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The French Connection [DVD] [Single Disc Version; Widescreen]

1 disc
Region 1 USA/CA (info)

Released in the same year as Clint Eastwood's DIRTY HARRY (1971), William Friedkin's THE FRENCH CONNECTION marked the beginning of a new era of gritty, urban police dramas. Here, the theme of tough-cop amorality serves a conservative demand for a police-state crackdown on the domestic chaos and subversive youth culture of the Vietnam War period.

The film is based on the true story of two New York City police detectives and their investigation into a French heroin smuggling operation. THE FRENCH CONNECTION is perhaps best known for its infamous, masterfully filmed chase scene (influenced by Peter Yates' BULLITT) in which the lead policeman, Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman), recklessly drives a stolen car through oncoming traffic in pursuit of a sniper escaping by elevated train. The thrill of this crime drama is accentuated by director William Friedkin's early European influences, perhaps best represented by the handheld documentary-style visuals and Friedkin's claims that the Oscar-winning screenplay was frequently disregarded in favor of improvisation. THE FRENCH CONNECTION marked not only a significant change of course for his career, but also a stylistic shift that all of Hollywood would soon follow.
Academy Awards Best Picture 1971
Academy Awards Best Actor 1971 Gene Hackman Oscar-winning actor, THE FRENCH CONNECTION
Academy Awards Best Director 1971 William Friedkin Oscar winning American director, THE FRENCH CONNECTION
Academy Awards Best Film Editing 1971 Jerry Greenberg American Editor
Academy Awards Best Adapted Screenplay 1971 Ernest Tidyman American Novelist
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Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 2226358
Credits

Fernando Rey, Bill Hickman, Marcel Bozzufi, Sonny Grosso, Tony Lo Bianco, Tony LoBianco, Frederic de Pasquale, Gene Hackman, Eugene Alder, Roy Scheider, Roy R. Sheider, Harold Gary, Ann Rebbot
Critic Reviews

"...A best-picture Oscar that really holds up..."
USA Today
"...To watch it now is to appreciate more than ever Gene Hackman's uncompromising talent..."
Entertainment Weekly
"William Friedkin brings a new documentary-style grittiness and moral ambiguity to the crime thriller."
Premiere
"[With] the Greatest Car Chase Ever Filmed."
Total Film
4 stars out of 5 -- "It's one of the most influential and exciting crime movies...[with] a level of grit and realism that is almost impossible to duplicate."
Premiere