A cliche-buster that influenced every cop movie that followed, The French Connection isn’t just a classic because of its famous car chase (though it is that too), but because it changed the way Hollywood presented law enforcement on film. It gave the public a taste of the real thing – the worn heels and tires on street-level surveillance, the claustrophobic stake-outs and the tense conversations that could turn into bloodbaths at any moment.
The grit was created in large part by director William Friedkin’s peerless technique, which calibrates important action to the point of visceral impact. He used shadowing and smudged lensing to imbue the city streets with the kind of street-level grittiness that was a hallmark of other fact-based thrillers like Gillo Pontocorvo’s The Battle of Algiers and Costa-Gavras’ Z. Friedkin also heightened the tension between Popeye Doyle and his nemesis, allowing us to see how easily they could turn on each other during their tense street-level shakedowns.
Adding to the realism of the film was its screenplay by Ernest Tidyman, which adapted the true story of one of America’s most significant heroin busts. While it didn’t quite reach the f-word saturation of predecessors such as BULLITT and MADIGAN, its intense level of sleaze made it unlike anything else on the big screen at the time. The film was so successful that it spawned a sequel – this one directed by John Frankenheimer, and starring Gene Hackman and Fernando Rey.
While the plot is a little The french connection hello slow by today’s standards, the acting and cinematography make it worthwhile. The French Connection is a classic that stands up well to repeated viewings.
As a bonus to this release, the CD also contains Ellis’s complete underscore for the 1975 sequel, The French Connection II, in which Popeye Doyle journeys to Marseilles to take down a drug ring. Both scores are excellent examples of ’70s cop scoring, a style that compares solidly with Jerry Goldsmith’s crime-drama works.
Amanda Holden was seen out and about wearing this yellow mini skirt from French Connection. The British actress and presenter looked stylish in the ribbed knit skirt, which features a flattering A-line silhouette, seam detailing and a button down front. The skirt is available to buy online now for PS70 and can be paired with other items from the French Connection range. We love the look of this skirt with a black cropped top and strappy sandals for a smart-casual look that’s sure to impress! Check out the video below for more inspiration.
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