THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971), dir. William Friedkin

The most interesting elements in the movie are the chase sequences and the lead character played by then-unknown actor Gene Hackman. But there’s also tight pacing and appropriately dingy-looking shots of 60’s/70’s era New York City, all of which add up to an entertaining cop picture.

Based on actual drug smuggling lore, the plot follows the efforts of police detectives Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle (Hackman) and “Cloudy” Russo (Roy Scheider) to nail some European criminals trying to sneak in high-grade heroin with the help of local gangsters. The film cuts back-and-forth between New York City and Paris, then the perspectives of the cops and their quarry, as the two sides continuously cross paths on their way to a major drug deal.

Friedkin, who won an Oscar for directing this film, and screenwriter Ernest Tidyman spend the first hour letting the tension build to near-unbearable levels before exploding it through a series of well-executed set pieces. But first, viewers get a feel for the Doyle character, a driven policeman with practically no personal life, and the slippery French smuggler played by Alain Charnier, who dines in fancy restaurants despite being aware of the constant police surveillance around him.

“Popeye” and the smuggler appear to be polar opposites, the refined Frenchman versus the loutish, alcoholic racist and xenophobe. At one point, Friedkin, who always seemed to know how to use depth of field effectively, stages a really neat shot illustrating the contrasts between the two characters.

In the foreground, we see “Frog One,” as Doyle comes to call him, enjoying a meal in some opulent setting. Who says crime doesn't pay? Eventually, the camera switches focus to the background, revealing the detective standing in a doorway across the street, looking cold and damp and drinking coffee so bad he tosses it after one sip.

On the plus side, once the movie hits the 70-minute mark, there's a terrific game of cat-and-mouse on a Grand Central subway platform, as well as a car/subway train chase that looks appropriately dangerous. I also credit Hackman and the filmmakers for fashioning one of the more memorable obsessed cops in cinematic history. Doyle is not some frothing-at-the-mouth maniac, but someone capable of blocking out everything in the single-minded pursuit of a goal, which actually makes him seem more normal to me, and therefore scarier.

One truly chilling moment occurs when he commits a serious blunder in the pursuit of a heroin smuggler. His partner is trying to deal with what’s happened, but Doyle just keeps repeating to him, “He’s getting away! He’s getting away!”

Finally, the movie spends a lot of time on routine police work, which by the looks of things can be dull and physically-taxing. There is a feeling these men do a job and not always an enjoyable one, but this type of portrayal gives “The French Connection” an air of authenticity which lingers even after the chase sequences provide the necessary shot of adrenaline.

Overall review: ***1/2