Product: French Connection [VHS] (1971)
Rating: 3.0
Well-crafted but flawed
The French Connection is considered groundbreaking because of its hard-boiled and gritty style, virtually unseen in crime dramas at the time, and the elements that compose the film have now probably become something of a cliche. If anything, the film should be noted for being the first to claim that piece of originality. But the film isn't perfect or as great as critics said because it does have its fair share of problems.I'll go with the flaws first. My main complaint is the musical score. It took me a while to figure out that banging sound in the background was supposed to be the score, and boy is it annoying. It really distracts and gave the film a less riveting feel than it probably should have.There's also the strange pacing, which goes from slow to fast at a moment's notice. There are also some confusing camera angles that give the film a semi-documentary feel, which sometimes feels appropriate and at other time inappropriate. The ending is also a little awkward, though my complaint about that is actually minor.It may sound like I'm letting the film have it, but there are a lot of redeeming qualities the film features. Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider are absolutely superb and they create characters more likeable than I thought possible. There's also the famous car chase, with Hackman chasing after an assassin on board an elevated train above the streets of Brooklyn. It's an exhilarating 6 minute setpiece that ranks as one of the top ten best car chases in film history (The tops belong to The Road Warrior, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Ronin).William Friedkin can create riveting tales, and while The French Connection may not be his best work (I'll save that for The Exorcist), there's no denying the occasionally audacious successes the film makes.