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IMDb > The French Connection (1971)
The French Connection
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The French Connection (1971)

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User Rating: 7.9/10 (24,923 votes)
Photos (see all 35 | slideshow) Videos
IMDb Coverage of Comic-Con 2008

Overview

Director:
William Friedkin
Writers:
Ernest Tidyman (screenplay)
Robin Moore (book)
more
Release Date:
9 October 1971 (USA) more view trailer
Genre:
Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller more
Tagline:
The time is just right for an out and out thriller like this. more
Plot:
A pair of NYC cops in the Narcotics Bureau stumble onto a drug smuggling job with a French connection. full summary | full synopsis (warning! may contain spoilers)
Awards:
Won 5 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 8 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(5 articles)
Hackman Snubs Films For Books (From WENN. 6 May 2008, 12:18 AM, PDT)
France Honors Director Friedkin (From Studio Briefing. 8 August 2007)
User Comments:
The first of many to come! more

Cast

 (Cast overview, first billed only)

Gene Hackman ... Jimmy Doyle
Fernando Rey ... Alain Charnier

Roy Scheider ... Det. Buddy Russo

Tony Lo Bianco ... Sal Boca
Marcel Bozzuffi ... Pierre Nicoli
Frédéric de Pasquale ... Devereaux (as Frederic De Pasquale)
Bill Hickman ... Mulderig
Ann Rebbot ... Marie Charnier
Harold Gary ... Weinstock
Arlene Farber ... Angie Boca
Eddie Egan ... Simonson
André Ernotte ... La Valle (as Andre Ernotte)
Sonny Grosso ... Klein
Benny Marino ... Lou Boca
Patrick McDermott ... Chemist (as Pat McDermott)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
104 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | French
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Brazil:14 | Philippines:R-18 | South Korea:18 | Canada:18A (video rating) | Iceland:16 | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (special edition) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (special edition) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Ireland:18 | Norway:16 (1972) | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | West Germany:16 (bw) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) (original rating)
MOVIEmeter: ?
V 3% since last week why?

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The principal car chase scene was widely considered to be the best ever put on film at the time, overtaking Bullitt (1968) for that honor. 'William Friedkin' later attempted to outdo himself with a chase sequence in To Live and Die in L.A. (1985). more
Goofs:
Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Popeye is entering the building with the sniper on the roof, the same audio of people talking can be heard twice in a row. "Oh yeah, there must be a sniper on the roof"....."There is one." more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle: Merry Christmas. What's your name, little boy?
Little Boy: Eric.
Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle: Uh-huh, Eric. What do you want for Christmas Eric? Hmmm?
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
Everybody gets to go to the moon more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
19 out of 20 people found the following comment useful:-
The first of many to come!, 6 December 2005
10/10
Author: Percevalx from United States

In most movies, the good guys are portrayed as models for others, examples for a better life. The bad guys, on the other hand, are usually dirty rat scums. What a refreshing surprise to see that The French Connection has the roles loosely interchanged. Set against the backdrop of bleak New York City streets, ill-tempered narcotics detective 'Popeye' Doyle and his partner 'Cloudy' Russo intercept a drug shipment coming in from France led by urbane master criminal Alan Charnier. The two cops, however, have a hard time capturing the drug lord as he outwits them throughout the city. Popeye and Charnier make an interesting contrast. Popeye is portrayed as an obsessive, racist drunk while Charnier is the mellow, European sophisticate. This is, of course, an action thriller and the sequences are gritty, tense, and heart-pounding. It features one of the best car chase scenes ever filmed. What makes it so effective is the fact that it was shot in real-time, heavy traffic and we vicariously experience moment-by-moment. The acting is strong and believable. Gene Hackman's portrayal is exact and deservedly won the Best Actor Oscar. William Friedkin did a superior job in giving us a diverting and realistic look of cop life and the raw work they undergo to clear the streets of illicit activity. Great action thriller!

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Message Boards

Discuss this title with other users on IMDb message board for The French Connection (1971)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
DVD menu music stevpj
Rate French Connection 10 tblock-1
So why DID they leave the car down by the waterfront? alexlarge
How come nothing blowed up in this movie? old_tv_guy
Disappointing ending? bnkholen
Did Charnier a.k.a. Frog One ACTUALLY escape? j-cameron22
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