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Action thriller

The French Connection (1971): Cast, Ratings & Box Office

The French Connection (1971) movie poster

The French Connection is a 1971 action thriller directed by William Friedkin, starring Fernando Rey, Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider. It is partly based on French Connection by Robin Moore. It runs 1 hour 44 minutes and earned $51.7 million worldwide. Critics gave it 94 on Metacritic.

worldwide gross
$51.7M
Metascore
94
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The French Connection (1971) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 44m (104 min)
Director
William Friedkin
Genres
Action , Crime , Drama , Thriller
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The French Connection About?

The premise of The French Connection without spoilers, adapted from French Connection by Robin Moore. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A determined narcotics detective, "Popeye" Doyle, and his partner work relentlessly to infiltrate and dismantle a sophisticated international drug trafficking operation. The story follows their intense pursuit of a ruthless cartel that is flooding New York City with heroin, leading to a dangerous and gritty confrontation with formidable adversaries.

The French Connection Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • based on true story
  • heroin
  • new york city
  • drug smuggling
  • car chase
  • blockbuster
  • drug trafficking
  • nypd new york police department
  • undercover
  • drugs
  • police
  • chase
+38 more
  • drug lord
  • detective
  • brooklyn new york city
  • rogue cop
  • police chase
  • hitman
  • police detective
  • el train
  • bagman
  • ankle holster
  • national film registry
  • razzia
  • hidden drugs
  • heroin trafficking
  • heroin smuggling
  • mobster
  • police raid
  • marseille france
  • phone booth
  • drug crime
  • police officer killed
  • foot chase
  • assassination attempt
  • wiretap
  • organized crime
  • crime boss
  • anti hero
  • pork pie hat
  • narcotics cop
  • manhattan new york city
  • cynicism
  • fbi agent
  • drug dealer
  • what happened to epilogue
  • washington d.c.
  • shootout
  • santa claus suit
  • rooftop
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Cast & crew

The French Connection Cast

Fernando Rey leads the cast, with Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider. Directed by William Friedkin; 20 actors are credited in all.

Ratings

The French Connection Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave The French Connection 94 on Metacritic.

Plot

The French Connection Plot Summary

What happens in The French Connection from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

In the vibrant, sun-soaked city of Marseille, a determined police detective becomes increasingly fixated on capturing Alain Charnier, a shrewd genius orchestrating an expansive heroin-smuggling operation. The stakes intensify dramatically when Charnier’s cold-blooded hitman, Pierre Nicoli, viciously kills the detective, triggering a sequence of events that reverberate worldwide. As the investigation progresses, law enforcement in New York City is alerted to a potential narcotics shipment concealed within the vehicle of Henri Devereaux, a dashing television personality who unknowingly finds himself embroiled in Charnier’s nefarious schemes.

Full summary

The whole story of The French Connection, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

The French Connection Box Office

The French Connection grossed $51.7 million worldwide. $51.7 million came from the US and Canada and $5,026 (0%) from the rest of the world.

1971 box office

Worldwide gross

$51.7M

US & Canada
$51.7M
International
$5K
US & Canada 100% Rest of the world 0%
Videos

The French Connection Trailers & Videos

15 videos: 1 trailer, 1 clip and 13 featurettes.

All 15 videos
Trailer
  • Clip Detective Popeye Kills Pierre
  • Featurette William Friedkin on the Car Chase Scene In THE FRENCH CONNECTION
  • Featurette William Friedkin on Casting Fernando Ray In THE FRENCH CONNECTION
  • Featurette Gene Hackman Wins Best Actor: 1972 Oscars
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The French Connection?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Who is the police detective obsessed with tracking down Alain Charnier?

Details

The French Connection Also Known As

37 alternative titles, including “Brennpunkt Brooklyn” and “Francouzská spojka: Štvanice”.

Also known as
  • Brennpunkt Brooklyn
  • Francouzská spojka: Štvanice
  • French Connection - Lagens våldsamma män
  • The French Connection. Contra el imperio de la droga
  • Il braccio violento della legge
  • Operação França (1971)
  • 더 프렌치 커넥션
  • Brennpunkt New York
  • Contacto en Francia
  • French Connection - Brennpunkt Brooklyn
  • Os Incorruptíveis Contra a Droga
  • Den franske forbindelse
+25 more
  • French Connection, contra el imperio de la droga
  • Kovaotteiset miehet
  • 法国贩毒网
  • Французский связной
  • Francia kapcsolat
  • Francuski Łącznik
  • הקשר הצרפתי
  • Francouzská spojka
  • Ο Ανθρωπος από τη Γαλλία
  • Conexiunea franceză
  • 프렌치 커넥션
  • Operação França
  • Kanunun Kuvveti
  • ارتباط فرانسوی
  • Французький зв’язковий
  • フレンチ・コネクション
  • Френска връзка
  • Prancūzų ryšininkas
  • 霹靂神探
  • Francúzska spojka
  • มือปราบเพชรตัดเพชร
  • Francuska veza
  • Prantsuse sidemees
  • Franču sakarnieks
  • La Filière française

Seen The French Connection?

FAQ

The French Connection FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, the book behind it and post-credit scenes of The French Connection, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The French Connection?

The French Connection runs 1 hour 44 minutes (104 minutes).

When was The French Connection released?

The French Connection was released on October 7, 1971.

Who directed The French Connection?

The French Connection was directed by William Friedkin.

More films by William Friedkin

Who is in the cast of The French Connection?

The French Connection stars Fernando Rey, Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider, among 20 credited actors.

How much did The French Connection make at the box office?

The French Connection grossed $51.7 million worldwide ($51.7 million domestic, $5,026 international).

How is The French Connection rated?

The French Connection has 94 on Metacritic and 75% on TMDB.

Is The French Connection based on a book?

Yes. The French Connection is partly adapted from French Connection by Robin Moore.

Does The French Connection have a post-credit scene?

No. The French Connection has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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