The French Connection won multiple Oscars, as well as an Academy Award for a Mr. Gene Hackman. Deservedly so, as he delivers a powerhouse performance as protagonist Popeye Doyle. This 1971 film is a slow-burn thriller set in a neo-noir New York City, stripped of cheap thrills and giant musical scores. Instead, it leans on raw tension, a now-legendary chase scene, and a script that values silence as much as dialogue. With so little excess, the acting must do the heavy lifting — and it is evident that the cast are masters of their craft.
Gene Hackman doesn’t just play Popeye Doyle — he becomes him. His performance in The French Connection is raw, pairing nicely with the long, intimate scenes that make it feel so real — upping the suspense and fear for the viewer.
Doyle is a man driven not by duty or justice but by obsession, and Hackman makes that obsession almost pathological. From him sleuthing through the dirty streets of New York in a porkpie hat, there is this volatility beneath his movements. He doesn’t walk — he prowls. He doesn’t talk — he barks.
And yet, for all of his bravado, there’s something off about Doyle. He’s not a hero, nor a particularly good cop. He’s reckless and violent, overzealous about chasing a lead. In this case, it is his pipe dream of catching French drug lord Alain Charnier (played by Fernando Rey).
Hackman doesn’t soften any of this — he leans into it. In his hands Doyle feels less like a detective and more like a junkie, hooked not on heroin but on the chase itself. He doesn’t care about the law; he cares about winning. The more the case slips through his fingers, the more unhinged he becomes. By the end, when the credits roll abruptly and leave us hanging in uncertainty, we realize that Doyle isn’t just chasing criminals — he’s chasing a high he’ll never catch.
Directed by William Friedkin, this Best Picture winner is kinetic, immersive filmmaking, and Hackman’s performance gives it teeth. While the film is such a thriller, Hackman’s performance is what is truly jarring for the viewer as they watch a man descend into madness.
The French Connection is showing at SBIFF’s Film Center (916 State St. in Downtown Santa Barbara) April 4-17, as part of The Hackman Connection program in honor of the recently deceased actor. See sbifftheatres.com/gene-hackman for showtimes.
