as long a there be criminal and film will be make about their exploit . though what we call a gangster film in the 1970 bear little resemblance to the classic of the 1930 and it be still a film about big time criminal and organize crime only the baddie have be change to assist identification badge 373 be a case in point it be a simple story and base on the exploit of eddie egan and a real new york policeman who also and for good measure and play a part in the film ryan and a new york detective and be suspend for cause the death of a puerto rican dope runner take a job a a bartender and he learn that his old partner on the force have be kill then and with the law against him because he be no longer a policeman and and harass also by the villain and he set out to avenge his friend murder the twist be that these villain be no longer liquor and heroin smuggler and big time gambler or bank robber they be puerto ricans some of them be men who seek to foment a revolution on their island while others and lead by a sinister figure in dark glass call sweet william and be the crooked element who will supply the necessary gun and ammunition ryan and play by robert duvall and wag his own solitary war against both party it a rough and tough and ruthless film and in which duvall be as brutal a his adversary while towards the end and he callously chop down a night watchman in order to gain entrance to the brooklyn dock in fact and it be very difficult to have sympathy for any of the character in badge 373. perhaps this be intentional perhaps cinema audience of the future will not require to identify sympathetically with the character they watch certainly and this be true in the french connection . no one could deny that it be a tremendously exciting film . but could anyone have a feeling of sympathetic identification with the central cop character . gene hackman stir the blood and but it be difficult to be concern about whether he live or die .