First off, let me say that this is not a happy film. It is filmed in a gritty, almost depressing way. And its message seems to be that efforts against something like the drug industry are futile even to the point of absurd. Let me also say that I do not really agree with the message of the film. I believe that the war on drugs is worthwhile because drugs are entirely destructive to society and individuals. However, The French Connection does serve as a good correction for many false ways of thinking. We need to know that those who sell and use the drugs are people too, with both good and bad qualities (as such they are not so different from those of us who would stop the flow of drugs: we have both good and bad qualities too). We need to know that certain ways of fighting drugs can be counterproductive. And we need to know what the deadly results of obsession are. People have so often been asleep, unaware of the realities of the street and the true nature of the war on drugs. The French Connection is a jarring film, one meant to wake us up.
This "wake up" tone is very effectively set by the movie's score. The music is so discordant, so strange and un-melodic it very nearly makes you cringe. In fact, the first time I watched the film I had to check during the opening credits to make sure that the sound was even working properly. An alarm clock could not be more abrasive. The music instantly puts you on edge, then continues to drive in the background of the film.
The tone of the film continues to be set by the first scene, which involves a murder in Marseille. The city of Marseille is beautiful and peaceful. It is presented almost as a paradise on earth. Without any dialogue we are introduced to a character who just seems to be going about his day, watching people. Then, as he goes home, he is suddenly and unexpectedly shot and killed by a remorseless gunman. With these deft strokes the movie trains us not to trust our eyes; there is always violence and evil waiting to come to the surface. If such a thing can happen in Marseille, how much more so in New York!
The plot picks up tempo from there. Gene Hackman plays Popeye Doyle, a New York narcotics detective who knows his business. He stumbles upon a ring of drug dealers and smugglers who seem about to bring in a large shipment from somewhere. There is (of course!) a French connection, since the drugs are being smuggled in from Marseille. So the whole of the plot is Popeye trying to discover when and where the buy will take place and trying to intercept it and arrest the whole smuggling ring, especially the Frenchman Popeye affectionately calls "Frog One." The plot moves quickly where it should and purposefully drags where it needs to. Police stakeouts must be mind-numbingly boring, and the movie communicates that to us quite well.
The characters are what sell the movie. They are wonderfully human and realistic. You care for them, feel their passions, and understand their motives. Much of the credit for such wonderful characters goes to the writer, but of course the actors should receive their proper applause. This is one of the best acted movies of its era. As an interesting bit of trivia, a man named Al Copeland loved Hackman's character so much he named his restaurant after him, Popeye's Mighty Good Fried Chicken. The chain still exists today as Popeye's Famous Fried Chicken.
The dialogue is quite memorable. I continue to hear certain lines ring in my head, simply because of the way they are delivered. Even simple lines like, "Gimme a grape drink" resonate simply because Gene Hackman says it. "That car is dirty!" "Alright, Popeye's here!" "I tore everything out of that car except the rocker panels." And of course the immortal "Do you pick your feet in Poughkeepsie?" That's right, pickin' your feet in Poughkeepsie is far and away the best line from The French Connection. I use it myself quite often, but only with those who know what I'm talking about. It's a genius line really, used quite well by Popeye in the interrogation of a suspect. See, Cloudy (the partner, played by Roy Scheider) will ask the questions that make sense -"where'd you get the stuff? Who's been buying? Who do you work for?" All the while Popeye will ask the questions that make no sense -such as "Ever been to Poughkeepsie? You were, weren't you? You sat on the bed, took off your socks, and picked your feet! Didn't you!?" And of course, the suspect is so rattled by the nonsensical line of questioning that he answers the questions that make sense, thus incriminating himself. Memorable. And extremely funny.
The French Connection is a study in contrasts. Marseille in contrasted with New York, as I've already mentioned. Marseille is so beautiful and clean, and New York so filthy and ugly you can't miss the fact that if evil is in Marseille, New York must be 10 times worse. But the contrasts don't stop there.
Frog One is the sophisticated gentleman; he dresses well, is a family man, and is extremely likable. He just happens to be a criminal, smuggling a huge amount of heroin into the city. Contrasted with him is Popeye. Popeye is an incorruptible cop, and thus the good guy. But he is also a rude, racist, alcoholic, crass, rough womanizing bachelor. He may even wreck your car.
By far my favorite contrast takes place over lunch. Popeye and Cloudy are tailing the Frenchmen, who go into a restaurant. Inside it is comfortable and warm. Outside Popeye is freezing in the chill, standing on unforgiving concrete. Inside they are eating roast beef (prime rib? not sure.). Outside Popeye and Cloudy eat cheap pizza. Inside they are drinking wine and fine, gourmet coffee. Outside we see Popeye pour out his cheap corner store coffee because it is so terrible. The "bad guys" wallow in luxury. The "good guys" endure discomfort. All without a word of dialogue. It is a brilliant scene.
In every way New York City is presented in an unromantic way. The French Connection steers far from the heights of the skyscrapers so celebrated in other movies. Instead, we spend our time in the projects, down near the river, and at the seedy, even less reputable places. If the movie had called the city "Sodom" or "Babylon" instead of New York we would have believed it. Here again is another way that The French Connection shines. It has held up a mirror to our culture, and exposed the filth we tolerate in our most celebrated city.
And of course, no review of The French Connection could be complete without mentioning the car chase. Popeye has to commandeer a car to chase a train, elevated on the track above him. The chase is long, without a note of music. It has been called, quite properly, one of the greatest chase sequences in movie history. It has great stunt work, great driving, great filming and editing, and one unplanned wreck that they kept in the film because it looked so good.
The last shot of the film is ambiguous and worth discussion. It leads into discussion of the film's ultimate message -is the war on drugs really effective? Drugs kill people, but trying to stop the flow of drugs also kills people. Is it worth all this? These questions are all worth asking. So what is the bottom line? The movie shows us an accurate picture of a world messed up by sin. We have a desire for "good guys" and "bad guys," but the movie shows us that the bad guys are also human and the good guys are deeply flawed. Like I said, The French Connection is not a happy film, but one well worth seeing. Ultimately, in real life, the world needs a better hero than Popeye Doyle, and a better solution to its pain than the scourge of drugs.
Entertainment: 6/10
Artistic value: 9/10
Technical merit: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
Search Google for "Gimme a grape drink" and "French Connection" an your posting is the sole result that is on point. Shocking. I love that line. The way Hackman says it, the scene of the grape drink machine bubbling away at the kiosk on the subway platform, the grittiness of the scene...all priceless. Glad I am not the only one.
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