The French Connection Hello is the first full-length CD release from acclaimed movie composer Don Ellis. The disc features 20 minutes of deleted passages reconstructed from the masters, plus the original stereo version of his brilliant score. The new material strengthens the narrative throughline and compares well to the cutting-edge '70s cop scores of Jerry Goldsmith, Lalo Schifrin and Quincy Jones.

The film's title refers to the first heroin seizure of the massive amount of smuggled drugs seized by NYPD detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle (Gene Hackman) and partner Buddy "Cloudy" Russo (Roy Scheider). The pair follow leads that eventually lead them to Marseille, France, where they track drug kingpin Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey). The police raid his lab and take him into custody. The ensuing car chases and gun battles set the standard for contemporary crime dramas.

Friedkin's jaded view of law The french connection fact or fiction enforcement was a watershed moment for cop movies, and even today The French Connection remains unnerving in its physicality and sense of nihilism. It also offered a glimpse into the class disparity between those who profit from the smuggling operation and the police officers who fight it.

As a police drama, it's also an effective thriller. The script sketches events lightly and forces the audience to fill in the gaps, not bothering with the usual foreshadowing or repetition of exposition. That's what makes the car-chase sequence so impressive, and it's why the movie won Best Picture at the 1971 Academy Awards.

Popeye's climactic shootout with Charnier in the warehouse is the scene most people remember from the film, but there's a lot more to it than that. The movie is populated by a large and varied cast of characters, both good and bad. There's no shortage of sleaze here, and the script doesn't shy away from using the f-word liberally or portraying city life in all its seedy glory.

The new Blu-ray transfer is superb; it's a lossless transfer, so the sound is sharp and clear. The extras are a bit sparse, but the disc does contain a commentary track with director William Friedkin, which is well worth listening to. The disc also contains a couple of short documentaries on the film's production and a documentary on the real-life case of The French Connection, both of which are interesting.

It's also a must-have for Ellis fans, as it contains the film's complete soundtrack. The music, which is dissonant and jazzy and a bit experimental in its style, nevertheless fits well with other cutting-edge '70s crime scores. The DVD includes a brief interview with Ellis, and there's an essay in the booklet by critic Robert Altman on his appreciation of the score. This is the most comprehensive release of The French Connection available, and it's a must for all fans. The film will remain an essential part of the noir lexicon. It's a must for any crime collection.