The French Connection (1971)

This is one of the best thrillers ever made in my opinion.One I can watch time and time again.Gritty,realistic and superb acting from all of the cast.It has you on the edge of your seat right up to the last shot.Highly recommended.

The music tries to suggest that watching people watching other people or sometimes walking or driving behind them is exciting. It's not. For most of this movie, it's boring and unintelligible, given the New York drawl of the characters.

Couldn't get into this one! Watched for about the first 20 minuets.

I saw this when it first came out. I still like it! Very good movie, plenty of action

This is the best film I have seen in a long while. It is from the era of 'Panic In Needle Park', both set in gritty, druggy, dirty, 70's, run down, broke New York. It is just the best - it is real - shot on film, inside speeding cars - wait until you see the chase scene under th L-Train - I was covering my face and screaming. It is pre CGI film making that is real and raw. If you can get past the racist treatment of black people - think 'Serpico' and how the NYPD (still?)carried on in that film - stay with it. You won't be dissapointed. Nice footage of 1970's Marseialle too.

One of the best - gritty, tough & intense - Director William Friedkin's powerhouse 1971 film adapted from the Ernest Tidyman book about trans-Atlantic drug smuggling between Marseilles and New York bristles with vigorous energy. Gene Hackman scored his first Oscar statue for the knock out performance as obsessive detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle, and up and coming actor Roy Scheider is very impressive as his partner, Buddy Russo. One night, the two cops accidently stumble across a couple (Tony Lo Bianco & Arlene Farber) who seem to be living way beyond their means with a lavish nightlife and prestige cars. So begins a surveillance game between the cops and the criminals, as Popeye and Buddy uncover a serpentine network of drug dealers setting up for a major import operation of high grade heroin. Real life cops Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso whose exploits nailing drug operations inspired the book and film feature in small roles in the movie, and mention must of course be made of the French Connections now legendary car chase, orchestrated by stunt driving masters Bill Hickman & Carey Loftin, with Popeye pursing an elevated train carrying an armed assassin. French Connection fans are encouraged to seek out the less powerful, but still entertaining sequel "The French Connection 2", and see Roy Scheider in the NYC crime flick "The Seven Ups". And remember to ask.... "Do you pickle your feet in Poughkeepise ?"

A good film with both a good cast and plot. Maybe a bit dated now but Gene Hackman is seldom anything other than brilliant.

Not what I was expecting and a bit slow although the acting was excellent.

Still a great classic in the style of the 70's big city crime movies. Hackman is born to this sort of role and plays Popeye Doyle just as you believe detectives had to be dealing with the low-life in a crime-ridden city.

I could not stand the violence myself and only watched the first 5 minutes.

Great chase scenes. Good guys don't always win.

Just a great movie.