The best editing in a movie
Even the slower paced moments. It doesn't even seem to be only 90 minutes.
shareI liked the hand held cameras and the gritty feel of how it was done, but in some places the editing was too rough and there were discontinuities. Nicely done overall but sadly there were a few sloppy cuts here and there.
It was certainly not the best editing in a movie.
The only jarring cut I can think of is when Doyle starts running after Pierre Nicoli. The shot of Doyle looking down from the roof of a building at the fleeing felon on the pavement below, and two shots later, Doyle, a mere 60 yards behind his quarry is far too much ground to make up for a man chasing at average foot speed. However, that's not a problem with editing as much as it's a problem with continuity.
The film is superbly edited with a kinetic energy that was very different from the standard editing of its day. In style, it was mimicking films of the 1960's French New Wave (BREATHLESS, DON'T SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER, JULES & JIM, etc.), which used dis-continuous action and jump cuts to shake the viewers' complacency. Recent films like the BOURNE series, and TV shows like "Law and Order" have tried to capture the feel of this film with varying results. THE FRENCH CONNECTION's editing also helps capture the feel of New York City as a bustling, fast-moving metropolis.
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