Not to offend anyone who liked this film, but I simply couldn't find anything inherently good about it. Except for the car chase, but then again, couldn't the two villains have had some sort of dialog! For the entire car chase the two don't utter a word! Unbelievable. Also unbelievable was the young babe in her mid twenties who's purported to be McQueen's girlfriend!

Bad script and wooden acting = bad movie.

The movie came out in '68, one year after I was born and I had always heard great things about the chase scene, but to me this alone doesn't warrant purchasing this film. Sorry.

Should have bought the SD-DVD! I should add that the transfer was pretty good.

Not to offend anyone who liked this film, but I simply couldn't find anything inherently good about it. Except for the car chase, but then again, couldn't the two villains have had some sort of dialog! For the entire car chase the two don't utter a word! Unbelievable. Also unbelievable was the young babe in her mid twenties who's purported to be McQueen's girlfriend!

Bad script and wooden acting = bad movie.

The movie came out in '68, one year after I was born and I had always heard great things about the chase scene, but to me this alone doesn't warrant purchasing this film. Sorry.

Should have bought the SD-DVD! I should add that the transfer was pretty good.

I have to agree with you. I had never seen the film and cought it in HD on one of the HD movie channels a couple of months ago. I had heard so much about it that I talked my wife into watching it with me. At the end, we looked at each other and said "what was that"?

Happy 40th by the way!

Car chases should have limited or no dialog at all. The focus is on the drivers chasing each other in a car.

Ronin has my favorite car chases. The second been the best and it has relatively no dialog during that chase.

Car chases should have limited or no dialog at all. The focus is on the drivers chasing each other in a car.

Ronin has my favorite car chases. The second been the best and it has relatively no dialog during that chase.

All right, how about this. At the very start of the chase when they're looking for the Mustang, can't one of them say "where did he go"? Or about, "you keep an eye on the road and I'll try to shoot the guy with my Winchester pump shot gun"!

Ridiculous really.

I wouldn't call it "brutal", but I don't think it has aged well. Bullitt was a ground-breaking film for its time, but now the plot seems rather thin and does not have a satisfying conclusion. I just watched my HD DVD last night for the first time, and it wasn't until almost the end that I remembered I had seen the whole movie only a few years ago. This is a good indication, for me anyway, that the plot is not very "memorable". The chase scene, of course, is still awesome (and it is fun in HD).

This movie has never been one of my favorites, but bits and pieces of it (the car chase, some of McQueen's stuff) work great. I take it out every few years for a spin, but it isn't amazing. "Brutal" is harsh, but it's definitely "meh".

Still, the HD DVD includes a *fantastic* documentary about McQueen... and an even MORE fantastic documentary about film editing (in HD!) This is one title that's worth getting even just for the supplements.

One thing I did notice, though-the cheap hotel had rooms for "$7-12 per week"! WOW, how things have changed in San Francisco... Now, even in a run-down hotel like that, rooms would cost US$300 per week or more.

I wouldn't call it "brutal", but I don't think it has aged well. Bullitt was a ground-breaking film for its time, but now the plot seems rather thin and does not have a satisfying conclusion. I just watched my HD DVD last night for the first time, and it wasn't until almost the end that I remembered I had seen the whole movie only a few years ago. This is a good indication, for me anyway, that the plot is not very "memorable". The chase scene, of course, is still awesome (and it is fun in HD).

It hasn't aged well at all. I couldn't finish the film and my 27 year old girlfriend left the room without returning after about 30 mins into the film.

I liked the scene when McQueen is called in the early morning and after hearing the call, says he would be there in 5mins time. Well, by the time he arrives it was a crime scene with ambulance and all, rather than him finding out who was calling from the hotel lobby!

i didnt care for it expect for the car stuff, I thought the transfer was pretty bad, even for a older movie.

Should have bought the SD-DVD!
That pretty much negates the rest of your post/thread.
Why buy a brutally bad movie?
Why buy an SD DVD when you can have a HD DVD?
"Brutal".

You also negected to mention one thing about the movie:
Steve McQueen.

That pretty much negates the rest of your post/thread.
Why buy a brutally bad movie?
Why buy an SD DVD when you can have a HD DVD?
"Brutal".

You also negected to mention one thing about the movie:
Steve McQueen.

I don't understand your post BIG ED. Have you've been drinking too much California Wine?
How was I to know whether the movie is any good if I haven't seen it? That's absurd!
Bullitt @ Amazon 76 used & new available from $7.99
I pre-ordered during the dry season for HD tiltes

I hate threads like this because I feel strongly that a film has to be viewed in the context of the era it was created. Films today have tons of flash- special effects, extreme camera movement, extreme closeups, quick edits just to name a few. It's important to realize however that films are built on the achievements of others. Bullitt is a perfect example. The car chase scene of this movie was by far the best of it's era. So much so that the car chase subsequently became a cliche in hollywood action movies. For it's day this was a great movie.

I for one have come to dislike the quick edits and extreme closeups that are used in todays movies. I would like to see more directors take the John Ford approach of minimalist camera movement, extended cuts and just let the actors act. Check out the Searchers on HD-DVD this is a great example of a minimalist director allowing the actors to do their thing.

Also one other thing about the lack of dialog in Bullitt. During the late 60's and early 70's this was considered cool. Watch some of the scenes of "Play Misty For me" with Clint Eastwood for example (or any of the early Clint Eastwood movies for that matter). Very similar minimalist dialog. Personally I think the lack of dialog between the bad guys in the car chase scene adds a lot darkness to their characters because it shows them as being unemotional professionals which makes them even more serious and dangerous of an adversary.

Last night I watched the Dinosaur stampede chapter of "King Kong" and thought about how much better this scene was than anything in Jurassic Park. But again it's important to realize that King Kong like all fairly recent movies was built on the work of earlier pioneers. I don't think we would have a scene like this if it weren't for the earlier work in Jurassic Park.

I hate threads like this because I feel strongly that a film has to be viewed in the context of the era it was created. Films today have tons of flash- special effects, extreme camera movement, extreme closeups, quick edits just to name a few. It's important to realize however that films are built on the achievements of others. Bullitt is a perfect example. The car chase scene of this movie was by far the best of it's era. So much so that the car chase subsequently became a cliche in hollywood action movies. For it's day this was a great movie.

I for one have come to dislike the quick edits and extreme closeups that are used in todays movies. I would like to see more directors take the John Ford approach of minimalist camera movement, extended cuts and just let the actors act. Check out the Searchers on HD-DVD this is a great example of a minimalist director allowing the actors to do their thing.

Also one other thing about the lack of dialog in Bullitt. During the late 60's and early 70's this was considered cool. Watch some of the scenes of "Play Misty For me" with Clint Eastwood for example (or any of the early Clint Eastwood movies for that matter). Very similar minimalist dialog. Personally I think the lack of dialog between the bad guys in the car chase scene adds a lot darkness to their characters because it shows them as being unemotional professionals which makes them even more serious and dangerous of an adversary.

Last night I watched the Dinosaur stampede chapter of "King Kong" and thought about how much better this scene was than anything in Jurassic Park. But again it's important to realize that King Kong like all fairly recent movies was built on the work of earlier pioneers. I don't think we would have a scene like this if it weren't for the earlier work in Jurassic Park.

While I'm comparing apples to oranges here, my favorite movie of 2006 was 'The Good Sheppard'. No flash there, just a great cast with some historical significance and an excellent script.

I found the exchanges between the actors in Bullitt lacked any fluidity. Like I said earlier, wooden. As someone stated in an earlier post, for me simply having McQueen in the film isn't a slam dunk. While he may have epitomized "cool" in his time, I didn't sense that here. He just looked like an old guy with a hot young girlfriend.

I work in an intensive care unit and was appalled by just how poorly scripted the scenes in the hospital were.

I do however appreciate you taking the time in offering some insight on the film.

Cheers.

My take is basically the opposite of most posts here.
I've come to enjoy and appreciate the film more with each viewing. The first time I ever saw it, back in the late 80s I was of the same mindset as a lot of posters- "what's the big deal?"
Now, I appreciate the quiet of the film. These people are professionals. There's no melodrama, they just do their work (well, save for the senator, of course).
I'm the same age as the OP, but I can't stand the state of most modern action films.

I'll take Bullitt anyday over Bad Boys and it's ilk.
Unfortunately I'm one of only a couple hundred apparently that will :(

I don't understand your post BIG ED. Have you've been drinking too much California Wine?
How was I to know whether the movie is any good if I haven't seen it? That's absurd!
Bullitt @ Amazon 76 used & new available from $7.99
I pre-ordered during the dry season for HD tiltes

Have you ever considered renting? Just a thought.


Also, have you watched the two documentaries yet? As I mentioned, those are the real cream on this HD DVD.

I'll agree with those who say the movie hasn't aged well, but I love the car chase too. I think there's an extra on one of the DVD releases on the "making of" the car chase. It was all driven by the actors and done in real time, at speed.

Well, this movie wasn't revelutionary, IMO, but it wasn't horrible. If you want a horrible movie, watch Catch and Release, or Happily Never After (there are two mistakes I made recently).

I didn't really like the ending to Bullitt. It seemed a bit weak. I watched it for the first time when the HD DVD was released and I would say that overall it was at least an average movie. There were some big plot holes that went unfilled too, in addition to the ending.

Steve McQueen was stone cold and the car chase was great, but not as great as it is hyped up to be. I have a feeling this will be one of those films that gets a modern remake soon.

I hate threads like this because I feel strongly that a film has to be viewed in the context of the era it was created.

I disagree. If reviewed as art, then yes. But I would argue that reviewed as art, Bullitt wouldn't fair well.

But, the "should you watch this movie" type review is perfectly valid (which is what he was doing). We cannot unlearn and unsee everything that we have learned and seen. Thus, for this type of review, it makes no sense to attempt to consider the situation. For this type of review, I would say it is wrong to insist the viewer must "cut it some slack" because of the bygone era it was created in.

Dave

I wouldn't call it "brutal", but I don't think it has aged well. Bullitt was a ground-breaking film for its time, but now the plot seems rather thin and does not have a satisfying conclusion. I just watched my HD DVD last night for the first time, and it wasn't until almost the end that I remembered I had seen the whole movie only a few years ago. This is a good indication, for me anyway, that the plot is not very "memorable". The chase scene, of course, is still awesome (and it is fun in HD).

Why'd you put memorable in quotation marks?

Have you ever considered renting? Just a thought.


Also, have you watched the two documentaries yet? As I mentioned, those are the real cream on this HD DVD.

Can't rent as I work and reside in Saudi Arabia. Not from here, just work here.

Can't rent as I work and reside in Saudi Arabia. Not from here, just work here.


Well, given that BIG ED likely didn't know this, I hope his post makes a bit more sense to you now. ;)

Bullitt was the first film to have a car chase scene. I think the car scenes in San Francisco is excellent. It's a film that probably influenced the Dirty Harry films and The French Connection. "Good Cop going against the system."
Special effects weren't done as CG effects as they're so frequently done today and budgets for films weren't anywhere what they are now.
Sure it looks like a B action film compared to today's action films, but that was probably the best you were going to get from a film from that time.

Ok, while brutal maybe a bit harsh, bad is probably more appropriate. I just gave it a 1 out of 10 over at IMDB. If I can't finish a movie, it's a 1. I stopped watching it at the point when McQueen's girlfriend followed the police into the hotel room to find a body of a strangled woman. Yet another completely unrealistic scene.

I defy anyone who's suggesting that this was a very good to great film to have another look and tell me that it stands the test of time. I'm curious about those that are defending this title, when did you last see it?

Not to offend anyone who liked this film, but I simply couldn't find anything inherently good about it.

Bad script and wooden acting = bad movie.


I would have to disagree. I see the acting and dialog in this movie as being tight and minimalist. Not over the top as many movies are made today.



Except for the car chase, but then again, couldn't the two villains have had some sort of dialog! For the entire car chase the two don't utter a word! Unbelievable.


As far as the car chase goes, no dialog is necessary between the two hitmen. If you believe those two are seasoned veterens who have worked together for years, then they already know what the other is thinking and what their individual roles are.

Saying things like "Where'd he go" and "Hey, I'll shoot him with the shotgun" would have been silly. They're actions and facial expressions convey everything that is necessary. Just watch the scene where the driver sees Bullitt in his rear view mirror for the first time and you'll see what I mean.



Also unbelievable was the young babe in her mid twenties who's purported to be McQueen's girlfriend!

The movie came out in '68, one year after I was born.

I couldn't finish the film and my 27 year old girlfriend left the room without returning after about 30 mins into the film.


Your joking, right? You're 40 years old and your girlfriend is 27, but you can't believe that a 38 year old Steve McQueen could have a girlfiend who is around 25? That's pretty funny.



I defy anyone who's suggesting that this was a very good to great film to have another look and tell me that it stands the test of time. I'm curious about those that are defending this title, when did you last see it?


I last watched it a couple of months ago when it was released on HD DVD. It was as good then as ever.

This is a movie I continue to enjoy. It's one of my favorites and I think it has aged quite well. For a ridiculous movie that hasn't aged well go see Bad Boys (as stated above) or Men In Black.

I watched this recently after not having seen it in years, and I loved it. It's an absorbing thriller, and a forerunner to the likes of Michael Mann's contemporary police procedurals. Everything's so matter-of-fact to these people, so why make any more of it? (As Paulidan says above.)

As much as people moan about Michael Bay and his ilk (not that I don't like the Bay), I'm sure they also yearn for a bit of 'cool' dialogue or hyperactive editing whenever their attention wanes. Me, I found Bullitt to be absolutely gripping from start to finish.

Not to offend anyone who liked this film, but I simply couldn't find anything inherently good about it.

Love that film! The car chase is fine, but it's the total film I enjoy. Perfect gritty police/crime drama! A true classic.

My take is basically the opposite of most posts here.
I've come to enjoy and appreciate the film more with each viewing. The first time I ever saw it, back in the late 80s I was of the same mindset as a lot of posters- "what's the big deal?"
Now, I appreciate the quiet of the film. These people are professionals. There's no melodrama, they just do their work (well, save for the senator, of course).
I'm the same age as the OP, but I can't stand the state of most modern action films.

I'll take Bullitt anyday over Bad Boys and it's ilk.
(
Amen! :) A great film with high dramatic tension and perfectly suited performances. One of my all time favorites!

Your joking, right? You're 40 years old and your girlfriend is 27, but you can't believe that a 38 year old Steve McQueen could have a girlfiend who is around 25? That's pretty funny.


I last watched it a couple of months ago when it was released on HD DVD. It was as good then as ever.

This is a movie I continue to enjoy. It's one of my favorites and I think it has aged quite well. For a ridiculous movie that hasn't aged well go see Bad Boys or Men In Black.

Yeah, why would Jacqueline Bisset be interested in McQueen??? That's so implausible...... :D

I think if you're young enough to watch this movie cold, having never heard of Steve McQueen, you might say to yourself, "what's the big deal..?" or even, "boy, that movie reminds me of every other cop flick I've ever seen...", which is precisely because every other cop flick made since Bullitt has copied it mercilessly!

I like the way McQueen plays off the corrupt politician (Robert Vaughn), the way that politician threatens the working stiff (McQueen) by leaning on his boss, and the way McQueen sticks to his principles by telling Vaughn to "work your side of the street, and I'll work mine". Yeah, some of this stuff seems cliched now, but at the time it was original.

You want a clunky cop movie from the sixties, try "Dirty Harry".....boy-oh-boy, that hasn't aged well. I tried watching it on TV right after I'd seen "Scorpio" at the theatre, and it was pretty painful. The funny thing is, acccording to "Scorpio", McQueen based his portrayal of the SF Police Detective on a real character who worked the Scorpio case.....

just my $0.02....

I'm 34 and I have seen Bullitt countless times (on VHS, DVD, and now HD) and it's still a good movie. I think a lot of people have become very jaded by the extremes of sensory (over)stimulation that modern action films seem obsessed with. If you're used to being bitch-slapped with sound and fury every time you watch a film, something like Bullitt is going to seem a trial. It's a question of expectation, I think. I, for one, appreciate that there was once a time when directors didn't feel it necessary to insert an operatic climax every 2-3 minutes. YMMV.

And: Steve McQueen was The Man. Him getting a piece like Jacqueline Bissett is not only believable but inevitable. McQueen got more hot young babes by accident than any of us will ever have in a lifetime of fantasizing. It hurts because it's true. :(

i saw this recently and really enjoyed the pq especially when shooting around san francisco. it's on another level when you know the city.

also i thought it was amusing that bullit was lauded for it's editing and it's so obvious how many times the same run down an sf street was used to make the chase seem longer.


over all it was good.

Not to offend anyone who liked this film, but I simply couldn't find anything inherently good about it. Except for the car chase, but then again, couldn't the two villains have had some sort of dialog! For the entire car chase the two don't utter a word! Unbelievable. Also unbelievable was the young babe in her mid twenties who's purported to be McQueen's girlfriend!

Bad script and wooden acting = bad movie.

The movie came out in '68, one year after I was born and I had always heard great things about the chase scene, but to me this alone doesn't warrant purchasing this film. Sorry.

Should have bought the SD-DVD! I should add that the transfer was pretty good.

Don't apologize - you're certainly entitled to your opinion, although I couldn't disagree with you more.

Have you ever considered renting? Just a thought.


Also, have you watched the two documentaries yet? As I mentioned, those are the real cream on this HD DVD.
The editing documentary shows you tons of films (well, just clips of course) in HD that aren't even on a list to be released in HD yet! :eek:

Worth the price of admission. Oh, and yes, it is a good film. McQueen is an underrated actor.

Bullit = Brutally Good

I defy anyone who's suggesting that this was a very good to great film to have another look and tell me that it stands the test of time. I'm curious about those that are defending this title, when did you last see it?

I watched it 30 days ago in its entirity. It turely is a piece of classic cinema. And actually worth watching multiple times. I have no bias towards the actors - I am a fan of none, I simply enjoy a good story, acted well and Bullit exceeded my expectations.

If you disagree then personally i believe it comes down to one of two things:

1) not your genre or
2) you find it hard to appreciate classic (not modern) films.

And because my girlfriend is in catergory 1) I choose to watch it without her.

The HDDVD is of superb quality, which is what we should be talking about here. And for the first time includes extras that i actually wanted to watch... in 1080p glory.

Well, I'm 28 and I watched it after it came out on HD DVD. I'll defend the film as worth watching, mainly for the car chase and Steve McQueen. While Vertigo and many other old films fall into a horrid waste of time to my opinion, I actually thought Bullitt was interesting. For instance while I like the new Bond movie, it would actually be cooler if they had the guts to make the action scenes less over the top like Bullitt. Where the airport scene was the worst part of Bullitt in my opinion, it still easily whips the absurd Casino Royale airport bit.

Sure there are some clear flaws in the storyline, but I'm willing to overlook some things if I find something I do like. What you called wooden might actually have been what I thought was good about the movie. I liked that Bullitt didn't have a whole lot of ridiculous in the action scenes. For instance I thought it was better that they didn't talk during the chase. I'd rather that unusualness than some played out stuff like hit him with the shotty #2. Basically the things you didn't like, I'd merely label as storytelling devices. Like when she walked into the room with the body, it was just to set up a later conversation. Sure it's contrived, but all fiction is contrived. So the foibles you listed, I found most of that amusing and quaint.

Sure, any movie I shut off I also automatically label as horrid. If some woman walks out of the room, well she might just have bad taste. So the other day I shut off Kung Fu Hustle because I guess it was trying to be funny and I wasn't laughing, just like how Blazing Saddles was able to do that. Far as I'm concerned both those movies rank as some of the worst films of all-time and can't touch pure genius like Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Whatta ya say, should I start some thread how each sucks harder than hard?

I read Hamlet a couple of months ago and thought it sucked. A lot of funny words. What was that all about?

Just kidding. Reasonable people can disagree, but I'm not sure younger viewers "get" Bullitt. The plot was routine stuff even at the time the movie was released, but you give in and go with the whole thing. McQueen defined cool. Still does. He didn't talk a lot. He didn't emote. He didn't need to. Lots of women, young and old, swooned over him.

The car chase is the mother of all car chases. The chase in The French Connection was an effort to top it, and every chase since owes it a debt. It created the movie car chase. I actually felt motion sickness seeing it on HD DVD.

By the way, it's a terrific transfer. It doesn't look like Superman Returns, but the movie didn't look that way in theaters in 1968 either. The disc is a faithful reproduction of 1968 film stock (or so say people who know a lot more about such things than I do).

Bullitt may not be your cup of tea, especially if you've grown up on 21st century tea, but for people who want a taste of another time and place, it's a gift.

Saying things like "Where'd he go" and "Hey, I'll shoot him with the shotgun" would have been silly. They're actions and facial expressions convey everything that is necessary. Just watch the scene where the driver sees Bullitt in his rear view mirror for the first time and you'll see what I mean.

My tongue was firmly tucked in cheek when I used "Hey, I'll shoot him with the Winchester pump shotgun". I said that b/c that was McQeen's retort when Mr. Roper from 'Three's Company' asked how he knew that was the guy that killed the witness.

Your joking, right? You're 40 years old and your girlfriend is 27, but you can't believe that a 38 year old Steve McQueen could have a girlfiend who is around 25? That's pretty funny.

Not joking! I didn't realize McQueen was 38 in the flick. I just thought he looked like he was in his mid 50's. I can totally see the mid 20's girlfriend now.


One man's perspective.

Cheers.

Your joking, right? You're 40 years old and your girlfriend is 27, but you can't believe that a 38 year old Steve McQueen could have a girlfiend who is around 25? That's pretty funny.


Cheers.


;)

Someone else said it more succinctly.

"A sense of being cool, calm and collected doesn't turn water into wine. Bullitt is plain, repetitive, agonizingly slow and almost completely without a plot. Don't consider me a philistine or someone who has been brainwashed by the over-edited nature of modern films where we're guaranteed and explosion every five minutes. I appreciate films from all eras and from all backgrounds. But Bullitt is just way, way overrated certainly does not deserve the high regard it's been lauded with. A real disappointment".

Not to offend anyone who liked this film, but I simply couldn't find anything inherently good about it. Except for the car chase, but then again, couldn't the two villains have had some sort of dialog! For the entire car chase the two don't utter a word! Unbelievable. Also unbelievable was the young babe in her mid twenties who's purported to be McQueen's girlfriend!

Bad script and wooden acting = bad movie.

The movie came out in '68, one year after I was born and I had always heard great things about the chase scene, but to me this alone doesn't warrant purchasing this film. Sorry.

Should have bought the SD-DVD! I should add that the transfer was pretty good.

Wait a minute. After dissing the film you state you should have bought the SD-DVD? Would you rather see a bad film with poor resolution or a bad film with good resolution? Anyway, I have always liked the movie.

Wait a minute. After dissing the film you state you should have bought the SD-DVD? Would you rather see a bad film with poor resolution or a bad film with good resolution? Anyway, I have always liked the movie.

No. Rather than spending greater than $25 to view the disk, I could have purchased a used SD-DVD from Amazon for significantly less.

Well it might not be the best movie ever made but it's certainly not horrible.

An excellent car chase, far better than fart can fest crap like Fast 'n Furious. Want to talk horrible let's talk Crank, Bad Boys, Men in Black, ......................................... (more than I can name)

I disagree. If reviewed as art, then yes. But I would argue that reviewed as art, Bullitt wouldn't fair well.


Film is an art form. The fact that 10,422 people have given it an average 7.5 out of 10 rating at imdb would suggest that they don't agree with you :)


We cannot unlearn and unsee everything that we have learned and seen.


No, but a person can become a self taught student of the genre and try to understand what the director is trying to get across with the tools that he had available at the time. Watch the supplemental information on "The Searchers" HD-DVD as a great example of knowledgeable people (scorcese, milius, hanson) dig into a movie and uncover some relative subtleties of directing that shows the genius that went into the movie. By todays standards The Searchers is a relatively boring movie, but there is a reason that this movie is a favorite in film classes and raved about by modern directors such as Spielberg.


Thus, for this type of review, it makes no sense to attempt to consider the situation. For this type of review, I would say it is wrong to insist the viewer must "cut it some slack" because of the bygone era it was created in.


This is really no different than looking at early works of art from the perspective of the tools and knowledge that the artisans had at the time. A modern painter with knowledge of perspective and lighting can create works that are much more realistic than those that were done in pre-rennaisance, but so what.

As another example, someone else in this thread dissed "Vertigo" and I feel the same way about that movie. Hitchcock was way ahead of his time and there is camera work in that movie that was groundbreaking. Check out the scene where the camera is pulled back on a dolly at the same time the lens is zoomed in. The net effect is to keep the subject (James Stewart) in the foreground but shift the background creating a dizzying effect. This effect is used all the time now, but it was Hitchcock that had the genius to first come up with it.

EDIT: I'll also add that I saw Bullitt in the theater in 1968 when it was first released (I was 10) so I do have a pretty good perspective of what it looked like then and how it compares now. It was a powerful and relatively violent movie for it's day. The car chase scene created quite a buzz.

We've become so desensitized with the films of this genre continually having to top one another in terms of car chase extravagance and violence that it seems tame now. This is nothing new though, check out ClockWork Orange. It was X rated when it was first released and it seems fairly tame now which is why the rating was changed to an R.

I love bullitt!
but sure if you expect the movie to be all car chasing then you will not like it i guess.
its the feeling the movie has that makes it so good!

Bullitt was the first film to have a car chase scene.
Bullitt was probably closer to the 30,000th film to have a car chase scene. Countless examples back to the start of the silent era. There's a car chase in Intolerance (1916) for pete's sake. OK, maybe it was a longer chase and better made than anything that came before it, but it was by no means the first.

I have not watched Bullitt for years but I find it amusing that people complain about the plot not standing up to scrutiny, as if that wasn't the case with 99.8% of movies made nowadays.

For those that didn't think the age disparity was believeable, don't forget that McQueen was 49 when he married 26 year old model Barbara Minty.

I was totally unimpressed with this movie... watched it for the first time on HD-DVD when it came out on the format.

Give me Ronin or any of number of other crime-action movies instead.

Good lord, there are people who don't like Bullitt? Are you serious?

I mean, it's like Bullitt and the French Connection, two classics that go hand in hand.

And who cares anyway, the chase makes the film worth it. Ronin(which is an excellent movie all around) does a decent job in trying to come close, but then again that's just stunt drivers. No stunt drivers in bullitt.

For those that didn't think the age disparity was believeable, don't forget that McQueen was 49 when he married 26 year old model Barbara Minty.

Lucky guy!

No. Rather than spending greater than $25 to view the disk, I could have purchased a used SD-DVD from Amazon for significantly less.

And saved, what $10.00 for a poor, blurry version? Consider the difference the cost of seeing it the best it will look.

I'll have to watch it again, but I recall watching it some years ago and laughing at the car chase. The same scene is inserted multiple times (evident from a certain parked car)...

I'll have to watch it again, but I recall watching it some years ago and laughing at the car chase. The same scene is inserted multiple times (evident from a certain parked car)...

I noticed one scene that gets repeated I think twice, but at different camera angles. That kind of thing isn't all that unusual today in action films. Not only was Steve doing his own driving, but those were his personal cars as well. That's one seriously unique film (he also drove the motorcycle that went down).

Hey, if you don't like it, don't buy it, but no reason to dis it.

Not to offend anyone who liked this film, but I simply couldn't find anything inherently good about it. Except for the car chase, but then again, couldn't the two villains have had some sort of dialog! For the entire car chase the two don't utter a word! Unbelievable. Also unbelievable was the young babe in her mid twenties who's purported to be McQueen's girlfriend!



I found the part about the girlfriend particularly amusing. At the time, Bisset was his girlfriend!

Steve McQueen also dated Ann-Margret, Judy Carne, Jacqueline Bisset (his Bullitt love interest), Mamie Van Doren, Sharon Tate and Faye Dunaway. Not to mention Ali McGraw.

As to the rest, I also could not disagree more. Bullitt set a standard for realism in cinema in it's release. Yes, the screenplay based on the novel Mute Witness has plot holes, that is true. But it doesn't matter. The movie is about one thing, watching the animal moves of the silent, actionful, alone persona that Steve McQueen created. Look at the style in which he even picks up his TV dinners in the corner market, or even gets a morning paper, he hits the box and steals it. He is so arresting, I can't take my eyes off him.

I'd also like to add that McQueen would go through his scripts beforehand and remove his dialogue or when he couldn't remove it, he gave his dialogue to another actor. He believed that the less he said, the more he could emote with his eyes....and he was right.

I grew up in a house where Steve McQueen, John Wayne, and Lee Marvin were revered.

Lee Marvin rocks. He's so underrated. See especially Hell in the Pacific.

For those that didn't think the age disparity was believeable, don't forget that McQueen was 49 when he married 26 year old model Barbara Minty.


I'm 51 and my wife is 27....and I am not even a movie star :)

Good lord, there are people who don't like Bullitt? Are you serious?

I mean, it's like Bullitt and the French Connection, two classics that go hand in hand.

And who cares anyway, the chase makes the film worth it. Ronin(which is an excellent movie all around) does a decent job in trying to come close, but then again that's just stunt drivers. No stunt drivers in bullitt.

McQueen did all his own driving in Bullitt and in LeMans. He was a closet racer like Paul Newman, except Newman actually did/does compete in several racing venues and is still part owner of the Newman-Haas CART (old Indy series) team.

I'm having a hard time believing some of these critical posts! :eek:

While not perfect, I cannot believe that any red-blooded American male, regardless of age group, doesn't at least appreciate Bullitt for what it is, the car chase, and Mr. Cool himself, Steve McQueen. I think this film is a classic in the crime-police detective-action genre. I agree, French Connection is another one. FC probably inspired many current writers & directors of drug & crime thriller films. Before Bullitt, I can't remember any movie showing a car chase scene like that. For a better McQueen film at the top of his career, try The Getaway.

Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but I would hope that some will appreciate its role in film-making.

Maybe in another 20 yrs, we'll look at Star Wars as hokey.;)
ss9001

I definitely appreciate the car chase, but it's about 10 minutes of the movie. My comment is about the movie in it's entirety.

And all the comments about there being no dialog between the assassins in the Barracuda, being boring, etc.

I mean really, folks, are we so used to hearing "I'm going to blast this motherf***er off the planet" in modern films, that we don't appreciate the fact that bad hit men don't HAVE to say anything to make their point! :rolleyes:

Also, thinking about several classic McQueen films, he kind of acted with minimalist dialog, the thing that made him "cool". The style of the times.

Are we so used to movies that look like pumped up MTV vids with gangsta talk & over-the-top fake action, that we can't enjoy a different perspective on a good cop vs. bad guy and crooked pol story?? I enjoy both styles, why is hard for others?

ss9001

The Epitome of Cool!

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/graphics/packageart/mugshots/mcqueenmug1.jpg

A lot of a persons true character comes out in stressful situations such as being arrested for DUI. McQueen responds a little differently in this situation than does say Mel Gibson...

"Lynn Burlingame, who was in Anchorage at the time, sent in these details: "My recollection is that McQueen was roaring up and down 4th Avenue at very high speed and turning brodies - drunker than hell. It was not just a time or two - he really raised hell for quite a while. When they did finally get him stopped they administered a field sobriety test, and he somersaulted down the white line. Once they got him arrested it was a pretty good time - sort of an autograph party in handcuffs.""

http://stvmcqueen.tripod.com/mugshot.html

McQueen did all his own driving in Bullitt and in LeMans. He was a closet racer like Paul Newman, except Newman actually did/does compete in several racing venues and is still part owner of the Newman-Haas CART (old Indy series) team.


I've got to correct what you, and others, posted about Steve doing all the stunt driving. This is NOT true. he started off doing the driving, but was not able to pull off some of the more aggressive maneuvers. If you watch the chase scene closely, when the rearview mirror is pointed away from the driver, it is a stunt driver. When you can see him in the mirror, it is him driving (obviously). At the beginning of the chase, he tries to turn a corner, and slides past it, and has to back up. That wasn't in the script. He misjudged, and couldn't make the turn. The Charger also takes out a camera early in the chase.

This can be verified by doing a google search.

About the older man/younger girl thing. I'm 47 and my last two girlfriends have been 27. :)
Life is good.

Art

Thanks for the correction. I do know he drove the Gulf-Porsche in LeMans, with the possible exception of the scene where his Porsche gets wrecked. Maybe that scene used a stunt driver, also.

"I'm 47 and my last two girlfriends have been 27."
And I'm envious :D

And all the comments about there being no dialog between the assassins in the Barracuda, being boring, etc.


If memory serves (I haven't opened my HD copy yet) it was a Charger (still MOPAR)

http://jimsgarage.wordpress.com/files/2007/01/bullitt-dvd-2.jpg

Thanks for the correction. I do know he drove the Gulf-Porsche in LeMans, with the possible exception of the scene where his Porsche gets wrecked. Maybe that scene used a stunt driver, also.


He was a very good driver. The driving in Bullitt required someone to really push to the edge on city streets, which a stunt driver could do better (safely). He did *most* of the driving, just not all of it. He had a big ego though, and told everyone he did *all* the driving in the movie. It was a big advertising point as well.

I didn't find out the truth until 4 years ago, and rewatching (just watched it again last weekend with a couple friends) the chase scene verified it. What bothers me is that he lied about it. :(

Art

Yes, it was a Charger and I'm sure Ford sold several Mustangs at that time based on the popularity of the film.

One other piece of trivia from "Bullitt" that I find interesting: The Charger driver (forgotten his name) is the same guy who drove the getaway car during the chase scene in the Roy Scheider film "Seven Ups".

He was a very good driver. The driving in Bullitt required someone to really push to the edge on city streets, which a stunt driver could do better (safely). He did *most* of the driving, just not all of it. He had a big ego though, and told everyone he did *all* the driving in the movie. It was a big advertising point as well.

I didn't find out the truth until 4 years ago, and rewatching (just watched it again last weekend with a couple friends) the chase scene verified it. What bothers me is that he lied about it. :(

Art

Hmmmm....no so sure about that....(the lying part, I mean). I've seen the Biography Channel special on McQueen and they use a piece from the filming of Bullitt (as well as a lot of footage of Steve racing dirtbikes) and it had some great footage of McQueen talking with the stunt drivers and describing in his own words how the chase scenes were filmed. If memory serves, he said that he took some of the best stunt guys he could find as well as one of the worst, himself, and then worked though each part of the chase to make it work together as a single sequence in the film.

I can recall seeing the same guy driving the Charger also racing James Garner in some of the car chases from the Rockford Files series of the mid 70's.

Yes, it was a Charger and I'm sure Ford sold several Mustangs at that time based on the popularity of the film.

One other piece of trivia from "Bullitt" that I find interesting: The Charger driver (forgotten his name) is the same guy who drove the getaway car during the chase scene in the Roy Scheider film "Seven Ups".

Yeah, I got Charger & Barracuda mixed up. I'm not up as much as some of u on details. But I know u're right on the Seven Ups trivia.

ss9001

Robert Vaughan, as I recall, was the driver of that Charger. As r_hill might know from that Biography episode, McQueen didn't even want to do Bullitt. This was ~1968, the height of 60's civil unrest, and he thought he might permanently damage his career playing a cop. LOL. Boy was he wrong. McQueen's another one of those actors whom you might not say was a great actor, but there was some unquantifiable something about him that made him very watchable. You could say that about a lot of screen legends.

You can be either a Steve or a Stu, and nobody wants to be a Stu....

:cool:

I hate threads like this because I feel strongly that a film has to be viewed in the context of the era it was created. Films today have tons of flash- special effects, extreme camera movement, extreme closeups, quick edits just to name a few. It's important to realize however that films are built on the achievements of others. Bullitt is a perfect example. The car chase scene of this movie was by far the best of it's era. So much so that the car chase subsequently became a cliche in hollywood action movies. For it's day this was a great movie.

I for one have come to dislike the quick edits and extreme closeups that are used in todays movies. I would like to see more directors take the John Ford approach of minimalist camera movement, extended cuts and just let the actors act. Check out the Searchers on HD-DVD this is a great example of a minimalist director allowing the actors to do their thing.

Also one other thing about the lack of dialog in Bullitt. During the late 60's and early 70's this was considered cool. Watch some of the scenes of "Play Misty For me" with Clint Eastwood for example (or any of the early Clint Eastwood movies for that matter). Very similar minimalist dialog. Personally I think the lack of dialog between the bad guys in the car chase scene adds a lot darkness to their characters because it shows them as being unemotional professionals which makes them even more serious and dangerous of an adversary.

Last night I watched the Dinosaur stampede chapter of "King Kong" and thought about how much better this scene was than anything in Jurassic Park. But again it's important to realize that King Kong like all fairly recent movies was built on the work of earlier pioneers. I don't think we would have a scene like this if it weren't for the earlier work in Jurassic Park.


I couldn't agree more! Someone who understands! Add "Vanishing Point" to the titles of that minimalist dialog. You've sold me on "The Searchers."

Just watch the scene where the driver sees Bullitt in his rear view mirror for the first time and you'll see what I mean.

THAT...was the coolest of cool.

Robert Vaughan, as I recall, was the driver of that Charger.

No. He played a fed.

Actually, a US senator Chalmers, I believe. And a sleezy one at that. He wanted Ross, the presumed victim, for a congressional hearing on org. crime and was going to make his political bones from that.

Steve McQueen Kicks ass.....go watch a Will Smith movie or a Michael Bay film and be happy.

Originally Posted by ChrisW6ATV
This is a good indication, for me anyway, that the plot is not very "memorable". The chase scene, of course, is still awesome (and it is fun in HD).

Why'd you put memorable in quotation marks?
To emphasize that it is my opinion. Calling the chase scene awesome, though, is stating a fact. :)

I didn't realize McQueen was 38 in the flick. I just thought he looked like he was in his mid 50's. I can totally see the mid 20's girlfriend now.


One man's perspective.

Cheers.
This movie is from the 1960's when most men (and many women) smoked. 38-year-olds do look like they are 50 if they smoke constantly, so Steve McQueen probably was a smoker.

I didn't find out the truth until 4 years ago, and rewatching (just watched it again last weekend with a couple friends) the chase scene verified it. What bothers me is that he lied about it.

Don't ever make the mistake that McQueen was a particularly nice or approachable guy. From all indications he was moody and difficult, and he made wife Ali abandon her career (granted, she wasn't much of an actress).

I think his appeal doesn't age very well and that he will be one of those stars that people in the future will wonder "why?" But I could be wrong.

McQueen was the genuine article. Not a good stunt man, not a good race car driver, but he was commited and enthusiastic about motorsports. Generations of motorcycle fans are owed to his bankrolling of the cult classic, "On Any Sunday."

Things were not so well defined in those early days of motordom. Steve McQueen did that.

His best movie was, "The Sand Pebbles."

His best movie was, "The Sand Pebbles."

Also, don't forget Papillon with Dustin Hoffman.
ss9001

Steve McQueen Kicks ass.....go watch a Will Smith movie or a Michael Bay film and be happy.

No more needs to be said. Good post.
ss9001

I couldn't agree more! Someone who understands! Add "Vanishing Point" to the titles of that minimalist dialog. You've sold me on "The Searchers."

Yup, "Vanishing Point" was a landmark counter culture flick with the same minimalist 60's style.

Bullitt and Vanishing Point were movies that helped establish the car chase as a cliche in movie making. I was paticularly impressed that the new Bond movie "Casino Royale" did away with a lot of the hollywood (and Bond) cliche's and tried a fresh approach. This was clearly evident when 007 jumped into his Aston Martin to give chase to the bad guys who had kidnapped his g/f. Rather than attempt to reinvent what is now the tired car chase cliche which one could argue is difficult to due because it was done so well already in '68 by Bullitt, the chase instead quickly ended with a car accident which I thought really helped to keep the movie unpredictable and not fall into the tired routine of all the other bond movies.

Another cliche that has become overdone in Hollywood is the bad guy who you think is dead but who comes back for one last vengeful attempt to kill the good guy. The first movie that really did this right was from the same era as Bullitt. It's '67's "Wait Until Dark". This movie scared the crap out of everyone who saw it and it was so powerful that this plot element was added to about every movie of the action and horror genre since. Wait Until Dark started it all however.

Another cliche that is used frequently is when a particularly disturbing part of a film turns out to be a dream and the main character wakes up only to have something equally disturbing happen while the character is awake which the character then wakes up from a 2nd time (proving that the character had dreamt both scenes, including waking up from the first). The first time I remember seeing this was in '81 with "American Werewolf In London" and it was a wonderfully creative invention that really kept the audience on their toes. It's still used frequently and in fact I just saw this same element used the other day on HD-DVD with the remake of, "The Wickerman".

The evolution of rock music is very similar to film where artists have continually built on an added to the different elements that were pioneered by earlier artists. Many of the solo elements in lead rock guitar for example are used so often they have become cliches. A cynical person can look back at someone like B.B. King and say yeah his music is just okay, but the reality is that he had an extensive influence on even current music. So much so that you can't appreciate music from groups like Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Rolling Stones, Green Day, etc. without first giving tribute to their influences which in this case is early blues guitarists like B.B. King and T. Bone Walker.

Also you mentioned that you're sold on The Searchers now. Definitely watch the supplemental information on the HD-DVD as a way to get into what a landmark movie this was. It was actually an anti-western (or "reality" western if you want to look at it that way) which is pretty amazing since it was filmed in '58 and many, many, years before Hollywood examined their terrible portrayal of indians and changed their depiction of westerns. In fact John Wayne's character was the darkest in the film and he was arguably as bad as the bad guy Indian that he was pursuing. If you watch it you'll immediately see some scenes and elements that Lucas borrowed from for Attack of the Clones (where Annakin Skywalker goes off in search of the sand people who kidnapped his mother).

Also, don't forget Papillon with Dustin Hoffman.
ss9001

Or "Nevada Smith."

The first movie that really did this right was from the same era as Bullitt. It's '67's "Wait Until Dark". This movie scared the crap out of everyone who saw it and it was so powerful that this plot element was added to about every movie of the action and horror genre since. Wait Until Dark started it all however.

and another example of the genius of Henry Mancini's musical scores...

Your joking, right? You're 40 years old and your girlfriend is 27, but you can't believe that a 38 year old Steve McQueen could have a girlfiend who is around 25? That's pretty funny. :D Where are you geezers finding all these young women at? Haven't seen Bullitt since I was a kid; I do remember liking it.

Wow, I can't believe this thread is still going! Guess I hit a nerve when I called this B movie brutal!

Wow, I can't believe this thread is still going! Guess I hit a nerve when I called this B movie brutal!

and you have done it again by calling it a B movie!
YOU didnt like it, thats all, and as you can see there are a lot of people that dont agree with you!

Or "Nevada Smith."

And The Great Escape.

I'm not sure, but I think he turned down Dirty Harry.

I thought it was a good movie but I'm a little confused at the ending.

Wasn't he trying to find the witness all along? Why did he kill him at the end? Was it to just screw Robert Vaughn's character?

Wow, I can't believe this thread is still going! Guess I hit a nerve when I called this B movie brutal!


A B-movie? It was the 4th top grossing film of 1968: http://www.boxofficereport.com/database/1968.shtml

This movie is from the 1960's when most men (and many women) smoked. 38-year-olds do look like they are 50 if they smoke constantly, so Steve McQueen probably was a smoker.
:D Yeah........but some of that is due to the fact you won't find many/any celebs currently over 30 who haven't had major construction - few know what 50 yr old actually looks like anymore.

And The Great Escape.

I'm not sure, but I think he turned down Dirty Harry.

McQueen was offered the DH role, along with Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum, Frank Sinatra (???), John Wayne, and - believe it or not - Audie Murphy!!!

McQueen was offered the DH role, along with Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum, Frank Sinatra (???), John Wayne, and - believe it or not - Audie Murphy!!!

Isn't film funny? I can easily picture every one of them playing Dirty Harry except Audie Murphy. And, yet, of all of them, if I were going into a gun fight in real life, heh, I'd take Audie Murphy with me over all of them.

Isn't film funny? I can easily picture every one of them playing Dirty Harry except Audie Murphy. And, yet, of all of them, if I were going into a gun fight in real life, heh, I'd take Audie Murphy with me over all of them.

I'll take Sgt York on my side ;)