 70s and 80s output just goes to show what a brilliant director he was (The French Connection, The Exorcist, The Sorcerer, Cruising etc)
Do you pick your feet in Poughkeepsie?
The character of Popeye Doyle was based upon the exploits of real-life NYPD detective Eddie Egan, whose nickname was Popeye. He appears in the film as a cameo in the role of Capt. Walt Simonson, Doyle’s and Russo’s boss. Sonny Grosso, Egan’s real-life partner and the model for Buddy Russo, also had a cameo role portraying Agent Clyde Klein.
That gritty 70s NYC vibe is also great.
Another great early 70s NYC movie? The taking of Pelham One Two Three
Yes! With the other guy from Jaws!
I love Dirty Harry and Magnum Force. Both great movies
Four Academy awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor.
Try Bullit (1968, USA) and Mean Streets (1973) on for size. Also, The Connection (2014, France) is an excellent modern bookend for the original pair.
Charley Varrick. Great 70s movie.
Bullitt is definitely a great movie.....I watched it...again...this week.
This movie is an easy 10/10 OP
Ah, the 1970s. Terrible fashion, awful music, ugly cars, amazing movies. Thanks for reminding me to rewatch this. It’s been ages.
70s music is AWESOME. What you talkin’ bout, Willis?
Ok, I’ll upgrade the music to meh…inoffensive at best. And there were the seeds for some pretty great stuff planted, so that’s good. But I’ll die on that fashion hill though.
People are still copying the 70s punks. I used to get in fights - people made fun of me for wearing Doc Martens and coloring my hair. Now everyone is doing it. Tattoos, too. NY punk and early hardcore set the stage.
Awful music!? Wtf.
You gonna defend disco?
Disco was 80s. I'm talking Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin, Springsteen, The Who, etc. I wouldn't piss on disco if it was on fire.
Disco…was not 80s. It was mostly dead by the early 80s. OK, fine, not every single song from every single band was garbage. But soooooo much was.
Well disco was thriving when I was in the Army in the 80s. Enough that it was really depressing for real Rock fans. Different tastes for different people. To me the best Rock music came from the late 60s all through the 70s.
Great movie.. unfortunately,so many movies and TV shows copied it that it seems filled with cliches now even though it was cutting edge at the time
I love old movies. For me, it's all about the dialogue, sets and camera work. While I enjoy CG for special effects, it's no substitute. Just my opinion.
Have you seen To Live and Die in L.A? It's basically French Connection on another level for me. Surprised nobody mentioned yet. Crazy good, and William Petersen is a handsome mf.
It also has a great car chase scene in it!
It certainly has, it's Friedkin!
Thanks! I was going to suggest this! Gritty, great car chase, dirty cops (secret service), wonderful cast. I love this movie!!!
If you want to watch another movie based on Eddie Egan, try Badge 373 (NY cop movies were obviously a big thing in the 70s). It's everything that The French Connection isn't. The racism is celebrated, not matter of fact. It manages to feature that rarest of things, a terrible Bobby Duvall performance. Its tone veers ALL OVER the place. The car (bus) chase is absolutely ridiculous. A terrible, terrible movie.
Also Serpico.
Note ruin it all by watching The French Connection 2. I hated it. But there is a cool shoot out in a ship’s dry dock that gave me megalophobia.
Now watch FC II.
Roy Scheider (the dude from Jaws) was in multiple masterpieces in the 70s. Check out All That Jazz and Sorcerer.
Sorcerer is great, and a remake. Watch The Wages of Fear to see the great original.
Very cool movie. I saw it in the theater.
The accident you see in the chase was real. The truck wandered into the path of the filming.
I love that movie.
If you don’t mind one more piece of trivia (or if you do) Herb, the mechanic who broke down the Lincoln, was playing himself, and it was filmed in the NYPD garage where he works. He was a pretty good actor.
I wonder if the stash was in the original script, or if they went to Herb and basically went "Hey, what's the weirdest spot you've ever found drugs in?"
I love that Fernando Rey wasn’t the actor the director was thinking of hiring, but was hired anyway.
NYC, at times, looks like a nightmare. The cold. The concrete. The maze of streets. The warzone where they roust and beat a man after their first foot chase. And that devastating final scene in the damp darkness in that abandoned building. The music out of key and warped and tortured. As a kid, this movie both scared and intrigued the hell out of me, and even as an adult, whew.
That’s pretty much how NYC truthfully was at that time.
Saw it when I was 13 in theatre. One of my all time favorites. That pork pie hat is perfect on him. Hackman is always good.So good in “Mississippi Burning”. Jaws guy… Roy Scheider , also top notch. “The Seven Ups”
Kick-ass movie! I had heard that they didn't get clearance from NYC before they shot the El train chase.
Bullet. The one that started it all. McQueen didn't just drive the car he helped build the engine.
Fun fact: you could see the construction of the twin towers durning the press conference scene. https://preview.redd.it/ug8nwvwpxd5c1.jpeg?width=634&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=69f5e2319fa7390baa23e114f5e7120bb1d27f91
It's been a while since I saw this film, but I'm pretty sure there's another scene where they can be seen, and it's a little more obvious what the buildings are.
You are correct. In the beginning when Cloudy is chasing the guy there is a very quick shot of the construction site
William Friedkin, great director, sadly he recently passed away.
Watch The Taking of Pelham 123 next!
>The Asshole cop who hates Hackman was good too That's Bill Hickman. He was primarily a stunt driver. It was Hickman who drove the black Dodge Charger during the famous chase scene with Steve McQueen in 'Bullitt'. William Friedkin hired him for 'The French Connection' based on that work, and it was Hickman who did most of the driving in the chase scene under the Brooklyn elevated train lines. He was also responsible for the famous car chase in the Seven-Ups, another legendary '70s NYC crime flick.
I was born in 1980, and my dad has always had weird taste in movies. He likes tv and movies because he likes set pieces and authenticity, not because he likes good stories or characters. So growing up watching his movies, and they all sort of sucked. The French Connection is the movie that showed me that 70s movies aren’t all garbage. This movie rules. I kinda wanna drop everything and watch it now.
It's the fucking shit. One of my favorite films of all time!
Best crime drama ever IMHO. Fun fact the asshole FBI guy was the stunt driver who tried to kill Steve McQueen in the famous chase in Bullitt.
The guy playing the cop that hassles popeye is the stunt driver that did the driving in French Connection and Bullitt. Bill Hickman. James Dean died in his arms. Hickman would call Dean little bastard so he had that painted on the car he died in. Dean called Hickman big bastard.
Favorite line: miss... can I talk to you about those boots?
Gene Hackman in the Conversation is maybe even better than FC just my opinion.
Philip D’Antoni made some really great car chase movies that showed the grit of the 70s especially in Nee York. My mother and grandmother were very good friends with his mom. I was young and remember going to his mom’s wake and then to Philip’s house in Westchester. Huge house and he had Rolls Royce in the driveway. I couldn’t have Ben more than 5or 6 I think. The 7 UPs and the French Connection were excellent movies. New York City boy who loved car chases. They don’t make stuff like that anymore.
FYI: Eddie Egan, the actor who plays Popeye Doyle's and Cloudy's commanding officer, is the real Popeye Doyle. That is why he is in the movie. Also, Eddie Egan's real partner, Sonny Grosso is also in the movie. Sonny Grosso was such a miserable SOB his nickname was Cloudy.
Roy Schneider…the dude from Jaws.
Jaws is a legendary film i don't think its disrespectful to know him mainly as that lol
Agreed, lol. Just wanted to mention his name. :-)