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Features: DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 2.35:1, English, French, Spanish, Subtitled
Editor's Note
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.
| Features | Source: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment |
| Entertainment Reviews
 | The French Connection - Blu-Ray DVD Review By: Josh Lasser - Blogcritics.org Reviews Published on: 2/19/2009 2:55 PM | | It is often said when discussion a work of art "they don't make them like that anymore." In the case of William Friedkin's classic, The French Connection, it's actually true. The film, based on a true story, stars Gene Hackman as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle. The film is a series of chases and reversals as Doyle and his partner, Buddy Russo (Roy Scheider) try and track down a massive drug shipment and is now available as a two-disc Blu-ray release....read the full review |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
|  | Studio: Foxvideo |
| Release Date: 2/24/2009 |
| Running Time: 104 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1971 | | Catalog ID: 2252989 | | UPC: 00024543529897 | | Number of Discs: 2 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English, French Dubbed, Spanish Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: English, French, Spanish | | Video: Color |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Academy Awards (1971) |  | Winner, Best Picture | | Gene Hackman, Winner, Best Actor | | Philip D'Antoni, Winner, Best Picture | | William Friedkin, Winner, Best Director | | Jerry Greenberg, Winner, Best Film Editing | | Ernest Tidyman, Winner, Best Adapted Screenplay |
| Memorable Quotes| "Ever pick your feet in Poughkeepsie?"----Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman), spoken to various characters |
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| | Professional Reviews | USA Today
"...A best-picture Oscar that really holds up..." 09/28/2001 p.5EEntertainment Weekly
"...To watch it now is to appreciate more than ever Gene Hackman's uncompromising talent..." 09/28/2001 p.56 Premiere
"William Friedkin brings a new documentary-style grittiness and moral ambiguity to the crime thriller." 12/01/2003 p.11 Total Film
"[With] the Greatest Car Chase Ever Filmed." 04/01/2004 p.136 Premiere
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." 02/23/2009 |
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