Cinematography of Movie French Connection

French Connection

William Friedkin's 1971 film The French connection is a masterpiece of cinematography. Several scenes can demonstrate a clever yet subtle use of camera angles, sound, and editing. Unique to The French Connection is the deft use of diegetic street noises in place of pit music, conveying the stark realism that characterizes Friedkin's production. The scene with the sniper atop an apartment building is a prime example of how cinematography works in The French Connection. In this scene, Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman) casually strolls through a residential neighborhood in New York City. He is about to be targeted by a sniper who waits for him atop a residential apartment building. Instead of using music to impart a sense of suspense, the director instead relies only on the ordinary sounds of life: muted traffic noise, the sound of footsteps on pavement, and the cries of little children. Hackman is framed center screen at about mid-range, walking towards the camera while reading the newspaper. Only diegetic street sounds accompany him, including the sounds of the paper crumpling as he turns the pages. Hackman walks closer to the camera, and suddenly the editor cuts to a semi-long shot of a woman walking her baby in a carriage, her back turned toward the camera walking away from the viewer. She is left-of-center, framed naturally by the towering apartment high-rises. On a pedestrian-only sidewalk, the woman soon intersects the path of Hackman and as soon as their paths cross, three loud shots ring out. Sound also includes the high-pitched ricochets of the bullets, as well as screams from several women and of other passers-by. The camera pans to follow Popeye as he jumps and tumbles into a patch of grass and hides behind a tree. A quick cut to the sniper on top of the building lets the audience know where the shots are coming from. For several seconds, rapid cuts back and forth from Popeye on the ground, behind the tree, to the sniper's position atop the tall building develop suspense and also depict the situation mainly from Popeye's perspective. For example, the editor also cuts to the innocent bystanders as Popeye shouts at them to run away.

When Popeye looks up to search for the sniper's whereabouts, the camera follows his eyes, panning the tops of surrounding buildings. The camera angles are correspondingly high, and the mis-en-scene encompasses stark angular lines. A quick cut back to a semi-close-up of Popeye hiding behind the tree comes next: when sunlight hits his face, another shot rings out and the bullet ricochets off of the tree making a high-pitched noise and causing dust to swirl. When it does, the camera follows Popeye as he rapidly rolls over and walks toward the brick building.

The camera pans to follow Popeye as he creeps along the edge of the building. A zoom out permits the audience to gain greater perspective of the scene as Popeye steels his way toward the sniper. The camera pans to allow the audience to see the two smiling faces of toddlers from behind a window, much as they would appear to Popeye himself. The editor quickly cuts to show the same scene from a wide angle, depicting Popeye's upward gaze, following the actor from behind as he walks toward the front entrance of the building. There are no more cuts until Popeye enters the building, allowing for a realistic and suspenseful feeling.