Doyle is bad news… but a good cop!

In 1971, director William Friedkin was not happy at all. The French Connection had the potential to become not only his breakthrough but also a great cop movie, but Mr. Friedkin was afraid that the cast would kill it. Gene Hackman had been chosen to play no-nonsense cop “Popeye” Doyle, but few people had heard of him at the time, and his liberal views made it difficult for him to play a police officer who could be labeled a “fascist”. And the guy who had been cast as the French villain turned out to be a Spaniard who spoke no French. Fortunately, Mr. Friedkin would come to realize that these two men were absolutely perfect for their parts.

You’ve rarely seen New York dirtier and colder—the film has a documentary feel to it and the neighborhoods where the filmmakers take their audience are the places where rats are kings. Our main characters roam these streets looking to score victories in a war on drugs, no matter how small they are. The film was based on real-life events where two New York detectives, Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso, fought attempts to smuggle narcotics into the U.S.; this basic premise has been developed into a story where Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle (Hackman) and Buddy Russo (Roy Scheider) track down a French gentleman by the name of Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey) who arrives in New York prepared to make a very lucrative heroin deal with a local crime boss. The question of where Charnier is hiding the drugs becomes a problem for the detectives, and the constant presence of dogged police officers following the Frenchman’s every move becomes increasingly awkward for the people who are trying to close the dirty deal. There are no decent human beings here—the filmmakers show no greater interest in moral limits. Violence is ugly and without honor; even the cops are brutal men who know that a sign of weakness spells the end of one’s career (and life). One of the most famous sequences in the film shows “Popeye” shooting one of the bad guys in the back; there’s no room for playing it nice.

It’s all very raw and realistic, so it should come as no surprise to anyone that the famous car chase (where “Popeye” is hunting the man who eventually gets that bullet in the back) was real—at least that’s what the filmmakers are claiming. It does seem possible that this tightly edited sequence where there is apparent danger to people’s lives and property was shot without proper permission. In any case, it looks spectacular. But there are other, less extravagant sequences that deserve equal mention. The one where Charnier discovers that he’s being pursued by “Popeye” and eventually loses him in the subway in a very simple but clever way is especially memorable. And let’s not forget that ending, with “Popeye” looking to get a final showdown with Charnier—what happens next is frustrating, but yet again… so simple, so clever. Some may argue that the story isn’t all that special, but everything feels genuine, the environs as well as the dialogue, and that’s a crucial thing about this thriller.

Watching Mr. Hackman, this liberal actor, create a human being out of a racist, simplistic predator (you feel like you don’t really want him asking you that question, “Well, did you ever pick your feet in Poughkeepsie?”), is amazing. Mr. Scheider is also good as Doyle’s slightly more rational partner, and Mr. Rey is reliable as the sophisticated foreigner with the fancy suits who poses a grave threat to the well-being of the American youth. The conclusion? I guess we should never trust Mr. Friedkin’s judgment when it comes to choosing actors.

The YouTube clip shows the trailer.

The French Connection 1971-U.S. 105 min. Color. Produced by Philip D’Antoni. Directed by William Friedkin. Screenplay: Ernest Tidyman. Novel: Robin Moore. Cinematography: Owen Roizman. Editing: Jerry Greenberg. Cast: Gene Hackman (Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle), Fernando Rey (Alain Charnier), Roy Scheider (Buddy Russo), Tony LoBianco, Marcel Bozzuffi.

Trivia: James Caan and Steve McQueen were allegedly offered the part of “Popeye”. Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso, the real-life detectives on whom Hackman and Scheider’s characters were based, appear in the film. Followed by French Connection II (1975) and a TV movie, Popeye Doyle (1986).

Oscars: Best Picture, Director, Actor (Hackman), Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing. BAFTA: Best Actor (Hackman), Film Editing. Golden Globes: Best Motion Picture (Drama), Director, Actor (Hackman).

Published 2005-02-19 12:54