Winner of 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture, The French Connection is a volatile blend of kinetic direction, restless screenplay & energetic performances that's also notable for featuring some spectacularly shot scenes of pursuit in its retelling of the true account of cops, narcotics & international conspiracy.
Set in New York City, the story follows two narcotics detectives who stumble onto a drug smuggling job and upon further investigation find out about a shipment of heroin coming from France. As they try to intercept the operation, a cat n mouse situation develops between one of the detectives & the suave French drug dealer.
Directed by William Friedkin (best known for The Exorcist), the contrast between our short-tempered detective & the urbane French drug kingpin is established in the opening minutes after which Friedkin works to bring them within the same frame while branching out other details & characters to create a realistic setting.
The film aptly captures the frustrations, failures & long, tiresome waiting involved when working on any case when out in the field. The chase segments start quietly but it doesn't take long for them to become tense & nail-biting, plus there is one particular sequence that easily stands out for its gritty realism & thrilling quality.
The premise is interesting but it takes a while to warm up to it. The images exhibit a raw, dusty look that adds to its ruggedness. The background score is all over the place. Dialogue isn't its strongest suit. And the characters aren't intriguing enough either. Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider & Fernando Rey deliver terrific performances but it's nothing memorable.
On an overall scale, The French Connection is a skilfully crafted, finely narrated & strongly acted crime thriller but more than its drama or characterisation, it's the expert execution of the stunts & scenes of pursuit that leave a lasting impression. The film is always on the move, and manages to conclude on a satisfying note but considering its legacy (unless it's all about that car chase scene), I expected more.
Set in New York City, the story follows two narcotics detectives who stumble onto a drug smuggling job and upon further investigation find out about a shipment of heroin coming from France. As they try to intercept the operation, a cat n mouse situation develops between one of the detectives & the suave French drug dealer.
Directed by William Friedkin (best known for The Exorcist), the contrast between our short-tempered detective & the urbane French drug kingpin is established in the opening minutes after which Friedkin works to bring them within the same frame while branching out other details & characters to create a realistic setting.
The film aptly captures the frustrations, failures & long, tiresome waiting involved when working on any case when out in the field. The chase segments start quietly but it doesn't take long for them to become tense & nail-biting, plus there is one particular sequence that easily stands out for its gritty realism & thrilling quality.
The premise is interesting but it takes a while to warm up to it. The images exhibit a raw, dusty look that adds to its ruggedness. The background score is all over the place. Dialogue isn't its strongest suit. And the characters aren't intriguing enough either. Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider & Fernando Rey deliver terrific performances but it's nothing memorable.
On an overall scale, The French Connection is a skilfully crafted, finely narrated & strongly acted crime thriller but more than its drama or characterisation, it's the expert execution of the stunts & scenes of pursuit that leave a lasting impression. The film is always on the move, and manages to conclude on a satisfying note but considering its legacy (unless it's all about that car chase scene), I expected more.