William Friedkin’s 1971 thriller French Connection tells the story of bent cops ‘Popeye’ Doyle and Buddy ‘Cloudy’ Russo as they attempt to foil a large narcotics smuggling operation from Marseille, France to New York City. The film is shot in both cities, portraying them as mean and sinister. New York seems unrelentingly cold, grey and run down whilst Marseille is a murky port of narrow alleys and criminal overlords. Indeed, French Connection has probably done more to solidify an unsavoury reputation of Marseille than any other film – a reputation both deserved and unjust. Nowadays both cities are for the most part very different places. Marseille is this year’s European Capital of Culture. Millions of euros have been injected into city-wide renovations and new museums in a town that was already up-and-coming on its own. Yet, it is a city that retains an essential character distinct from other cities. Like New York, it… Read More