Added: 3 years ago
From: petje72
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  • The technical flaw in this scene is that NYC subway cars have what is called a "dead man's feature" -- the motorman must apply pressure to the control handle in order for the train to move. If he should suddenly drop dead (or faint, as here), he hand would no longer be pressing down on the control handle and the brakes would kick in. But what the hell, it's a movie.

  • i remember playing gta4 where theres a mission based on this chase. love it!!

  • @datsome80 i remember the driver games where you had to chase after the train. always good fun

  • @arteddie oh yeah. that was awsome too :)

  • 1:12

  • One of the best chase scenes of all time. Everytime I drive in West Philadelphia I remember this movie. Especially when I drive under the subway tracks which are not a subway yet but will be soon enough as you go into Center city Phylly. Start at 69th street terminal and you can stop just about anywhere you need too for whatever cool stuff you need. But always be careful of your purse girls. I prefer a wallet in my pocket and some manly clothes for those trips.

  • How about the whole chase?

  • lol Gene Hackman looked a lot younger when this movie was made

  • @2indulgent That's 'cause this was 40 years ago.

  • ohh my god this is excactly like in the driver series like in driver 1 and 2 an 3 not 4 but hopefully 5 god this is awesome

  • On se croirait dans Driver 2, le jeu de ps1

    Avis aux amateurs :)

  • wow, wowwwww........

  • This scene always reminded me of how my mother used to drive back then.

  • remindz me of GTA 4 for some reason

    anywayz that movie kick some seriouz azz

  • The Bullit car chase rocks more because of th V8 (motor) BASELINE! :-) LOL

  • @ rachybaby

    It was not filmed in one take. Watch closely. He goes past the same landmarks multiple times and in different directions, it is heavily editied, he passes the stations out of order and in clearly different takes. There was notification because my father knew about it and went to watch the filming across from Lafayette HS, which the car passes going the wrong way heading back towards Coney Island.

  • @bmj2k Correct. I lived in Brooklyn my whole life and that area I know very well. The chase scene is not in location order and repeats passing some landmarks. In fact, some parts of the scene show him going the wrong way. It's supposed to start on Stillwell Ave.(which is just at like 25th Ave) and 86st and end on 62st. and New Utrecht Ave (which is like 14th ave to give you an idea of distance). Some train shots are even going the wrong way.

  • @bmj2k The train in the shot should be going away from Coney Island (Brooklyn), heading into Manhattan when in fact, in some shots, it's direction is heading back to Coney Island where the trainyard is.

  • Oh, and by the way, this is my 600th fav. :D

  • He's not very good at this, is he? :P

  • I lived not took far from where this scene took place. I remember that every timeI drove under the El, I wanted to drive my father`s Plymouth like this! One of the best car chases ever, the realism makes it all the more believable.

  • Ignoring the circumstances of how this was made, how could anyone consider this the greatest chase scene ever?

    Vanishing Point and Bullitt came out before this movie and had much better chase scenes negating the pioneer of the genre theory.

    Gone in 60 Seconds, Ronin, Transporter, Blues Brothers, and The Rock have done better too.

    I am sorry but following a train through New York weaving in and out of traffic with a couple fender benders; narrowly missing some people real or not isn't exciting.

  • @lambofkhan The car chase in The Rock doesn't count because that movie is warmed-over dog shit.

  • @lambofkhan Bullits chase was a car chasing a car,m with no other cars in the way, this is a level higher by having a car chasing a train with lots of other cars and people in the way

  • @lambofkhan I think the reason why this chase scene is superior to all the the other chase scenes in the movies you mentioned is because it isn't JUST a chase scene--it exemplifies the character of Popeye Doyle. His actions and expressions, animated with single-minded impatience, rage and persistence MAKE this scene exciting. The chase itself is brilliantly shot and cut together extremely well, but I believe it is Hackman's terrific intensity that makes it so unforgettable.

  • @keikoreo COMPLETLY TRUE AN RIGHT!

  • The funny thing is that the real events of this drama took place almost a decade ago, so you wouldn't have seen some of these cars then. Also, the stash was NOT in the car, go read the book to find out where it was hidden.

  • This is a great scene, of course, but be sure and watch the entire film. 2011 marks the 40th anniversary of "The French Connection," which was filmed in 1970 and released in 1971. The film won Best Picture, Best Director, for William Friedkin, and Best Actor, for Gene Hackman, who was playing the fictitious New York City narcotics policeman, which was based on two real-life New York City narcotics officers. The stunt driver for the chase scene was Bill Hickman, who also played a federal agent.

  • @thefrontpage Excellent synopsis. The aforementioned Bill Hickman was also the driver of the 1968 Black Dodge Charger Magnum-RT being pursued by Steve McQueen in his "Highland Green" 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback

    in arguably the greatest movie car chase of all time: 1968's "Bullitt." Which one an Academy Award for Best Film Editing. This award might have made "Bullitt" the ONLY motion picture in history to win an Oscar for it's car chase sequence. Damn.

  • This starts about halfway through the actual chase - missing is the attempting shooting of Popeye Doyle, Nicoli's escape onto the train, and Popeye commandeering the Pontiac to pursue, plus the initial stages of the chase.

  • fuckin classic 

  • so thts where gta4 got the idea from on the mission the puerto rican connection

  • wow. amazing chase. reminds me of the game "Driver" (the first one), you could get into amazing and very hard chases there.

  • @KINGmatan

    i said exactly the same thing when watching in tonight on Film Four....i loved that game! especially the psycho police cars lol

  • Man this is an intense scene! This is one of my favorite movies!

  • Man, the guy who owned that car Hackman took is gonna be piiiissed...

  • gta4

  • 1:29 black dude is giving birth right there in the train doorway BWAAAhahahaha

  • Popeye Doyle is one bad mofo

  • marcel bozuffi& gee hackman...good actors !!!

  • A car chasing a fucking train.

    Man, that was creative.

  • @JohnFordDanceTroupe Why couldn't jackman merely call in to dispatch a cop car located on the other end of the tracks? Duh, the movie writers weren't thinking ahead

  • @DancingSpiderman The movie writers thought cleverly.

    My comment was in admiration than in sarcasm. I love this film. I have it on DVD.

  • @JohnFordDanceTroupe Yeah, OK, i was being flippant.

    The original The French Connection is downloadable for purchase only not rent for $9.99 for all you iTunes users.

  • @JohnFordDanceTroupe How old are you? Five?

  • @billybizar Actually, I'm being serious here.

  • @JohnFordDanceTroupe Ok sorry then.

  • @JohnFordDanceTroupe Do you know anything about the filming of that scean though??

    It was filmed in ONE take, NYC was not notified about this being filmed, the cars you see are just everyday people, and the stunt driver had to keep up with the train by any means, Onle ONE car other than the brown car was damaged!! NOW THAT IS DRIVING!!!!

  • @rachybaby13 I knew that it was filmed in one take.

    Read some of my replies to people who think that this comment is sarcastic. I love this film - I love car chases.

    I think William Friedkin outdid himself with this. This is the best car chase ever - adds to the gritty realism that the film conveys.

  • @JohnFordDanceTroupe this movie is old as balls of course its not going to be that modern

  • Brilliant acting by Gene Hackman... tremendously brilliant directing by William Friedken.

  • The French Connection is much better than that sucked Lord of the Rings shit is

  • This is a real car chase, cool, but how much were the citizens of New York traumatized? William Friedkin and all the other motherfuckers who perpetrated this must surely compensate them. We are talking millions of dollars.

  • It is such a shame that despite their best efforts, the American Movie Industry cannot make cool films anymore. Everything Hollywood produces nowadays (ca.2011) is formulaic lame crap; -Predictable & moronic. Hollywoods potentates were apparently hypnotised by Greed-Based-Lifeforms, Peddling 'box-office-takings' & dollar 'grab-grab-grab' mantras. -Cynical contempt for All & Any Art in Cinematgraphy.

    Hollywood Has Turned To Shit. -And Does Not Know It.

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  • Whatkills me is these classic pieces of iron being ruined :(

  • Reckless endangerment! Disregard for life and property! A cop with an obsession for a frenchman. And by the end of the chase,the car is only three feet wide. What more could you ask, hey?

  • The first smash with the White car at the beginning was real and unplanned. It was simply a local who was unaware of the filming and didn't expect to see a speeding stunt car.

  • lol at the end of this video looks like he got out of his car and stood there with his arm resting on the door saying How was my driving ? :D

  • Steve McQueen talentless and a former rent boy???  He fu@vkd and made movies with Natlie Wood, a woman you couldn't get on your best day, He f@cked and had a relationship with Ali McGraw, another woman you couldn't get on your best day....you have no clue what you are talking about.....Dear God, young ppl have never been more stupid and ill informed in the History of this country as they are now!!!

  • Bullit set the standard I love Steve McQueen, and he did the actual driving himself, not stuntmen, but just like sports records, they are meant to be broken, the car chase scene in the Seven - ups and this are more exciting, as it should be, people do try and top what has come before, although a Pontiac Venture might not have the looks of a Mustang, that was one hot car....the driving is amazing considering most American cars were made for comfort, not tight Europing handling backk then,

  • Wow! Cool car chase, I really wanna watch the film now!

  • Oh....Driver makes sense now :D

  • something's wrong with yotub's splling... dontcha thnk?

  • the very lat mment is like 12 monkeys!

  • Anyone knows what they mean by saying "picking your feet"?

    It has Something to do with drugs or something?

  • Probably the most pioneering chase scene in cinema history. It, in itself, was considered one of the best (if not controversial) scenes of any film of the early '70s.

    I remember when the film came out, just how talked about this scene was.

    It really did set the standard for every chase scene ever filmed since.

  • R42 train pair 4572-4573

    are preserved, thanks to hollywood

    and this epic movie

  • ......A William Friedkin Joint......

  • hard tae understand the adrenalin rush . ay .................ladies

  • some chase give me Steve McQueen and the Bullitt chase

  • This is definitely the best car chase ever put on film. Period. I also think that classic films like The French Connection prove that watching people sleuth can be much more interesting and suspenseful than a bunch of CGI robots fighting each other. 

  • @MatthewLedZepfan yeah because the bullshit of the transformers movies, sci-fi action movies, can even becompared to a 1971 crime thriller

  • @fathersky24688642 : True & utterly different anyway,

  • @MatthewLedZepfan Totally agree! Tron is for morons. MoronTrons. :)

  • Doyle (to guy whose car he commandeered): "Here's your car back"

    guy: "Uh...you keep it"

  • 2:22 It's the Thomas brake sound!

  • this makes me want to play Driver lol

  • This movie is one of the best ever!

  • 1 from the best movies i ever had.....

  • The movie that started it all...

    Bourne Identity's grandfather!

  • just ok

  • Yes I was picking my feet in Poughkeepsie

  • What's really stunning about this car chase is that New York City--where this sequence was shot--was not notified in any way about this chase segment being filmed. Which is simply incredible. But true. Aside from the staged crash impacts along the route of this chase sequence, the regular vehicular traffic was 100% real. Unbelieveable. This could never happen today. Which is what makes this chase sequence all the more thrilling, dangerous, and worth the price of admission. 

  • @B304A124 Just Not True

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  • @B304A124 plus, it seems they use the same car for all the takes, unlike hollywood movies nowadays...

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  • @B304A124 wow dude im doing a movie project and that info will help out soo much!

  • What make model and year was the red car? looks like a pontiac...

  • @sandrochatlos1 It is a 1971 Pontiac Lemans.

  • Certainly far better than Bullitt.

  • I read somewhere that Bill Hickman(he drove the 68 Charger in Bullitt)was also at the wheel in this movie....Anybody know for sure?

  • @68bobba Yes Bill Hickman did most of the driving for Gene Hackman in that famous car chase French Connection and what a fine job he did

  • @68bobba Yes he was. He was Gene Hackman's stunt driver substitute in that red/orange Pontiac.

  • @68bobba Bill Hickman also played the roll of federal agent Mulderig in this film. If you watch the car chase in The Seven-Ups, he is driving the Pontiac Catalina. Pretty cool, an actor that doesn't need a stunt double to do his driving!!

  • 16 people picked their feet in Poughkeepsie

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  • @guthywoodry Hollywood will only get good when its near bankruptcy.

  • I think my other half learned to drive while watching this in the theater when it came out. He's from Brooklyn.

  • wow this scene to me will always be to the greatest chase scene ever. even with all the special effects and cgi in today's world, no movie date looks as intense as this one. At least to me for that matter.

  • An okay chase. Would've been better without the Ford Pinto in the action seat.

  • chase was good but there are way tooo many technical errors..I lived in the area and those cars went up and down the same streets several times..and the legend that the baby stroller was an accident(the story was that the woman crossing the street walked past the barriers during filming right into the chase) is also untrue..also the train passes the same point several times...but it was still one of the best car chases in movies

  • the best car chase was in the blues brothers

  • What street in Brooklyn was that? Or what train line?

  • @firstpeter31822 Thats 86 St. Right under the D Line

  • @firstpeter31822 New Utrecht Avenue between Bay 50th Street Station along Stillwell Avenue, into 86th Street and finally right into New Utrecht Avenue, ending at 62nd Street Station

  • I remember this scene sort of being used as a mission scenario in Grand Theft Auto IV. This is an awesome movie, btw!

  • Which train line was that above?. I tried pausing it rite before everyone slammed into that R38 train to see if I can read the destination sign on it but I couldn't see.

  • 86th street bridge!

  • GTA 4 pretty much ripped this off

  • ....And all that, just to ask the guy if he'd ever picked his feet in Poughkeepsie !

  • Certainly far better than the car chase in that slow and boring film Bullitt.

  • it's Driver on Ps1!!!

  • @heyheyscotty You mean DRIVER 2 on the ps1 because in driver 2 the 3rd misson is were you have to follow the train in Chicago

  • According to the extras DVD, there was no announcement a movie was being made to anyone along the streets. The streets were not closed. No intersections were blocked. All of the traffic you see, both vehicles and pedestrians, were normal people going about their business. The only exception is the woman with the baby carriage, which was a staged. The stunt driver went up to 90 MPH and all of the crashes are real and accidental. The director admitted how reckless and irresponsible they were.

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  • Certainly far better than that slow, dated, boring film Bullitt with the cancer-ridden former male prostitute McQueen.

  • @JuanMacready you are a bitter twisted little ORANGE man is that why you have so much HATE ...what sort of an IRISHMAN are you ..stop this hate towards Steve McQuinn he's done NOTHING on you ....some PADDY you are and this is coming from an Irish American who is very proud of my mother country

  • @hungryherbie Remember the Battle of the Boyne.

  • @JuanMacready Paddy my friend thats ancient history .but what I want to know from you is why do you HATE Steve McQueen so much ....what the hell has this man done to you boy !!!..is it a religion thing !!! ..thats all I'm interested in

  • @hungryherbie He was a male prostitute in New York from 1950 to 1952.

  • @JuanMacready So Paddy you HATE Steve McQueen because of what he allegedly has done in his early days...so all these vile comments towards Steve was all because of this ...that really proves it,, you my son need to get out more and meet new friends and start living in the 21st.century and get all that hate out of your system or it will destroy you life

  • I love this chase , but Bullitt? that was the best, I saw that movie on the old big screen theaters the year it was made, your stomach was along for the ride , plus Steve did his own driving, the car he drove was same model I wanted all my life

  • @uncledonny100 Actually it was Bud Ekins who did the driving, not the talentless rent boy McQueen.

  • He didn't wear a seatbelt the whole time.

    EPIC.

  • @jawsfan95 NO ONE did back then...and we're still here...

  • @reprobacious I know, i'm just saying that it was funny that he crashed into so many cars and didn't even get a scratch on him.

  • @jawsfan95 the reason why Gene didn't get a scratch was because his driving was done in the studio

  • @hungryherbie I know dude, it was made by 20th Century Fox and it was the same director of the Exorcist. Im just saying that since its such a great car scene it was funny to me that he didnt wear a seatbelt. Its a joke, im not serious. I guess my sense of humor is different from yours. Its just a movie. Lets all enjoy it.

  • @jawsfan95 it was an excellent movie but Gene's car chasing the train was really unrealistic attention to detail was out the window back then because the car was completely wrecked from all the crashes and still driving and Gene the whole time with no seat belt and not a scratch..but having said all that it was still enjoyable ....cheers

  • Great Movie, Great scene, but not better than Bullitt.

    By the way, is it me, or does this scene remind anybody of Liberty City's Grand Theft Auto: IV?

    If you've played it.

  • @dontsuck12

    No but this scene reminds me of Driver 2.

  • This scene always reminded me of how my mother used to drive back then.

  • I still live in this neighborhood and people still think they can drive like that on 20th avenue lol.

  • the train used in that chase is preserved now :3

  • Gene Hackman was far better than the cancer-ridden McQueen.

  • @JuanMacready you are a very disturbed young boy ...will you grow up and stop running down one of the bravest ..fearless actors of his generation and beyond

    you should pray that you don't suffer with the same illness when your time comes

  • @JuanMacready to say he was talentless and a former rent boy is one thing which of course is YOUR opinion ..but to be glad he died from cancer at 50 ...what's the matter with you are you sick in the head ..what has Steve McQueen done on you or are just an attention seeking Susan...you need to get out more and meet lads your own age and if Steve was alive to-day he would kick your butt from one end of a street to the other at 80

  • @hungryherbie : Hooray for another excellent post at keyboard cowards...........

  • @hungryherbie Well said. If you look at JuanMacready's other comments he's seriously disturbed and obsessed with cancer for some bizarre reason.

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  • @hungryherbie same piece of shit posted the same thing on bullit car chase

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  • @hungryherbie Knowing Karma, JuanMacready will be struck down by the same disease. Then he'll regret his words.

  • @Grimmvald I wouldn't wish that on anyone this Juan guy is just a 16 year old kid

    who wants to shock people I wouldn't give him any bait that's all he wants just let him get on with his sad little life and ignore his comments ...cheers mate

  • Gene Hackman is much better than Paul Newman was

  • @92af ...in what way !!! acting Gene was better then Paul driving fast cars Paul was better then Gene

  • @92af Only if you're a crack smoking retard....

  • What about the chase in the orignal Gone in 60 Secounds.

  • Really a very good crime film and car chase as well, but I do like Bullitt because of the giant charisma of Steve Mc.Queen.

  • YES ONE OF MY FAVORITE HOLLYWOOD CAR CHASES. BUT MY FAVORITE THAT TO ME IS UNDERATED.WOULD BE THE SEVEN UPS CAR CHASE. HANDS DOWN ACTION FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END!

  • there goes his no claims 

  • This is the best car chase ever, certainly far better than Cancer Boy McQueen in that slow, dated, boring crapfest Bullitt.

  • i didn't know somebody filmed my driving

  • hah that 71' lemans is badass it just gets beat to shit but it keeps going. I'd say this is just rigght behind Bullitt's car chase

  • Actually, Hackman did the driving on the streets that were not considered dangerous or stunts, Bill Hickman did the rest.

  • By the way : The car chase in " Bullit " is fantastic and I liked Steve McQueen ...

  • In my opinion the best car chase in film history - but , as I said : IN MY OPINION !

    It's always a question of taste and there's no need to insult other people below the belt ...

  • @lilrob328 Crime drama.

  • Gene Hackman....as fine an actor that ever lived....elevated it into another

     hemisphere.........

  • @tennispro561 Hackman was certainly a far better actor than the talentless rent boy midget McQueen. No wonder Brando hated little Steve as well.

  • Those are actually real cars he's driving past. They didn't bother to close the road.

  • @MrGooseberries I heard something like that, where parts of the car chase might have been made off the cuff and he scene was filmed...somehow...with some real, live traffic. The baby carriage, and I am hoping the truck he ran into, must have been staged. But, over all I believe this to be one damned hell of a car chase.

  • This was the best car chase ever... pitting a car against a train.

    Friedkin was a genius... to create suspense like this... that is what made the chase so great...

  • Much better than Bullitt.

  • @JuanMacready yes very good car chase but not better then Bullitt ...Steve McQueen did most of the driving where as Gene Hackman all his work was done in the studio.... Bullitt was the first real car chase of quality back in 1968 the rest of the car chase movies got their inspiration from the original who set the standard and that of course was Bullitt ..nevertheless this clip was excellent

  • @hungryherbie Well Steve did the driving til he crashed the car..than Carey Loftin took over for most of the rest of filming of that scene

  • @streeTkiDwannaBe yes he did but Steve did most of it ..and he was never afraid to

    to do most of his own stunts anything that goes fast...fearless