The French Connection (1971)

It may be one of the most used and abused movie clichés, but when done correctly, the car chase scene can be the highlight of any film.

Its nerve-wrackingly real chase sequence, filmed on New York streets, helped William Friedkin’s surprise box-office smash collect Oscars for best picture, director and film editing by Jerry Greenberg.

Friedkin claimed the chase was edited to the music of Santana; perhaps that explains why it remains uniquely engaging.

The Plot

William Friedkin's gritty police drama portrays two tough New York City cops trying to intercept a huge heroin shipment coming from France.

An interesting contrast is established between Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman), a short-tempered alcoholic bigot who is nevertheless a hard-working and dedicated police officer, and his nemesis Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey), a suave and urbane gentleman who is nevertheless a criminal and one of the largest drug suppliers of pure heroin to North America.

During the surveillance and eventual bust, Friedkin provides one of the most gripping and memorable car chase sequences ever filmed.