Bullitt (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Bullitt (Two-Disc Special Edition) Review

I was about to give 5 stars to this movie and to say it's the best thriller I've ever seen, but... after reading a few reviews by other people here at Amazon a changed my mind somewhat. First off, I still like the movie very much. But I have to admit that the plot is standard and predictable, there's nothing special about the story of a corrupt politician, hired killers, mafia connections and a good cop who wins in the end against all odds.

The script is average at best, the cast is good but nothing spectacular, except McQueen, who doesn't really perform much, one has to admit. Yes, he looks great for this role, but the role does not require much more than good looks.

So what's so great about this film? I think Peter Yates directed everything in this movie, even average things, with such a lot of taste, to the absolute perfection. Especially camerawork, late Technicolor age obsession with color, perfect eye for the detail, street scene, so much mid-60's spirit in everything on screen - this makes even secondary frames, which might not make sense in a different movie, absolutely necessary in "Bullitt".

Scenes in the bar, in the airport (I'm not mentioning the car chase quite intentionally) are so natural and un-natural at the same time with this Technicolor overdose that images from this movie would be with me forever. Strangely, it brought to my mind "The Blast of Silence", the 1961 B&W noir by Allen Baron. Surely McQueen is much more modern than Baron (who directed the film and played Frank Bono, the main character), but there's something about the two movies which brings them together for me, maybe zeitgeist captured with such a great skill and attention to detail.

So - five stars to Bullitt after all. And yes, I saw The Getaway. To my taste Bullitt is beyond comparison.The Getaway is just entertainment. Two Lane Blacktop must be mentioned too when talking about Bullitt, surely.

Bullitt (Two-Disc Special Edition) Overview

His new assignment seems routine: protecting a star witness for an important trial. But before the night is out, the witness lies dying and cool, no-nonsense Detective Frank Bullitt (Steve McQueen) won't rest until the shooters and the kingpin pulling their strings are nailed. From opening shot to closing shootout, Bullitt crackles with authenticity: San Francisco locations, crisp dialogue and to-the-letter police, hospital and morgue procedures. An Oscar winner for Best Film Editing (1968), this razor-edged thriller features one of cinema history's most memorable car chases. Buckle up and brace for unbeatable action.

DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Commentary by Director Peter YatesDocumentaries:The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing Steve McQueen: The Essence of CoolFeaturette:Vintage Featurette -- Bullitt: Steve McQueen's Commitment to Reality

Bullitt (Two-Disc Special Edition) Specifications

Peter Yates's 1968 cop drama has its existentialist pretensions, but there is something seductive about its strained seriousness and Steve McQueen's intentionally stoic performance as a San Francisco police detective on the trail of a murderer. A couple of key action sequences boost the film's stature, the most memorable of which is a vertiginous car chase that Yates almost approaches as a dance. Jacqueline Bisset provides window dressing as Bullitt's girlfriend--worried about how much his job strips away his humanity--and Robert Vaughan is almost reptilian as an opportunistic politician. --Tom Keogh

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