Narc: The Friedkin Connection

Director William Friedkin was given a vhs copy of Narc to watch because he was told that Carnahan was a fan. Having heard this before Friedkin was unimpressed until he watched the film and loved it. He discusses Narc in relation to the films of his that compare to it, praising the performances, the setting and the wider issues around the police work.

One of four documentaries on the Narc UK DVD, each lasting about 12 minutes long, this is an interesting piece that may not be as good as a full documentary on the subject but is still interesting. The question I couldn't shake was why they didn't just put all of the shorts together and edit it into an hour long documentary; maybe they thought people get put off by a longer feature and prefer it in smaller chunks.

This section of the four could easily have been just a big pointless piece of praise from director Friedkin. At times it veers very close to becoming this but it manages to hold it together. Friedkin compares this film with the themes in his own work and talks bout the role of the police now compared to back in the 70's, the frustration he has now that cops will be kicked off the force now for doing whatever it takes to get to the truth; whether or not you agree with him will depend on your politics but he is still interesting to listen to. His comparisons with his own films are fair and balanced and, although he does praise the film, it isn't unfair praise and it isn't overwhelming.

Overall, this is not as good as the `pure' making of documentaries that feature on the DVD but it is different and interesting enough to justify watching for the 10 minute running time.