Continuity mistake: When the drug tester gets done with testing the heroin, he blows out the lit candle on the bottom. But when there is a far shot of him talking, the candle is still burning.
Continuity mistake: At the beginning of the film in Brooklyn, it is obviously dark outside (nighttime). As they are chasing the guy from the bar, it all of a sudden is during the daytime as it is light outside.
Suggested correction: I think that it looks dark because they are under an elevated train track.
Continuity mistake: During the car chase scene under the "B" Elevated Train in Brooklyn (86th St.), Popeye passes the same curve at least 3 or 4 times. Look closely, you'll probably see the same movie theatre over and over again. Apparently, they rerun the same chase clip to increase the length of this scene.
Factual error: The "B" train which he is chasing normally runs on the right most track (there are 3 tracks on this particular line). The middle one is never used except for out of service trains. Most of the train stations on that line service the right or left track, not the middle one.
Continuity mistake: When Popeye's being shot at by the sniper, he's hiding behind a tree and rolls towards a wall that's relatively well-lit by sunshine. The angle changes and it's now completely in shadow.
Factual error: Check out the sign over the front of the train, it should read "B", not "N". The "N" train runs on an entirely different line.
Continuity mistake: During the car crash scene, the Commanding Officer, Popeye, Detective Russo and the other cop are walking toward the accident. Close shot of Popeye, as he says, "I say we keep sitting on Boca", and they all stop walking. Immediate cut to long shot, and they are all still walking toward the accident. (01:05:41)
Audio problem: As Popeye Doyle is chasing the elevated train, he is continually honking his car's horn to warn pedestrians and whoever else to get out of his way. One scene shows him with one hand firmly on the wheel, and he hits the top-most rim of the wheel in frustration, and the horn honks on both hits. That car did not have a rim-blow type horn mechanism - only Fords had those, and this was a Pontiac Le Mans.
Continuity mistake: During the subway chase scene, Popeye's car loses about a half dozen hubcaps! The hubcaps are back in place when Popeye parks the car at the end of the chase.
Continuity mistake: At the start of the movie in France, we see an undercover French policeman shot by Pierre Nicoli, if you look quickly when the policeman is shot, we can see blood splatter all over his face. However, when we see the wider shot of him falling down his face is clean and has no blood on it at all.
Audio problem: As Popeye and Detective Russo are in the bar staking out Sal Boca, each have drinks. As they raise the glasses to their mouths, the sound of clinking ice cubes is heard. When Popeye downs his drink, the ice clinking is again heard, even though there is actually no ice in his glass.
Factual error: Popeye's gun changes between a 6-shot Colt Detective Special and a 5-shot Smith and Wesson Model 36. Near the end of the movie when he thinks he's firing at Frog One, he shoots it eight times.
Suggested correction: This would only count as a mistake if the type of gun changed between shots...if that's what is meant, the specific time it happens should be made clear. Also, he reloads in the final scene, so firing eight total shots is not a mistake.
Audio problem: When Buddy is in Sal & Angie's asking Angie Boca to model for him, their lips rarely match their words. Sometimes they appear to be saying something else, and other times it looks like they aren't speaking at all. (00:24:25)
Factual error: In the beginning of the movie when the Frenchman is shot in the face, his face is instantly a mess of blood. In reality, an entrance wound from a pistol shot is a neat little hole (i.e. blood splatters from the bullet's exit wound, not the entrance). It would take awhile for blood to cover his face. (00:03:05)
Continuity mistake: When Popeye is tailing "Frog #1", he waits outside while the Frenchman eats a long lunch in a restaurant. At first, we see the Frenchman sitting in an interior seat, with another table of diners to his left. But by the time dessert is served, he's at a seat by the window.
Other mistake: The French hitman hijacks the subway train and orders the motorman not to stop at any station. But why? He has no idea that Popeye Doyle is doing something as quixotic as chasing the train by car.
Suggested correction: This is not necessarily an error. The hitman may have anticipated that Popeye would radio ahead to the next station to have officers arrest him when he emerged from the train or may have thought that stopping at the next station would provide Popeye with time to catch up to him while the train was stopped at the station. If the hitman's intention is to put as much distance between himself and Popeye as possible, doing what is necessary so the train does not stop at stations is plausible.
