The French Connection (1971) Remastered 1080p BluRay x265 HEVC EAC3-SARTRE

This gritty, fast-paced, and innovative police drama earned five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay (written by Ernest Tidyman), and Best Actor (Gene Hackman). Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle (Hackman) and his partner, Buddy Russo (Roy Scheider), are New York City police detectives on narcotics detail, trying to track down the source of heroin from Europe into the United States. Suave Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey) is the French drug kingpin who provides a large percentage of New York City's dope, and Pierre Nicoli (Marcel Bozzuffi) is a hired killer and Charnier's right-hand man. Acting on a hunch, Popeye and Buddy start tailing Sal Boca (Tony Lo Bianco) and his wife, Angie (Arlene Faber), who live pretty high for a couple whose corner store brings in about 7,000 dollars a year. It turns out Popeye's suspicions are right -- Sal and Angie are the New York agents for Charnier, who will be smuggling 32 million dollars' worth of heroin into the city in a car shipped over from France. The French Connection broke plenty of new ground for screen thrillers; Popeye Doyle was a highly unusual "hero," an often violent, racist, and mean-spirited cop whose dedication to his job fell just short of dangerous obsession. The film's high point, a high-speed car chase with Popeye tailing an elevated train, was one of the most viscerally exciting screen moments of its day and set the stage for dozens of action sequences to follow. And the film's grimy realism (and downbeat ending) was a big change from the buff-and-shine gloss and good-guys-always-win heroics of most police dramas that preceded it. The French Connection was inspired by a true story, and Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso, Popeye and Buddy's real life counterparts, both have small roles in the film. A sequel followed four years later.

Extras


• Deleted Scenes (720p, 12:12) - William Friedkin Discusses the Deleted Scenes, Tailing the Frog, The Whip Girl, Devereaux at Work, Mutchie's Bar and Mutchie's Bar Part 2, Girl on a Bicycle, Street Walker, and Hector. In his open, Friendkin offers a fascinating discussion of the organic nature of pictures and the process of editing. The deleted scenes are also available with optional Friedkin commentary.

• Anatomy of a Chase (720p, 20:23) - A supplement which once again features the director, this time on-location of the film's famed chase sequence, discussing the reasoning behind choosing the locations and walking through the sequence. The piece also features an extensive dialogue between Friedkin and Producer Philip D'Antoni as they move along the trail of the chase.

• Hackman on Doyle (720p, 10:52) - Hackman recalls his famed role and the process of making the film.

• Friedkin and Grosso Remember the Real French Connection (720p, 19:16) - A nice piece featuring the director and Sonny Grosso, the real-life officer involved in the case, recalling the events of the case that inspired the film.

• Scene of the Crime (720p, 5:17) - Friedkin and actor (and then-real-life police officer) Randy Jurgensen recall the making of one of the film's most crucial sequences.

• Cop Jazz: The Music of Don Ellis (720p, 10:07) - This supplement highlights the composer and the story behind the film's score.

• Rogue Cop: The Noir Connection (720p, 13:50) - This extra looks at the Film Noir elements of The French Connection and its revitalization of the art form.

• Making the Connection: The Untold Stories of The French Connection (480p, 56:35) - A Fox Movie Channel piece that examines the involvement of Officer Sonny Grosso on both the film and the real-world case.

• Audio Commentary - Director William Friedkin eloquently shares his thoughts on the filmmaking process. He discusses the real-life heroes and villains of the story on which the film is based, the strengths of the cast, and offers some intriguing background on the case and characters seen in the film. Friedkin does a fantastic job of both recounting the action on-screen but also expanding on the superficialities of the film by delving deeper into various aspects of the filmmaking process.

• Audio Commentary - Gene Hackman speaks first and Roy Scheider second, with the former delivering an intriguing monologue as he recalls landing the role, researching the part, and stories from the set. Later, Scheider recounts many stories of a similar nature. His commentary begins at the beginning of chapter 18.