French Connection II

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French Connection II

original film poster
Directed by John Frankenheimer
Starring Gene Hackman
Fernando Rey
Release date(s) 1975
Preceded by The French Connection (film)

French Connection II is a 1975 movie starring Gene Hackman and directed by John Frankenheimer; it is the sequel to The French Connection. While the initial film was based on a true story, the sequel is entirely fictional and expands on the central character of Popeye Doyle by placing him in Marseille. Hackman and Fernando Rey are the only returning cast members. The film is less acclaimed than the original, but it is a very different work.

Doyle is a fish out of water in this film, and the xenophobia he displayed in the original film doesn't serve him well in unfamiliar surroundings. Hackman's performance is one of the film's best aspects, particularly a sequence during which he is going cold turkey from heroin.

The music was composed and conducted by Don Ellis, who was returning from the original film. It is a very challenging modernistic score with many jazz elements. A CD was released by Film Score Monthly paired with the music from the first film.

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