New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

Hunted by the same hit men who put his man in ICU, Bullitt discovers the two Windy City thugs tailing him in an impressive looking Dodge Charger. Armed with his own tricked out set of wheels and a superior knowledge of the city, Bullitt toys with them for a time and then turns the tables, with the hit men finding themselves being tailed instead. Determined to uncover the sinister plot that has put his career on the line, Bullitt isn’t about to let the two hoods escape – and they know it. They quickly flee in a panic, setting up the thrilling pursuit, as well as the film’s final act.

While not the first chase scene ever filmed, it was by far the most meticulously planned and executed one ever put to film up to that time. And of course, the fact that McQueen did almost all of his own driving was well publicized. It contributed to the draw of the film, the effectiveness of the scene, and McQueen’s over all reputation as Hollywood’s preeminent badass. It’s worth mentioning that this is not the film’s only chase scene, nor the most compelling. Taking into account the fact that CGI did not exist at the time, the last scene in the film contains an eye popping foot pursuit in a very unlikely setting with McQueen obviously putting himself in considerable danger to make it work. It caps off what I consider to be one of the most underrated movies of the 1960s – or should I say, most highly rated for the wrong reasons.

Often criticized for its dense and leisurely plot, Bullitt does demand a bit of the viewer but it is a genuinely gripping, well crafted thriller with few significant flaws. In fact, despite the plot’s final “twist” being something of a head scratcher, the movie served as inspiration for nearly every police procedural that followed it. A great deal of this credit should go to director Peter Yates.

And in light of his recent passing, it is fitting to note that Bullit’s DNA can be seen in a rash of imitators (some impressive, others less so) such as The French Connection, Dirty Harry, The Seven Ups and Gone in 60 Seconds. It is unfortunate that a gifted person with a long career must be remembered mainly for one thing, but if it has to be that way, Yates definitely deserves the praise he’s received over the years for his work on Bullitt. Also deserving of mention is composer Lalo Schifrin’s dazzling score – as with all of his work, Schifrin’s music is as much a part of the character and as much of a driving force behind the movie as Steve McQueen or his Mustang GT. His music lives and breathes, and from the film’s inventive opening credits to the surprisingly low key final shot, Schifrin is on top of his game.

If you’ve yet to see Bullitt, watch it not for the car chase, and not even for the King of Cool and his undeniably smoldering presence. Watch it because like all the best movies ever made, Bullitt is the coming together of many immensely talented people who share an incredibly focused creative vision. For true fans of film it is a powerful experience to witness history; it’s the very reason we love film. And for casual viewers, there’s really no better way to turn off your mind than to turn on your spirit with one of the greatest movies ever made.

Continued:       1       2       3