The French Connection screenplay first page

The French Connection (1971) — Screenplay

A gritty New York narcotics detective risks everything to bust a sophisticated French smuggler behind a massive heroin pipeline.

Written by
Ernest Tidyman
Genre
Drama, Action, Crime, Thriller
Studio
Twentieth Century Studios
Length
115 pages

This screenplay is a masterclass in propulsive pacing and gritty realism, with a cat-and-mouse structure that keeps tension coiled. The unglamorous dialogue and documentary-style world-building make the chase feel urgent, while the detective's obsessive arc offers a strong study in flawed protagonists.

Read the full The French Connection (1971) screenplay in PDF, page by page, right here on Laper — or download the original script to study Ernest Tidyman’s scene work, dialogue and structure at your own pace. A free resource for screenwriters and film students learning Hollywood script format.

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