The French Connection (1971)

So this is how the 1970s did cop dramas? While The French Connection is not one of my favorite movies, it was better than most Best Picture winners that were boring and dry. I have always found Gene Hackman to be attractive and young, angry Gene Hackman is even better.

The whole cat and mouse subway scene had me on the edge of my seat. Then there was that train chase! Why can't more action movies have a little substance so they stand a better chance at the award ceremonies? Probably what is best about this film is that the bad guy got away. And all of the lower-on-the-totem pole thugs got very minimal sentences. Then you have the narcotics cops that almost had a huge bust but because they screwed up, they were reassigned. That is the way things seem to go in life. There was no happy ending.

We also got to see Brody from the Jaws movies help keep drugs off the streets of NYC. This is one of those films that makes NYC look awful. There is nothing pretty about the NYC portrayed in this film. Perhaps the best part of the movie is when Gene Hackman does that little, "I got you, you SOB" wave to the Frenchman.