Movielogr
The French Connection (1971)
Directed by William Friedkin
Twitter Facebook Google+Most recently watched by sleestakk, schofizzy, ashe5k, mrpotocnik
Overview
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.
Rated R | Length 104 minutes
Actors
Gene Hackman | Fernando Rey | Roy Scheider | Tony Lo Bianco | Marcel Bozzuffi | Frédéric de Pasquale | Bill Hickman | Ann Rebbot | Harold Gary | Arlene Farber | Eddie Egan | André Ernotte | Sonny Grosso | Benny Marino | Patrick McDermott | Alan Weeks | Al Fann | Irving Abrahams | Randy Jurgensen | William Coke | Charles McGregor
Viewing History (seen 2 times)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01/21/2018 | Home Theater | Blu-ray | Owned | 9 stars |
| 06/19/2012 | TV | DVD | Library | 9.5 stars |
| (Average) 9.25 stars |
Viewing Notes
I’ve been wanting to revisit Friedkin’s The French Connection for some time now, as it’d been years since I’d seen it. I’m happy to say it’s just as brilliant now as it was then. The tracking shots on the streets, the night cinematography, the near perfect editing, and the excellent, moderated use of music to underscore, add tension to, or emphasize a scene are all brilliant.
I especially liked the use of music (sometimes so brassy and bold and dirty it feels like a living breathing part of New York City) in some scenes, while others are left completely without any score, allowing the sound of the action to take over. The difference between the two is striking and the use of both in the same film to such an effective degree is masterful.
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