The French Connection
The French Connection is William Friedkin's gritty, Oscar®-winning police drama where two tough New York City cops try to intercept a huge heroin shipment coming from France. Police partners Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman) and Buddy Russo (Roy Scheider) put a candy store under surveillance based on a hunch that something fishy was going on. Eventually it turns out that the proprietors are involved in one of the biggest narcotics smuggling rings on either side of the Atlantic, and the cops go to work. Popeye Doyle is a short-tempered alcoholic bigot, but he is nevertheless a hard-working and dedicated police officer. Doyle's nemesis is Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey), a suave and urbane gentleman who is a criminal, and one of the largest suppliers of pure heroin to North America. As money troubles begin for the hoods they decide to kill Popeye and Buddy to give them enough room to bring in the heroin.
Terrible Remaster - DO NOT BUY @Michael Zuniga
As of Feubrary 2018, this version of The French Connection is sourced from the incredibly shoddy 2009 remaster, and therefore looks terrible. Plenty has been said about the bad picture quality, just search for French Connection 2009 remaster and you'll see. The studio has since done a new remaster in 2012 that looks worlds better, but for some reason the version on iTunes is still the bad version. 5/5 for the movie, 0/5 for the picture quality. Avoid this like the plague, buy the blu-ray.
20th Century fixed the transfer! @Lance Smith
For years the digital version of this movie was derived from a 2009 negative transfer that shifted all the colors pastel, introduced color bleed, and strange noise artifacts that made a good film unwatchable. Now thankfully, the digital version has finally been updated to the much improved 2012 transfer that is approved by both the Director William Friedkin and original Cinematographer Owen Roizman. It restores the films gritty colors and natural film grain that this early 70’s movie always had previously. Recommended viewing.
Amazing film @mysterio2
One of the best action films of the 70's. Also has one of the best chase scenes in cinema history. A fast paced movie, based on factual events (the actual cop 'Popeye' has a cameo in the film), this was the largest heroin bust in US history at that time. Along with Clint Eastwood's "Dirty Harry," this film showed that cops aren't always squeeky clean, and there's a fine line between good and bad. A highly recommended film, not only for action, but a quality plot and interesting character study as well.
Censored version @Tony Agustin
A shame Apple has censored this movie. The scene where the two detectives are bantering in racist tones before heading out to the Chez Lounge is gone. The edited cut is sloppy and I do not recommend buying or renting from Apple at this time if they are allowing the censoring of controversial films.
five star movie iTUNES edits this version! @Clarenceson
a few seconds when Doyle tells Cloudy to never trust a (N word) and when Cloudy replies he could have been white and Doyle says never trust anybody.... HAVE been edited out by iTUNES. this brief exchange, central to both characters is essential and thankfully still on the blu ray versions... SHAME on iTUNES for their PC edits!