Product: French Connection [VHS] (1971)
Rating: 4.0
Realism is better! (good DVD features)
There is a current idea in Hollywood that can be stated by the axiom, "never let realism get in the way of the story." (especially in the age of CGI) The French Connection is an emphatic rebuke to this idiom. The film is engrossing, taut, and suspenseful simply because it is realistic. Director Friedkin (who deservedly won an Oscar) adds to the realism by using ambient lighting and framing the action like a documentary (apparently he rehearsed the actors separately from the crew, then told to crew to "find the shot"). The main credit for the realism, however, lies with Scheider and the Oscar-winning Hackman in the lead roles. They accompanied real cops to real drug busts for a few weeks to pick up the lingo and techniques. Friedkin also deserves credit for allowing the actors to improvise and for listening to his expert advisors.The story is based on a true story, about a heroin-smuggling ring bringing drugs from Europe to New York. The policemen protrayed by Hackman and Scheider are real people who initiated the investigation. Of course, the movie compresses 2 years of surveillance and police work into a of couple hours, and the celebrated car-chasing-train scene didn't take place in real life. However, each individual scene rings true, and you get a good overall impression of what life was like in the mean streets of New York in 1971.This DVD has a number of extra features, including some character-developing scenes that were cut from the final version (and rightfully so). Friedkin gives a little info on each one. In addition, there are two documentaries, both commenting on how the film was made and how it related to the real case. There is some overlap (especially if you also include Freidkin's audio commentary), but not enough that you get irritated by it. Scheider and Hackman both have about 1/2 hour worth of commentary as well - Scheider's is the best of the three commentaries, in my opinion.Therefore, pick up this version of the DVD to get some neat extras. The video and sound weren't especially cleaned up for the DVD version - the filming was originally meant to be a little shakey and unclear in places - so the DVD maintains his original vision.