10 Globe-Trotting Movies About The Illegal Drugs Trade

3. The French Connection

From the smuggling and dealing on one side of the illegal drugs trade to the side of law enforcement and police work, William Friedkin's The French Connection set the tone for 1970s crime thrillers as well as giving Gene Hackman one of his best roles as narcotics detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle.; Doyle, along with his partner Buddy "Cloudy" Russo (Roy Scheider) are New York narcotics officers who discover that a huge shipment is imminent, but as their investigation deepens and the scale of the smuggling operation becomes more apparent, the distinction between hunter and prey becomes increasingly blurred. The famous car chase might not be as elaborate and extravagant as modern audiences are used to, but The French Connection is aiming for a cold desaturated aesthetic rather than cinematic gloss. Friedkin uses long lenses to delve in and out of the scene, while the audio track plays on the idea of the audience as an eavesdropper, dipping in and out of conversations in the same way the detectives stake out the suspects. One of the most celebrated American movies of the 1970s, Friedkin's documentary-like approach was influenced by the French film, Z.