Hackman's electrifying performance as Popeye Doyle won him an Oscar, and transformed him overnight from supporting player to star. Shot verité-style by director Friedkin, this breathless, spellbinding movie evokes the slightly fraying quality of New York forty-five years ago, when a fiscal crisis loomed. This only adds to the grit and edginess of this intense film — without question, one of the best cop movies ever.