THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971) - MOVIE REACTION - First Time Watching

Comments · 604

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  @goldean5974 · 3 months ago

  It was very loosely inspired by a true story that occurred earlier around 1962. Eddie “Popeye” Egan and Sonny “Cloudy” Grosso were the real NYPD detectives who worked the case (they both appear in cameos halfway through the film). The “Charnier” character was based on a real drug smuggler named Jean Jehan, and he indeed was never brought to justice. The cat-and-mouse chase between Hackman and Fernando Rey on the subway really did happen almost exactly the way it was filmed. The drugs were really hidden in the rocker panels of the car they brought to New York, and the actual police car mechanic who tore the car apart, Irv Abrams, plays himself in the movie! I’m so glad you finally got around to seeing this movie because it’s true cinema vérité, shot in gritty documentary style. By the way, Egan/Doyle was nicknamed “Popeye” because he liked to go “popeyeing” at the ladies at clubs. French Connection II also stars Hackman and Rey but it’s not as good as the original. Still probably worth watching if only to see if Doyle catches Charnier.

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• MR

  @MrNoonanpa09 · 3 months ago

  “To Live and Die in L.A.” (1985) is a GREAT cop film and has the same director. I highly recommend it

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• SH

  @shainewhite2781 · 3 months ago

  Winner of 5 Oscars including Best Picture, making it the first action thriller film to win in all categories.

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• JO

  @johnsilva9139 · 3 months ago

  Gene Hackman was 41 when this was filmed. He was in the Marines as a young man and you can tell he still had the basic training moves and instincts as he hurdles fences and dives for cover.

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• SC

  @schroedingers_kotze · 3 months ago

  The definition of a 70s classic

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• BR

  @brettfromla4055 · 3 months ago

  William Friedkin went on a raid on a bar with Eddie Egan, as research for the movie. After they entered the bar, Egan surprised Friedkin by shoving a revolver into his hand, and told him to “Cover the back.”

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• RO

  @roadrunner3100 · 3 months ago

  Roy Scheider’s character is called Cloudy because he’s grouchy a lot. So instead of having a sunny disposition he had a cloudy one. Also, another excellent gritty NYC film is Midnight Cowboy. Great performances by Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight.

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• RI

  @richarddefortuna2252 · 3 months ago (edited)

  This was absolutely a true story, only slightly condensed/modified/embellished (the car/train chase didn't happen, for example).  The criminals' names were changed for the film, for whatever reason.  There's a book published under the same title that details the day to day of the investigation and outcome.  Otherwise, the real "Popeye" played Chief Detective Simonson, and the real "Cloudy" played Klein.

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• WI

  @williamburnham3659 · 3 months ago

  The character Simonson , the chief officer at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUntI6PRDJ4&amp;t=897">14:57</a> is played by Eddie Egan , who was the real officer The “Popeye” Doyle was based on 😊😊😊

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• BR

  @bradsullivan2495 · 3 months ago

  Tony Lo Bianco (Sal Boca) is the actor you were thinking of. He just died last year at the age of 87.

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• BR

  @browntabproductions · 3 months ago (edited)

  Another Movie by the same Director, William Friedkin, with an absolute CRAZY Car chase is the 1985 “To Live and Die In LA”, starring William Petersen &amp; Willem Dafoe.<br>Highly Recommend.<br>It’ll make your head explode.

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• TR

  @tremorsfan · 3 months ago

  Gene Hackman was 41 when this movie came out.

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