The French Connection

The French Connection, which won an Oscar for Best Picture, is a film about waiting. It is the story of two narcotics cops who investigate a shipment of heroin from France. Apart from the exciting subway and elevated-train scenes in which the cops chase the "frogs," and the finale in an abandoned warehouse, the majority of the movie consists of Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider standing on street corners or sitting in cars. I felt impatient.

It is interesting that director William Friedkin has Saturn opposite his Virgo Sun, Moon and Neptune. Saturn is the planet of delay, of the hard work involved in getting a job done; with Saturn, if often feels that the big payday will never come. The image of Hackman standing outside in the cold, drinking bad coffee, waiting for what seems like hours while the Frenchmen complete their lavish seven-course meal--that's Saturn. I imagine that Friedkin channels his own experience of a prominent Saturn aspect into this film; as opposed to nonstop action, the viewer gets a sense of the long hours of waiting and observing involved in a narc's job.

Friedkin has five planets in Virgo. Virgo is one of the rulers of policemen, since police are civil servants. With Friedkin's Lights conjunct Neptune, they are working in the Narcotics Division, Neptune being the ruler of drugs.

This Saturn opposition to Friedkin's Virgo planets, including Neptune, is reinforced with the placement of these planets in the 6th-12th house axis, which are naturally related to Virgo and Pisces, the latter of which is ruled by Neptune.

In the classic car chase of the movie, Hackman chases an elevated train, finally killing one of the Frenchman after the train has crashed. This scene corresponds with Friedkin's Mars in Scorpio (death by firearm) in the third house (on a train platform).

Friedkin also directed The Exorcist. Saturn opposite Neptune correlates with dark (Saturn) religious imagery (Neptune)--as with the defamed Virgin Mary statue--and the negative (Saturn) spiritual entity (Neptune) that possesses the little girl.

This essay was last updated on August 27, 2005.