Honestly, sequels are usually a cash grab. We all know the drill. A studio sees a massive hit like William Friedkin’s 1971 classic The French Connection—which, let’s be real, is one of the greatest gritty New York cop movies ever made—and they immediately start salivating over how to milk it. But French Connection II is different. It’s weird. It’s mean. It’s a movie that takes your favorite hard-nosed detective and basically puts him through a meat grinder for two hours.
Released in 1975, this flick didn't have Friedkin behind the camera. He actually told his friend John Frankenheimer not to do it. Friedkin felt the story was over. But Frankenheimer, who was living in France at the time and probably needed a win after some personal and professional setbacks, took the gig anyway. What he delivered wasn’t just a "part two." It was a complete deconstruction of Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle.
The Fish Out of Water (With a Very Loud Shirt)
When the French Connection II movie kicks off, we find Popeye Doyle in Marseille. He’s looking for Alain Charnier, the suave "Frog One" who slipped through his fingers at the end of the first film. But here’s the thing: Doyle is a creature of the New York concrete. In France, he’s a joke.
He doesn't speak a word of French. He wears these ridiculous, loud Hawaiian shirts that make him stick out like a sore thumb. He’s rude, he’s loud, and he’s constantly bumping heads with the local Sûreté, specifically Inspector Barthélémy, played by the excellent Bernard Fresson.
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The first half of the movie is almost a dark comedy. You’ve got Gene Hackman—who is genuinely incredible here—trying to order a "Scotch" at a French bar and failing miserably. He’s yelling English at people like they’re deaf. It’s uncomfortable to watch. Roger Ebert actually hated this part back in the day; he thought it stripped Doyle of his dignity. But that’s exactly the point. Frankenheimer wanted to show that without his badge and his city, Doyle is just a big, angry American who doesn't know how to function.
That Grueling Middle Act
Then things get dark. Really dark.
Charnier’s guys kidnap Doyle. They don’t just beat him; they turn him into a junkie. They pump him full of heroin for weeks to break him. This is where the French Connection II movie stops being a standard police procedural and becomes a harrowing character study.
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- The Withdrawal: After the French police find him dumped on the street, Barthélémy has to lock him in a cell to go cold turkey.
- The Performance: Hackman’s acting in these scenes is legendary. He’s sweating, screaming, and rambling about the New York Yankees to guards who don’t understand a word he’s saying.
- The Vulnerability: We see a side of Popeye that was hidden by the bravado of the first film. He’s small. He’s pathetic. He’s a "broken child," as some critics have put it.
It's a bold move. Most sequels want to make the hero cooler. This one makes him a victim. It stalls the plot for about forty minutes, which is why some people find the movie slow. But if you're a fan of pure, unadulterated acting, it’s the best part of the whole thing.
Marseille vs. New York: A Different Kind of Grime
Marseille in the 70s wasn't the tourist destination it is today. It was the heroin capital of the world. Frankenheimer and cinematographer Claude Renoir (nephew of Jean Renoir, no big deal) shot the city to look just as murky and dangerous as Friedkin’s New York, but with a different texture.
They filmed in real locations like the Vieux Port and the winding, claustrophobic alleys of Le Panier. There’s this sense of history and rot that you just don't get in a studio backlot. The production actually finished twelve days under schedule and $250,000 under budget, which is basically a miracle in Hollywood.
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Why It Still Matters in 2026
We live in an era of "legacy sequels" and endless franchises. Usually, these movies are just "The Greatest Hits" of the original. French Connection II refuses to do that. It doesn't give you another car-versus-train chase. It doesn't try to make Popeye a "nice guy."
He’s still a bigot. He’s still violent. But the movie forces him to face his own limitations. When he finally gets his chance for revenge in that iconic final foot chase—where he literally runs until his heart is about to explode—it feels earned. It’s not a "woo-hoo" moment. It’s a moment of desperate, ugly catharsis.
How to Watch It Like an Expert
If you're going to dive into this, don't expect The French Connection. Expect a John Frankenheimer thriller.
- Watch for the small details: Notice how Doyle’s desk is placed right outside the men’s room at the station. It’s a subtle French middle finger to his American ego.
- Focus on the sound: Don Ellis returned for the soundtrack, and his discordant jazz perfectly matches Doyle's fractured mental state.
- Appreciate the ending: It’s one of the most abrupt endings in cinema history. No epilogue. No "where are they now." Just a bang, and black.
The French Connection II movie might not have won five Oscars like its predecessor, but it’s a ballsy, uncompromising piece of 70s cinema that deserves way more respect than it gets. It’s the rare sequel that actually has something new to say about its lead character.
If you really want to appreciate the craft here, pay attention to the scene where Doyle is talking to the "English" lady in the hotel while he's high. It’s a masterclass in tension and heartbreak. Once you’ve finished the film, look up the history of the "French Connection" drug route—the real-life context makes the fictional ending of this movie feel even more like a fever dream.