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The French Connection

The French Connection

1971
Drama, Suspense/Thriller
1h 44m
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Avg Percentile 66.31% from 3911 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(3911)
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Rated 07 Feb 2008
91
93rd
An excellent cops and robbers tale that pulls no punches and acts in shades of grey rather than clear cut black and white. Hackman provides what might certainly be considered one of his best performances ever. Roy Scheider, whom I'm normally only marginally impressed with, is absolutely fantastic. Featuring one of the most memorable car chases I've ever seen The French Connection is an excellent film that is essential viewing.
Rated 25 Dec 2009
8
82nd
The ending to this one bugged me. They had this great ambiguous ending at first but then did this incredibly stupid text ending where they tell you what happened. Ugh. I mean, they already fictionalized and exaggerated the story so why tell me what actually happened to the guy at the end? This movie was pretty good though. A bit dated but the car chase was epic.
Rated 04 Aug 2008
80
42nd
Honestly didn't lead up to the hype. Whole lotta nothing going on throughout film, which I assumed was just building for climax of film that wasn't that great of a climax. What a letdown. I'd been wanting to see this for a long time after hearing how awesome it was. Not sure what everybody else watched, this certainly wasn't awesome.
Rated 02 Mar 2010
86
84th
A great cop flick that takes its time to build up anticipation, and when you finally think it's almost over, they end up doing it again. A great thriller that will have you at the edge of your seat. The care chase sequence is absolutely brilliant, and everything from the train, the sniper on the roof, and the game of cat and mouse in the train station is wonderful. An extremely entertaining film with Hackman in a marvelous performance.
Rated 25 Nov 2010
90
92nd
We're gonna need a bigger boat. If the movie ended right before the text ending parts IT WOUDLVE BEEN BETTAH
Rated 17 Aug 2014
60
68th
Saw a retrospective 'making of' doco, with an interview with a cop on whose activities this was based, who met Hackman before they made the film. He talked about how the cops didn't think Hackman would be able to play a tough manly cop like him, but Hackman did a great job; the smirking way he talked about it left no doubt he was implying Hackman is an effete artsy type if not actually gay. The doco then showed the scene where Hackman intimidates a guy by suggesting he had gay sex in prison.
Rated 31 May 2018
65
53rd
A whole lot of hilariously inept tailing and roughing up the occasional black dude leads to almost capturing the head of a french drug smuggling ring. I'm not sure i was supposed to laugh as much as i did, or what exactly i should have taken away from it. It's friedkin, so there are worthwhile moments spattered throughout which were probably highly influential on everything that followed. But will i watch this again? Nah, don't think so.
Rated 19 Jun 2009
70
52nd
It very much reminded me of the Bourne Triology. Not so much in plot, but in style. The camera work is done just to give you this spy/voyeuristic feeling. ... Hackman and Scheider make a great duo. And the action is solid. But in the end there is nothing that special about it.
Rated 04 Mar 2007
4
70th
William Friedkin doesn't give a fuck. He'll tear up 70s NYC with an illegal guerrilla car chase just because he can.
Rated 16 Jun 2007
79
70th
Chase scene was perfect. But the rest is almost boring. I craved it to end much sooner..
Rated 12 Jul 2007
95
93rd
Great crime flick. One of the best cinematic car chases ever.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
98th
I watched this again and it's even better than I remembered. This is arguably the police action movie to end all action movies. Stark and grating, its high realism (inspired, says Friedkin, by watching Costa-Gavras' Z) lends credibility to some totally outrageous scenes. Friedkin's directing and Hackman's hard-nosed Doyle are just astounding.
Rated 13 Mar 2008
88
87th
Directed and written with confident precision. The plot progresses intriguingly and doesn't lull for a second. Hackman and Scheider both give outstanding performances, and the action is perfect. This movie marks the absolute peak of car chase sequences in Hollywood. Everything done since has paled in comparison.
Rated 04 Jul 2008
97
99th
The scene where Hackman is standing out in the cold while Charnier is ambiguously mocking him with his hot drink is so simple yet so effective that it screams "noir" to me. Everyone has heard of the car chase from this movie, and you really owe it to yourself to watch this if only for that scene - it really deserves all of the praise that it gets. The vague ending leaves you feeling both defeated and enlightened; weird yet perfect. The text epilogue does diminish the effect, however.
Rated 22 Jul 2008
98
93rd
Perfect thriller. Pitch perfect.
Rated 08 Oct 2008
85
59th
Solid action film. But also a compelling crime drama that makes you think and analyze it at the end? That's more than I thought I had signed on for and I love that. Hackman is wonderful, playing a much more complicated character than you initially think, and the action and tension holds up after all these years.
Rated 01 Mar 2009
0
3rd
I started it: quit 2 minutes in. Tried it again, quit 4 minutes in. Third time I think I made it 8 minutes. But the honest truth is I just don't want to see this.
Rated 17 Feb 2010
95
89th
A noir-ish crime drama brilliantly made, and tied together wonderfully with Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider. And yeah, the car chase is awesome.
Rated 14 Mar 2010
65
66th
Some nice chase scenes. The police story genre is fairly limiting, but still this is one of the better (read: less boring) ones. It keeps moving forward, without wasting time on the standard "police story" atmosphere or useless side plots. Still I'm not sure why this film is so famous. I only watched it because I'd heard its name so many times and honestly I'm not sure what all the fuss was about this flick. Pretty standard stuff here, competently executed, but nothing more.
Rated 30 Oct 2011
80
85th
Although it takes a while to get going, "The French Connection" is a taut, relentlessly suspenseful thrill ride. Friedkin's shoots a wintery, gritty vision of NY as the backdrop to a gripping chase thriller, the famous car-train chase scene being only one of its terrific sequences. Hackman gives a powerful performance as an obsessive, racist cop, Rey is a sly, entertaining villain and Scheider is typically dependable as the sidekick. The ambiguous note at the ending was a pleasant surprise.
Rated 27 Apr 2013
85
87th
Hey France, you better check yourself before bringing your weak criminal bullshit to the USA.
Rated 15 Sep 2013
86
82nd
All the tailing scenes are great, and I'm always on board for a film with Hackman (and Roy Schnieder as a fantastic bonus), but there's an unfortunate lull towards the middle, that at least for me hurt my enjoyment for a while. It's entirely worth sticking through though, because the last forty-five minutes are absolutely amazing.
Rated 23 Jan 2014
30
1st
WTF
Rated 19 Mar 2014
9
91st
The French Connection is one of the best police drama's ever made. William Friedkin's overall direction of this gritty, suspenseful and realistic thriller is stellar. Gene Hackman gives his best performance as one of cinema's most iconic cops Popeye Doyle. And Roy Scheider is decent also. The tailing scenes are brilliantly captured and some of the best I've seen. The car chase alone is essential viewing. And the understated scenes are just as effective as the climatic ones. Superb filmmaking.
Rated 16 Apr 2015
90
80th
Pretty straightforward in concept but the tone and grittiness it holds together is incredible. You won't want to look away.
Rated 27 Dec 2021
85
85th
Watch this and you will realize where Grand Theft Auto got half of their mission ideas from.
Rated 03 Jan 2007
94
93rd
Operação França estreava há 50 anos nos EUA. Fecho aqui três obras-primas no dia. Puro tesão de filme, uma dos mais deslumbrantes trabalhos de edição do cinema, mérito do lendário Jerry Greenberg. Blu-ray Fox.
Rated 22 Feb 2007
75
89th
Greatest chase scene ever.
Rated 01 Mar 2007
85
74th
There's this one shot in the chase sequence where this old woman with a beehive hairdo asks her friend "Is that Gene Hackman?". Awesome.
Rated 01 Mar 2007
85
89th
Exhilarating pitch perfect thriller.
Rated 18 Mar 2007
75
50th
The French Connection must have been great in the 70s, but when you stack it up to movies like it today, it doesn't quite hold up. It's not bad in any way, it's just surprising how this could have won so many awards and be held as an all-time classic.
Rated 22 Mar 2007
100
95th
Anybody want a milkshake?
Rated 14 Aug 2007
4
13th
Hackman and Scheider chew the scenery in this highly unsatisfying but, apparently, much admired film. New York never looked worse. There's also a car chase in their somewhere.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
72
27th
The chase scene is overrated compared to "To Live and Die In LA"
Rated 14 Aug 2007
60
62nd
Score based on distant memory of a film that seemed generally well-made but not terribly involving or interesting.
Rated 29 Aug 2007
78
55th
AAAAAA CLASSIC POPEYE DOYLE!
Rated 01 Sep 2007
80
84th
A gritty, slice of policethriller based on true stories. It's still a riveting film after all these years.
Rated 15 Sep 2007
70
63rd
Well made cop thriller has a strong lead, but I wasn't all that impressed.
Rated 08 Oct 2007
79
76th
really fantastic movie at times but it drags at certain points
Rated 09 Nov 2007
82
76th
Still as strong as ever! For a thriller to be as good for 36 years takes a lot.
Rated 15 Jan 2008
91
84th
Great movie, much much better than I expected.
Rated 19 Jan 2008
85
94th
Classic cop thriller featuring a suspenseful mood and, of course, that infamous chase scene. Popeye Doyle is a memorable character.
Rated 02 Mar 2008
68
48th
# 647
Rated 05 Apr 2008
90
98th
Classic action film
Rated 15 Jun 2008
100
90th
HACKMAN!!!!
Rated 12 Jul 2008
82
82nd
Have you been picking your feet?
Rated 05 Aug 2008
7
80th
Rather dated and Hackman's character is too much of a racist prick to care about. There are still and plenty of great moments and Rey is always a joy to watch.
Rated 15 Sep 2008
60
39th
Some things work excellently - most notably the "economical", cinèma vèritè-like shape of the whole deal, the distinct use of blood and the glum and hazy ending - reflecting the cruel grittiness of modern, urban crime life... But as a whole it seems too straight-forward, too uninterested in the things lurking beneath the surface. Raw but never disturbing, enjoyable but never intriguing.
Rated 16 Sep 2008
90
99th
Elsker den..
Rated 25 Sep 2008
75
72nd
Famous for it car chase sequence under a new york train line, but heaps to recommend here
Rated 13 Oct 2008
12
7th
Crap.
Rated 25 Oct 2008
75
57th
A nice, gritty feel. But the cartoonish extravagance of the Popeye character--and the implausibilities of the whole thing ("Police emergency! I need to use your car!")--got to be a mite annoying after a while.
Rated 09 Nov 2008
75
58th
Pretty good but typically long for a seventies movie
Rated 11 Dec 2008
85
80th
I really wish Crime Dramas were like this now-a-days
Rated 19 Dec 2008
66
32nd
677
Rated 21 Dec 2008
85
86th
Strong thriller with plenty of tension, great action sequences, and one of the greatest car chases ever filmed.
Rated 14 Mar 2009
70
76th
Good Movie
Rated 30 Mar 2009
95
93rd
really gripping crime thriller..........don't miss this one!
Rated 06 Apr 2009
100
97th
The action movie to begin all action movies. I love the gritty camera work and all the cussin'! Now you know why I cuss so fuckin' much. Probably this movie. It's so beautiful. Car chase heaven! Give me a moment with it in the back room.
Rated 10 Apr 2009
100
93rd
Lively semi-documentary based on the true exploits of a tough cop named Eddie Egan who liked to break a few rules. Most memorable for a car chase scene involving an elevated railway, for showing the seamy side of New York more or less as it is.
Rated 12 Apr 2009
100
96th
perfeito.
Rated 17 Jun 2009
40
25th
Starts the trend of making the heroes out of racist, power abusing cops.
Rated 16 Jul 2009
83
91st
Awesome!
Rated 31 Jul 2009
85
90th
One of the great films of the 1970's or of any decade in fact. "The French Connection" is the blueprint for any thriller of any real quality. Brilliantly performed, full of excitement and style, even at nearly 40 years old this movie still looks and feels great. So many modern box office hits owe so much to this films style, ideas, and execution.
Rated 14 Sep 2009
87
83rd
I never used to like Gene Hackman all that much, but between this and The Conversation I have to hold the man in much higher regard.
Rated 22 Oct 2009
70
44th
Hackman is God.
Rated 26 Oct 2009
3
74th
A pretty cool, old-school flick. The car chase is, of course, epic, yet it lacks almost everything that one would expect in a more "modern" car chase. And, yes, it kicks the collective asses of most "modern" car chases. But what's best about the film is it knows when to effectively use silence to move the story along.
Rated 21 Nov 2009
72
76th
Very good police procedural as well as one of the great car chase sequences
Rated 05 Dec 2009
76
82nd
One of the most epic "car-chase movies" ever.
Rated 21 Dec 2009
81
48th
Doesn't look that unusual anymore, for we have become accustomed to disagreeable heroes in a harsh world. Still, it is gritty, realistic, with a good performance from Hackman. The film is essentially heartless, however, and leaves you little reason to care about anybody. Like a Brian De Palma film without the elegance.
Rated 15 Jan 2010
65
30th
691
Rated 25 Jan 2010
84
77th
The character of Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle is truly classic in the crima genre. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie (and it's sequel to some extent). I watched it because I couldn't believe I hadn't watched it yet, and I was more than pleasantly suprised when it not only held my interest, but entertained me from beginning to end.
Rated 08 Feb 2010
73
44th
A slow moving thriller with very little dialog, and the action in it isn't actually that good. So I guess I'll call it a failure in the action and the thriller genres--too bad considering so many people like it.
Rated 09 Feb 2010
60
54th
watched: 2010, 2023
Rated 20 Mar 2010
92
94th
Great chase scene - done without NYC permit
Rated 28 Mar 2010
83
73rd
Friedkin's cop drama is terse, gritty, effective and oddly thin in conception and construction. What undoubtedly looked revolutionary in its procedural attentiveness in 1971 seems more like something that could be programmed regularly on any night of the week on CBS, which is more of testimony to the film's enduring influence than its lack of creativity. Still, it can be hard to see the film through the murky reflection of all its countless descendants.
Rated 29 Apr 2010
8
80th
Thriller with genuine suspense and some of the best chase scenes. Not just one of the best car chases but the subway scene was among my favorite scenes in a movie where good scenes were very common.
Rated 02 May 2010
88
82nd
The car chase is one for the history books, together with the rest of the movie. It's almost 40 years old, so you must imagine what it means for all the 'cop movies' there are. So many great scene's, and so exciting. The movie builds on a great suspense from start to end.
Rated 14 May 2010
81
55th
Classic thriller in every way. Hackman and Schneider are brilliant and the film's sparse plotline captures Doyle's obsessive nature brilliantly. "You pick your feet?"
Rated 24 May 2010
85
93rd
Blisteringly-paced crime thriller. Hackman creates one of the more memorable characters in recent memory, and the car chase is right up there with the best. Gripping.
Rated 02 Jun 2010
80
69th
Classic buddy cop movie with many great scenes. This might be the only movie to exist where Gene Hackman delivers the best acting performance.
Rated 06 Jul 2010
90
84th
Set the bar for every action movie ever, but its imitators could never match the unrelenting tension and grime of this stone cold classic.
Rated 25 Jul 2010
95
88th
An amazing film
Rated 24 Sep 2010
89
97th
Gene Hackman in the 1970's equals awesome. Great cop movie, great thriller.
Rated 25 Sep 2010
85
84th
The very definition of a gritty crime film, this movie is pretty dry and no-frills but it still has a very compelling crime story.
Rated 31 Dec 2010
92
94th
A raw, real, flat-paced crime thriller with an underrated chemistry between the characters, especially those of Hackman and Scheider. Is this the grittiest Best Picture winner?
Rated 01 Jan 2011
100
89th
There is only one problem with the excitement generated by this film. After it is over, you will walk out of the theater and, as I did, curse the tedium of your own life. I kept looking for someone who I could throw up against a wall.
Rated 13 Jan 2011
91
94th
90.500
Rated 27 Feb 2011
82
80th
Have people mentioned whether this film is "gritty" yet? I gathered some sand from the beach and rubbed it into some pizza, I was simultaneously entertained and tasting the grit while watching this film of equally wonderful qualities...
Rated 05 Mar 2011
85
84th
Triumphantly grungy, and that's a sincere compliment.
Rated 27 Apr 2011
92
97th
More than a classic action movie, it's a nervous meditation on urban decay -- especially through the first hour --, with everything that the New Hollywood could offer: a fresh pace, coming from a young director, realistic shooting and a bitter, disturbing finale.
Rated 06 May 2011
79
60th
Epic car chase...
Rated 11 May 2011
82
88th
One of the great gritty seventies thrillers.
Rated 12 May 2011
75
49th
How in God's name did this wreck win the Oscar over Clockwork Orange? The plot is full of holes, it's incredibly dated even for it's time and the policework is so unrealistic and unbelievable it destroys any sense of immersion. (eg. A trigger-happy cop kills a FEDERAL AGENT, and we're supposed to believe that he suffers no consequence for his actions?) If I wasn't for that car chase and my hopelessly strong school-girl-like crush on NYC, I would've given this the horrible rating it deserves.
Rated 17 May 2011
98
96th
Realistic, fast-paced and uncommonly smart, The French Connection is bolstered by stellar performances by Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider, not to mention William Friedkin's thrilling production.
Rated 11 Jul 2011
80
68th
What a bizarre, dark ending. This film seemed to borrow a bit from Le Samurai in two categories. Chase sequences, and trench-coat selection. The subway stuff, the light rail stuff, and the car chase stuff were all really different. Innovative, even. Chase scenes - especially car chase scenes - are oftentimes great opportunities for bathroom breaks. Here it was actually stressful, since it felt like an real human driving on an actual road. It's actually the most memorable scene in the film.
Rated 20 Aug 2011
70
62nd
For me this just wasn't better than just a good movie. The subway chase is a great scene but I have seen far better car chases in other movies.
Rated 25 Sep 2011
87
77th
It is indeed excellent.
Rated 16 Oct 2011
40
97th
"Four decades after its initial release, William Friedkin's Oscar-sweeper The French Connection remains an electrifying achievement." - Budd Wilkins
Rated 02 Nov 2011
70
69th
"The French Connection" is an entertaining genre movie. The train sequence stands out as an excellent, engrossing piece of film-making and the finale offers a succinct, surprisingly darker overtone. Elsewhere, genre cliches are present and a couple of comic reliefs seem out-of-place, nevertheless William Friedkin keeps proceedings interesting enough throughout.

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