The French Connection

It's a fact that even after 47 years, Hackman's elevated train chase still has huge balls. Friedkin always had the directing down pat, and along with The Exorcist and Sorcerer, The French Connection is a distinct creative imprint of the 70s. I was ultimately deterred from giving it the full rating by the overly intricate plot in the first half. The second half, on the other hand, is much more straightforward, more action-packed, and everything gradually makes perfect sense. Unfortunately, I never did completely shake the slightly confused impression from the first half. (11/25/2018)

As one of the cornerstones of classic crime films, this movie is a perfect example of directorial mastery, capable of delivering a unique cinematic experience even several decades later. With a simple and schematic plot, it relies on all the fundamental clichés that the crime genre offers. William Friedkin directs at a fast pace and creates his strongest moments out of utter banalities, such as a simple jog on the sidewalk while following a suspicious person. For the more demanding audience, he later features a fantastic car chase with extraordinary stunts. The pair of detectives, played by Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider, complement each other perfectly not only in character but also in acting. The French Connection perfectly fulfills the notion that in simplicity often lies the greatest beauty. (09/28/2005)

A quite solid crime drama, skillfully directed, well-acted, and well-told. The fact that William Friedkin often used a handheld camera is certainly good, and the action scenes are much more authentic and faster thanks of it. Perhaps the runtime could have been a bit longer, as the ending felt very abrupt and unfinished to me. In contrast, some scenes seem somewhat unnecessary in the script and, with a gap of over thirty years, the film has also lost some of its attractiveness and directorial prowess. However, its quality cannot be denied, and Friedkin has already proven here that he truly knows what he's doing, as he would demonstrate several more times in the following years. (08/10/2005)

Here the rules of the genre were rewritten. Friedkin films action much more dynamically than was generally the rule in the 70s. The legendary “Popeye" Gene Hackman is precisely the type of stubborn cop who lives for his job and pursues his target like a bulldog. The ingenious chase on the subway is one of the best ever made, but the raw finale with the subtitles was literally murder. (02/16/2013)

This film is really well-edited, it has excellent pacing, great actors, but in order for me to rate it at maximum, I would also have to be entertained by the story. And honestly, the story didn't interest me that much. Not that it was completely boring, but I guess I was expecting more. However, William Friedkin made a truly excellent film with what he had. (08/11/2015)