Bullitt (1968) Reviews

• Modern directors should take note of the style.

  jd3722005-02-21

  What a change of pace this movie is as compared with its genre today. I'm no old fogey but would that modern directors become smart enough take several pages from its book. The Bullit character is a precursor of Dirty Harry but a bit more cerebral. Stylistically, the director sets the stage beautifully for McQueen's Bullit. The movie has a European feel (director Peter Yates is a Brit) and achieves its dark mood through quiet understatement. The musical score for instance. Today, music is overly used, overly loud and manipulative. (i.e. in case you are not moved by this scene, here are a division of amplified violins to remind you to weep). In 'Bullit' the music is sparingly used and doesn't intrude at all. It complements the directorial style without setting the agenda. The feeling of reserved naturalism is achieved through editing and dialogue. There really aren't very many lines in the movie and when characters do speak they are very succinct. Notice the last 15-20 minutes of the movie, most of which takes place at the airport. Hardly a line in it. There is none of the chattiness so prevalent today (especially post "Pulp Fiction") which is so tedious (unless the script is tip-top, which is rare). Editing is, perhaps, its greatest strong point. The many long edits deserve equal credit with the dialogue in setting the low-key mood. The cinema verite dialogue of the airport scenes (and, say, the scene where McQueen and Don Gordon search the trunk) combined with the long cuts add greatly to understated feel while adding realism. And the performances are top notch. The spare script helps McQueen shine since the taciturn moodiness fits his persona to a tee. There are very fine performances from all of the supporting cast, from Don Gordon to Bisset to Fell to Duvall to Oakland. This is a great movie for watching faces. Note the expressions of the hit men during the chase scene (just another example of this movie letting the little touches speak volumes). The chase scene certainly deserves its billing as one of the best in movie history. Recently, 'The Transporter' was lauded for its opening chase sequence. The one in 'Bullit' is a marvel compared. In 'The Transporter' sequence I'm not sure there is a cut that lasts more than three seconds. In 'Bullit' it is again the editing which sets it apart here. The long edits give you the feel of acceleration and deceleration, of tire smoke and gears, of wind and the roller coaster San Francisco streets. You are given the time to place yourself in the frame. In short, 'Bullit' uses real craftsmanship. Films like 'The Transporter' use hundreds of quick edits to mimic the danger and immediacy of 'Bullit' but it comes across as hot air, confusion instead of clarity. The two scenes are perfect set pieces of easy (and hollow) Mtv-style flash versus real directorial substance.

• Frank Bullitt Is Slick

  CalRhys2014-07-13

  Steve McQueen is Frank Bullitt! Frank Bullitt is slick! 'Bullitt' is thrilling! The stylish mystery thriller that created a basis for all future police procedurals to follow! With fantastic direction from Peter Yates and immaculate attention to detail on the stunning cinematography, 'Bullitt' is an attention-demanding and action-packed adventure supported by a jazz-fuelled score. When reviewing this crime flick, who could overlook the unforgettable Mustang v Charger chase through the streets of San Francisco which is arguably the greatest and most influential car chase ever filmed. 'Bullitt' is a dark and suspenseful masterpiece from Peter Yates.

• Bullitt-speed

  paul2001sw-12004-12-18

  The late 1960s saw two classic, hard-boiled thrillers set in San Fransico; John Boorman's stylised 'Point Blank', and Peter Yates' 'Bullitt'. Calling your hero Bullitt might seem an unsubtle way to emphasise his macho qualities, but in fact Steve MacQueen plays him as a quiet man, not some wise-talking maverick: he does what he has to do, but takes no pleasure in his actions; and survives the roughness of his work not by becoming a monster, but simply by becoming a little less human. It's a believable portrait, and the film as a whole has a procedural feel: there are action scenes, but these are kept in their place in the overall design. Today, the film is most famous for its celebrated car chase, which makes excellent use, as indeed does the movie as a whole, of the bay area locations, but is not actually shot that excitingly: the conclusion at the airport is more original, though it roots the film in the time when it was permissible to take a loaded gun onto a plane. But overall this is still a classy film, dry, exciting and bleak, and among the very best films of its day. William Friedkin's brilliant 'The French Connection', made a short while afterwards, would appear to owe it a debt.

• Maximum Cool

  gvb09072001-11-01

  Steve McQueen's career peaked in 1968 with "Bullitt" and "The Thomas Crown Affair," both ideal vehicles for his cool persona. Although superior to its recent remake, "Crown" has not aged gracefully, while "Bullitt" has held up fairly well. Cool though he may be, Frank Bullitt is a totally committed detective, perhaps even more so than Gene Hackman's Popeye Doyle or Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry Callahan. Bullitt is a complete professional who never takes his eye off the objective, no matter how much interference he encounters from his superiors or from Robert Vaughan's scheming politician, Walter Chalmers. And Bullitt, unlike Doyle or Callahan, operates without the histrionics. No one-liners, no yelling and screaming tantrums from this officer. You may not like him very much, but you have to respect his dedication to duty and you'll quickly share his absolute contempt for Chalmers. "Bullitt" is best remembered for its spectacular car chase in which McQueen reportedly did most of his own driving. But this is not primarily an action film. Aside from the chase and the final shootout at SFO, there's not a lot of violence. Most of the attention is on Bullitt's maneuvering to unravel the mystery and to keep Chalmers off his back. Recommended if you like McQueen or policiers in general. The pace may be a little slow for people under 30 who are used to a more slam-bang, less cerebral approach to this sort of thing, but "Bullitt" is still worth your time. Just don't expect "Lethal Weapon."

• Not just a car chase

  tarmcgator2004-10-01

  SPOILERS, sort of. "Bullitt" seems to be remembered mostly for the central car chase, which was state-of-the-art for its time and still works extremely well. But this signature film of the late '60s was more than screeching tires and muscle cars flying down the hills of San Francisco. McQueen was not a great "actor," in the sense of being able to play a variety of characters convincingly -- but then, most film actors are not. Bogart, Grant, Gable, Wayne, Dean, Eastwood et al. each developed a distinctive screen character that audiences found appealing and then built their careers on that character. McQueen could be charming in romantic roles ("Love with the Proper Stranger"), and he had the guts (and box-office clout) to risk playing against his typical character in "The Reivers" and "An Enemy of the People." But his basic screen persona, as exemplified in "Bullitt," was the cool, reserved physical act-er who distrusted words and relied on his own body and wits to survive in a hostile world. His characters are consummate professionals whose skills and competence give their lives meaning in the chaos of war and urban crime. Audiences respond to McQueen because of that self-reliance and competence (the same quality that made the young James Cagney so appealing) and his healthy skepticism about convention and authority. Frank Bullitt was a particularly interesting character for McQueen because he was, for the first time, playing an actual authority figure, a respected police detective, but one still caught up in the intrigues of the "establishment," personified by a politically ambitious DA, Chalmers (Robert Vaughan). When Bullitt fails to protect the DA's mob witness and one of his own men is badly shot up, the detective sets out to find out the truth of the situation and ultimately discovers that the DA has been conned. It's interesting, in this pre-Watergate film, that there's no hint of criminality or corruption about Vaughan's character or any of Bullitt's San Francisco police superiors. Bullitt's ultimate contempt for Chalmers stems both from an innate distrust of politicians (who are willing to compromise standards of professionalism for political gain) as well as the the DA's sheer incompetence in dealing with the Mob. The plot requires close attention; I recall that it took me two or three viewings before I understood everything that was going on in the film. But "Bullitt" rewards repeat viewings with new wrinkles and insights. The film also benefits from the great location photography and from a superb cast of character actors. Bullitt's fellow detectives (Don Gordon and Carl Reindel) are likewise dedicated professionals; his boss (Simon Oakland) is also a pro, sympathetic to Bullitt but wary of the political pressures on the police department. Norman Fell is downright scary as a police captain allied with the smooth, oily Chalmers; and Robert Duvall stands out in a rather small role. The locations and supporting actors lend a realism to "Bullitt" that also make it satisfying after multiple viewings. Ultimately,"Bullitt" is not about the car chase and shoot-outs, but about a person trying to maintain his humanity and self-respect while doing a violent, sordid job that society demands and in which he obviously believes. At one point, Bullitt's luscious girlfriend (Jacqueline Bisset, at her most appealing) happens on a crime scene and realizes the true nature of her lover's work. "You're living in a sewer, Frank!" she cries. And it is a very expensive place to live. Bullitt shows humane instincts and flashes of warmth and humor, but his attitude toward life is one of suspicion and skepticism. He's constantly on his guard, on edge, seldom able to relax, even with his girl. The film ends ambiguously, as Bullitt quietly contemplates the emotional price he pays for his authority and for doing a soul-grinding job at which he has become quite adept. It's this deeper layer of character and emotion, not the car chase, that make this film a classic.