Product: The French Connection I & II (1975)
Rating: 4.0
How 2 directors differently handled the same series...
This package includes both The French Connection and its sequel, and movies don't get any better than this. Here, you get to see two great directors handle the character of Popeye Doyle and the cinematic presentation of the film(s) in two completely different ways.Friedkin created more of an off-beat cop thriller that made people think. Instead of the shoot-em-up approach that the second one made, the original takes a more logical step to the action. Some of the action isn't even shooting; it's mainly verbal. Friedkin's setting for the movie is dark, gritty, and perfect for the movie. There are no lush sets; only the cold and pain of the city, which creates an unbeatable realistic tone for the whole film. The movie grabbed 5 oscars, most notably best actor for Gene Hackman. His performance is legendary, testing the difference between cop and crook and how much it takes to cross the line. His partner, acted out by Roy Scheider, is great, too. He plays more of the cautionary cop, holding back Doyle when he's about to explode.The sequel, I thought, is even better. Gene Hackman's performance is stepped up considerably, and Marseille is just as good as a setting as New York was in the original. The set pieces fit in perfectly, creating many memorable scenes. In one scene, Doyle is randomly pooring gasoline all over an urban apartment building, yelling "The exterminator is here!" He soon sets it on fire, killing two of his many enemies. Other great scenes consist of Doyle relentlessly trying to make commuication wih the french and him trying to get hooked off of heroin. The action is this movie is a lot less subtle than the first; director Frankenheimer creates grisly shootouts in shipyards and heroin processing plants, all of which add as much to the film as the chase did in the first.Make no mistake, both of these films are winners. Buy this as watch how two greatly talented directors handled a great character and series.French Connection: 1971; 104 minutes; Rated R for strong language and a few scenes of violence.French Connection 2: 1975; 119 minutes; Rated R for strong language, a few scenes of violence, and drug use.