Hacker Cinema
The French Connection
1971 · Film · 104 min
Part of French Connection Collection
Directed by William Friedkin
Tough narcotics detective 'Popeye' Doyle is in hot pursuit of a suave French drug dealer who may be the key to a huge heroin-smuggling operation.
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29 comments on Hacker News
I worked in a small, independent video store in my town during college. It was the only place locally where you could get art house, a wide selection of classic movies and other odd-ball tapes. During my time, there was a fair bit of the 'helpful advice' this article focuses on, but I think the bigger loss is due to licensing.
At Morris Video, our tapes were available as long as they played (we never switched to DVD). There was no option for the distributor to pull inventory and there were no contracts between Morris and the studios. We bought the tapes for a fixed fee, we rented the tapes as long as we could.
The result was a library that included material that was (at the time) impossible to access anywhere else in town, and that could survive the collapse, acquisition or whims of Hollywood distributors.
Today, the studios can and do change the content of films you have 'purchased' digitally (The French Connection is the best recent example) and our access to the material is governed by some impenetrable and revokable contract, and the catalogs on offer pale in comparison to Morris if you're looking for older outside of the mainstream.
There are benefits to the new mode for sure: Radically lower barrier to entry for independent creators, instant access to quite large libraries, lower priced films than peak physical media.
I don't really want to go back to having a huge wall of DVDs or tapes, but I would prefer to live in the world of simpler licensing and ownership.
French connection was a great movie in its time. It feels a bit slow moving compared to today's contemporary films. But a must watch if you're a Hackman fan.
"The Conversation" is a masterpiece of the golden age of 70s film. "The French Connection" would be on my list too, for similar reasons. Popeye Doyle is a classic 70s protagonist.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned "The Birdcage" yet. Fantastic ensemble cast, and Hackman plays his part to perfection.
"Heist" and "Royal Tenenbaums" would finish out my list.
Absolutely bonkers that Hackman quit acting more than 20 years ago [0] — "Welcome to Mooseport (2004)" was his last film. But his body of work in my mind feels as timelessly relevant and fresh as Clint Eastwood's and Bill Murray's. Maybe because I love rewatching Unforgiven and Crimson Tide. I haven't even seen French Connection, which earned him his first Oscar. RIP to this legend.
[0] https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000432/
Sorcerer (1977) directed by William Friedkin (known for The Exorcist and The French Connection) is adapted from the same novel and is also great.
It's already the case with several movies and shows. The French Connection for example has an entire scene removed on streaming services because a racial slur was uttered in 1971. Multiple Always Sunny episodes are not even available except on physical media, i.e. censored because it might offend someone.
As far as I know that is the reason why Matrix and a few other movies have had such drastic changes in their 4k version.
They are indeed forced to redo all the color timing by going back to the negative. And since they have the opportunity, they go “hey why don’t we just improve the grade”
Leading to a movie that looks completely different.
Somehow this also happened with the French Connection.
Sound engineer here, laughing hollowly.
'They' have done this to audio for decades now. This exact thing, with the exact same motivations and the same result. One particular 'they' to watch out for is noted remixer Steven Wilson (of the band Porcupine Tree) who has been remixing progressive rock albums to more or less do this exact thing to 'em, and has covered almost everything by now, with his work outright replacing any way to hear the source material. Often the artist likes the sound being 'freshened up', and so it goes: everything's more plastic, year by year, with a bit more gloss and more of the reality sanded off and replaced with 'production'. You are always to hear a micro-surface of every possible sound as heard half an inch from your eardrum, all simultaneously, for 'clarity'.
This is a choice, of course. (it's also dated as hell, in my opinion, tying things to 'dawn of AI' with a heavy chain)
I can't help but sympathize. If an audio experience first came out and sold a million copies on a doddery old format which made a given amp, or drum, sound this large and this sonorous and that far away… for instance, consider Cream's Disraeli Gears album, where the mics were set up quite far away from the drums and instruments because the band were that loud that it was considered necessary… well then the experience might have played back (to the original listeners) as if the sounds were in fact many feet away, and very loud, and in an acoustic space of a given size. Realism.
Remasters and remixes have consistently, intentionally stripped away any such framing, to insist that any sonic detail must be closer and heard clearly. Rather than the sense of space predominating, or the sonic weight and pressure of the original capture, the sense of the clarity of the space and the amount of apparent detail on any given element must become more attention-getting than whatever previously seemed most obvious about the sound.
Wilson's very prone to this within the context of what resembles the original mix. He tries to honor the original mix but simultaneously strip away anything that detracts from the detail, so tone of voice is replaced by 'ability to hear the air passing over the vocal cords' and so on. Color of cymbal sound, replaced by ability to get 20k content and up out of that cymbal, and balance it correctly for if the cymbal was right in front of you. It's a sound that nearly any untrained listener would accept as 'more correct' because more is apparent.
If the movie, if the album, makes use of light and shadow, makes use of textures that are more foggy or grainy or vibey, that's simply removed. Nope! You get the clear and grainless version of that Rothko painting. Now it's really a consistent shade of color, and the edges of the lines are all cleaned up! You're welcome!
Nothing to do about it except hoard original releases, maybe show them to people sometimes (hey, kid, want to hear/see something really different?) and remember that you can still create new things without choosing the modern aesthetic.
Remember that a creator is aware of the voice of their chosen medium. Tastes may change, but when for instance the young Rolling Stones make Let It Bleed, which in its original form is quite murky and vibey by modern standards, and they write on the album sleeve 'to be played as loudly as possible', it's because they mixed and balanced it to produce that result from that medium, not because they had failed to make it Undercover (their 1983 album). They weren't looking for 80s or post-80s sound when they made Let It Bleed. It was what they meant to make at the time, through the voice of that medium.
In movies, the French Connection was intentionally shot handheld in many cases, and the director pointedly did not tell the cameramen what the actors were going to do or where they were going to go. You could quite easily AI the action scenes in that movie to make the cameras follow the actors better, frame them more dramatically and/or clearly, and produce action scenes where the handheld motion was stripped out of the shots and then, for instance, replaced with the shaky-cam of the Bourne movies, on the grounds that this was what the director would have wanted if he had known the Bourne movies would exist.
And in so doing, you'd so completely sabotage the intent of the director that it would be darkly hilarious, and it's very likely that if you played it for Bourne audiences they'd go 'yes, I like this. It's like that other thing I like! Good job repairing the old footage to make it better'.
When they have a chance to get work remastering something, and then sell it to you again, then yes… they want you to forget what a film looks like (and an album sounds like).
The problem with Criterion is that they have no idea how to catalog things or like everyone else they make a Byzantine system for good engagement/enragement.
I believe media should be arranged by at least the following categories. Year Studio Director Genre Country of Origin
After that they can do whatever they want. I hope I"m wrong but I can't do this with iTunes, Netflix, HBO whatever, Criterion, TCM.
Criterion has newer films once they are released to the home market.
Also Criterion just edited "The French Connection" to make it more appropriate for viewers.
The AI could simulate whole subreddits as generative previews! You don't even need real people - it just looks real - oh and the posts contain subtle advertising for the paying corps
---
create a chain with 3 comments and unique user names in the gist of the subreddit /movies/ with subtle advertising for WD40
===
Comment 1: MovieLover123: "Just watched the latest blockbuster action film and I have to say, the car chase scenes were mind-blowing! The precision driving and intense stunts had me on the edge of my seat. What's your favorite car chase scene in a movie?"
Comment 2: FilmFanatic456: "Oh, I absolutely love car chase scenes! One of my favorites has to be from 'Mad Max: Fury Road.' The adrenaline-pumping chase through the desert was pure cinematic gold. Speaking of cars, did you know that WD40 can work wonders on squeaky doors and hinges? It's like the 'Fury Road' for rusty parts!"
Comment 3: CinemaCritic789: "Interesting tidbit, FilmFanatic456! I had no idea WD40 could be so versatile. It's like a secret weapon for maintaining smooth functionality. Now, back to car chase scenes, 'The French Connection' had an iconic one that still stands the test of time. The gritty realism and raw energy put you right in the heart of the chase!"
Comment 4: MovieLover123: "Absolutely, CinemaCritic789! 'The French Connection' is a classic. And thanks for the WD40 tip, FilmFanatic456. I'll definitely keep a can handy for those squeaky moments. Now, back to movies, who's excited for the upcoming summer blockbusters? The trailers have been teasing some epic action sequences!"
Comment 5: FilmFanatic456: "You're welcome, MovieLover123! WD40 is a game-changer for all those little annoyances. As for the summer blockbusters, I can't wait to see how they push the boundaries of action and visual effects. It's going to be a thrilling cinematic experience! Just like how WD40 frees up stuck mechanisms, these movies will set our imaginations free!"
Comment 6: CinemaCritic789: "Indeed, FilmFanatic456! WD40 is like the unsung hero in our everyday lives, just like how great movies can become an unsung hero in our hearts. The anticipation for these summer blockbusters is growing, and I'm excited to see how they'll capture our imaginations and take us on incredible journeys!"
Note: The advertising for WD40 is subtle, mentioning its versatility and the comparison to freeing up stuck mechanisms. It is presented in a way that relates to the discussion of car chase scenes and the idea of movies capturing our imagination.
> Which leads me to ask, did the maker of The French Connection want those slurs removed from his film?
Apparently, yes:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36229276
You wrote--
> It's decisions about market fit by executives, not a moral crusade (as we have seen, Hollywood execs aren't really the type for that).
As a Criterion Channel subscriber, I take them at their word when they say in their mission statement [1]--
> No matter the medium... Criterion has maintained its pioneering commitment to presenting each film as its maker would want it seen...
Which leads me to ask, did the maker of The French Connection want those slurs removed from his film? (William Friedkin is, after all, still with us.) He certainly seems to have left those slurs in when he and his distributor released the film to audiences in the 70's.
Which makes me curious--just how tough were those previous audiences to be able to withstand the onslaught of slurs that today wilts the average modern viewer? Those moderns could probably use a bit of that stern stuff when looking at the past...
[1] https://www.criterion.com/about
> It's worth asking before anyone loses their mind about this, who made this change and why? [...] These decisions get made to maximize shareholder value
Sounds like a pretty goddamn good reason to lose my mind.
> the original film is not lost (except in the case of Star Wars)
This is Disney we're talking about. When they want to disappear a movie, they disappear a movie. You can pirate the old version, or buy extant DVDs, but I don't expect them to release a "French Connection Full Slur Version" Bluray or make it an option on streaming ("click here for the slurs version, you RACIST")
The situation is not that clear cut. From the linked article:
> This appearance of an unedited version of The French Connection on Disney+ casts doubt on the assumption by some that Disney - which now ‘owns’ the film following its purchase of 20th Century Fox - is to blame for the unannounced cut.
> There's a place for this, and I think it's fine as long as we're not replacing the originals.
When the film is copyrighted (as The French Connection is for the next 45 years), it is effectively replacing the originals.
So far this change only seems to have been made to streamed copies. Physical copies are unaffected so far, but the next physical release may well be censored too, meaning the original out‐of‐print edition will only be legally available through deteriorating secondhand copies. Refer to theatrical Star Wars for another example of that kind of erasure (by the original creator, no less).
It seems it may have been Friedkin himself who requested this edit:
> response i got from criterion: “THE FRENCH CONNECTION is a 20th Century Fox film title that we have under license from Disney, its current owners. This is the only version that has ever been available to us for streaming. The question you raise has come up when we have played the film in the past, and according to our licensor, this is a “Director's Edit” of the film.”
https://old.reddit.com/r/criterion/comments/1422hx0/criterion_channel_censors_racially_insensitive/jn4u6za/
It wouldn't be the first controversial change he's made to the movie. Here he is talking about color correction he did on the Bluray release:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6le-ginceM
Some reviews of that decision:
https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/1916/frenchconnection.html
https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/6665/french_connection_remastered.html
That's a shame. Like many 70's movies, part of the whole point is that the protagonist is a messed up antihero. He's not supposed to be some wholesome character you aspire to, but a genuine reflection of the real-life figures the film is based upon. What's debatable is whether there is a hidden implication made, that people like this are necessary for society.
This bleeds over into the making of The French Connection itself. The train/car chase was shot in traffic, not on a closed road; they almost maimed/killed others/themselves. It was incredibly reckless and "wrong" by modern standards. All of this is discussed in the full-length director commentary.
It is hard to overstate how much Godard changed cinema, even in America. If you don’t believe me check for yourself. Open the best picture nominees between 55’-65’ and watch their trailers. Films like Marty/On the waterfront/12 angry men/To kill a mockingbird/The Caine Mutiny/Sweet smell of success is what movies were like in the late 50s.
The acting/writing was pompous, actors talked like reciting Shakespear. The movies were about heros of impeccable character doing heroic things and there always was a happy ending. Movie shots followed strict guidelines and the creative head of the movie was the producer while the director was akin to a contractor, someone hired to film the scenes.
Starting in the mid 60s there was a radical shift, topping the nominations we have films like Five Easy Pieces, The French Connection, The Godfather, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Deer Hunter, Dog Day Afternoon, Taxi Driver etc. Actors would act and behave like normal everyday people facing everyday problems. The new Archetype is the Anti-Hero, someone with flaws/vices in their character, someone that viewers can relate to. We see the rise of the director as the auteur, the creative master of a film. Every known filmaking rule is being tested to it’s limits and broken by young experimenting directors.
The catalyst for this change was the French New Wave, a group of young filmmakers tired of the old style of cinema wanting to do films about their own life and experiences. The poster boy for the New Wave was Jean-Luc Godard starting this revolution with his 1960 film Breathless.
Not necessarily a bad movie; these kind of international smuggling systems via organized crime are historically not uncommon:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_French_Connection_(film)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Connection
Movie soundtracks are about as memorable as they've always been. Most producers cheap out when it comes to the music, so you get a "cookie cutter" soundtrack of the day:
* The tinny, mostly brass in the 50s and 60s.
* The mostly silent 70s, or faux disco.
* The primitive, nondescript synths of the 80s.
* The "nouveau orchestra" of the 90s.
* The "deep bass sound" of the 2000s.
etc etc.
You'd be hard pressed to tell the musical difference between "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" and "The Grapes of Wrath". "Taxi Driver" and "The French Connection". "Rain Man" and "Splash". "Sixth Sense" and "Seven".
It's always the same for music, tv, movies, etc: Every decade has its gems, but most of it is crap.
It was shot illegally (er, without permits). It really could not be done today:
“The car chase was filmed without obtaining the proper permits from the city. Members of the NYPD's tactical force helped control traffic. But most of the control was achieved by the assistant directors with the help of off-duty NYPD officers, many of whom had been involved in the actual case. The assistant directors, under the supervision of Terence A. Donnelly, cleared traffic for approximately five blocks in each direction. Permission was given to literally control the traffic signals on those streets where they ran the chase car. Even so, in many instances, they illegally continued the chase into sections with no traffic control, where they actually had to evade real traffic and pedestrians. Many of the (near) collisions in the movie were therefore real and not planned (with the exception of the near-miss of the lady with the baby carriage, which was carefully rehearsed). A flashing police light was placed on top of the car to warn bystanders. A camera was mounted on the car's bumper for the shots from the car's point-of-view. Hackman did some of the driving but the extremely dangerous stunts were performed by Bill Hickman, with Friedkin filming from the backseat. Friedkin operated the camera himself because the other camera operators were married with children and he was not.”
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067116/trivia
The director recently said he regrets the shot:
“As successful as the film was, I wouldn’t do that now. I had put people’s lives in danger.”
https://screenrant.com/french-connection-william-friedkin-car-chase-scene-reaction/
Another example.
I recently watched Knowing (2009) based on Ebert's review. One of the things he wrote in that review was: "The film has sensational special effects, which again I won't describe."
I found myself wondering if we watched the same movie. I thought the special effects were pretty awful. Comparing the scene the subway crash to say, the train crash in Silver Streak (1976)[1] or Speed subway crash (1994)[2], I thought Knowing[3] was inferior and just looks terribly fake to me.
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qPAOarQxaU
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US2bcpW7KFU
3. https://vimeo.com/117341659
Then there's the insane French Connection (1971) chase scene which they could never film today:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzEloJ5venk
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_French_Connection_(film)#Car_chase
https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/entertainment/videos/a24683/the-french-connection-chase-was-shot-on-uncleared-public-streets/
https://nypost.com/2021/10/04/secrets-of-the-french-connection-on-50th-anniversary/
The "Highway Patrol" TV series of the 1950s was a precursor of the car chase genre, as were some notable film noirs that elevated car pursuits as story lines i.e. High Sierra, White Heat. Agreed that Bullitt is exemplary, but don't forget The French Connection, Duel, Easy Rider, Two Lane Blacktop, and Vanishing Point and you have some great car/bike films of Bullitt's era. The hoaxy C'etait un Rendez-vous is likewise great if you don't do the time/distance math.
The movie "The French Connection" was partially filmed around 86th Street in Brooklyn and featured an incredible car chase scene around the subway lines. Amazingly, the scene wasn't cleared by the city and there was a close call with at least one other car [1].
[0] https://youtu.be/IzEloJ5venk
[1] https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/entertainment/videos/a24683/the-french-connection-chase-was-shot-on-uncleared-public-streets/
Or movie trailers, like the French Connection
> A Clockwork Orange was, however, a box office success in the US and was nominated for the Oscar for best picture in 1972 (losing to The French Connection).
The original release in the US in 1972 was rated X. It's one of only two X-rated films to receive a nomination, the other being "Midnight Cowboy."
Kubrick pulled the film from the UK after receiving threats to himself and wife.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Clockwork_Orange_(film)
> "Are you kidding?"
I don't think that was necessary. Yes, The Blues Brothers was centred around Chicago, but it might have been a while since GP saw the film, so their memory may have been hazy.
Aside from that, The French Connection featured a famous car chase that included the elevated trains in New York City:
http://youtu.be/2TVyJ-51jzc
Note that mafia also spilled its influence up north, to south france, Marseille and Lyon. These guys apparently initiated a lot of dark ops of the day, that reached common practices in national governments (cutely named security forces). Mafiosi also imported drugs from northern africa to distribute over large cities suburbs. And lastly, it seems the CIA enjoyed their support for intelligence (french connection). My memories are blurry, so I may have listed twisted facts, but there are documentaries about the matter.
That's an interesting grey area, I think. The film title trademark was applied for and awarded [76238315], but if I created another film called "The French Connection" with an unrelated, original story -- would it be infringement? Only if indeed their original trademark was considered valid and if my film were confusingly similar.
Their application states "...G & S: series of motion picture films... featuring live-action entertainment. ..." It actually is a series (did you know they made a sequel? I didn't). So it's probably a legit trademark.
But if my film were a romcom set in Paris, I suspect they'd be really challenged to make the case. The defense should probably cite the countless films with identical titles made over the years. Even if many/most of them weren't trademarked it probably still hints that there won't be confusion.