“All right, Popeye’s here! Get your hands on your heads, get off the bar, and get on the wall!”
The gritty police movie is familiar now; but when The French Connection came out in 1971, this was a pretty novel concept. Directed by William Friedkin (The Exorcist, Rules of Engagement) and starring Roy Scheider and a young Gene Hackman, this is a police movie more real than even most today. It’s actually based on real-life events and characters. Scheider and Hackman went on patrol with the real-life policemen who inspired the movie, learning the ins and outs of the real work they did. The NYPD was also involved in the movie, making script edits and even working with the film crew to help capture a car chase without getting the proper permits from the city. This is not the typical Hollywood police good guys versus evil criminals, where good ultimately triumphs in the end. Truth be told, I was a little shocked with the ending, although it fit the movie perfectly. All in all, this is a well-written police thriller with plenty of realism and bite.
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