Directed by William FriedkinStarring Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Roy Scheider, Tony Lo Bianco, Marcel Bozzuffi, Frederic de Pasquale, Bill Hickman, Ann Rebbot, Harold Gary, and Arlene Farber
The prototypical "gritty cop drama," The French Connection shows a flawed hero, Gene Hackman's Popeye Doyle, as he tries to bring down an international drug cartel. I think the movie tends to get overrated because of its influence on the crime drama, but it is still an entertaining action film, especially during the famous car chase underneath the elevated train. Doyle is not a likable guy. I realize this is the point, but it makes it very hard to really want him to bring down the bad guys. He does do very well with the material he was given, earning him his first Oscar. I would have voted for A Clockwork Orange, The Last Picture Show, or Fiddler on the Roof, but this one is still good.
Other nominees: A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick), Fiddler on the Roof (Norman Jewison), The Last Picture Show (Peter Bogdanovich), and Nicholas and Alexandra (Franklin J. Schaffner)
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