The French Connection (1974) - William Friedkin - Best Of Cinematic Flashback Podcast

This week, we’re tailing Popeye Doyle through the gritty streets of 1970s New York.

It’s a Best Of Episode while Chuck and Matt take a quick summer vacation. This week on The Cinematic Flashback Podcast, we rewind all the way back to our very first episode—The French Connection (1971), directed by William Friedkin and starring Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider. Inspired by an actual case, this Oscar-winning crime thriller redefined the police procedural with its raw, documentary-style realism and legendary car chase.

• Gene Hackman’s iconic performance as Popeye Doyle
• The revolutionary, seat-gripping car chase that still sets the standard
• How Friedkin’s visual style captured the gritty underbelly of New York City
• Why the film’s stark realism and anti-hero cop hit so hard in the early 1970s
• The abrupt ending and what it meant for ‘70s audiences

Matt shares first-hand memories of seeing The French Connection era unfold in real time—and why its depiction of law enforcement felt so jarring next to TV cops like Dragnet and Adam-12.

If you’re interested in how a gritty little movie flipped the cop genre on its head, influenced everything from Serpico to The Wire, and still sparks debate, this one’s a must-listen.

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Music by: “1975” – Josh Kirsch / Media Right Productions

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