The French Connection (1971)

Release date: 1971-10-09
Country: USA
Language: English|French
Director: William Friedkin
Production Co: Philip D'Antoni Productions, Schine-Moore Productions, D'Antoni Productions
Genre: Action, Thriller, Drama, Crime
Rating: 7.7/10
Length: 1h 44min

Storyline

William Friedkin's gritty police drama portrays two tough New York City cops trying to intercept a huge heroin shipment coming from France. An interesting contrast is established between 'Popeye' Doyle, a short-tempered alcoholic bigot who is nevertheless a hard-working and dedicated police officer, and his nemesis Alain Charnier, a suave and urbane gentleman who is nevertheless a criminal and one of the largest drug suppliers of pure heroin to North America. During the surveillance and eventual bust, Friedkin provides one of the most gripping and memorable car chase sequences ever filmed.

Plot Keywords

based on true story, organized crime, car chase, drug smuggling, new york city, smuggling, heroin, mafia boss, crime boss, drug deal, tough guy, police officer killed, police procedural, drug lord, poliziottesco, north american poliziottesco, criminal investigation, united states, pursuit, english subtitles in original

Short Review

Its trigger-fast, explosive scenes and high-tension chase sequences (the one in "Bullitt" pales by comparison) will have you literally gasping for breath.