Today, the Shattered Lens celebrates what would have been birthday oif the great William Friedkin.  As a director, William Friedkin revolutionized both the horror genre and the crime genre.  The car chase from 1971’s The French Connection has been much imitated but rarely equaled.

That said, as impressive as the car chase is, the ending of the French Connection is a perfect example of the bleakness of 70s cinema.  Between the seemingly crazed Doyle firing his weapon into the void to the end cards that leave us wondering if any of this was worth it, the final minutes of The French Connection still pack an undeniable punch.