"Bullitt" DVD Movie Review

[Mark Heide]

Starring Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, and Jacqueline Bissett. This film was released in 1968. It's about a police officer protecting a witness from the mob. The story starts in Chicago and shows an execellent shot of the Chicago Sun-Times building (by the way, Donald Trump wants to replace this building with a skyscraper, but if you see it I think it should be declared a historic building). Anyway the story continues in San Francisco. I enjoyed looking at all the cars in this movie. They just don't make them like they used to. My only complaint is that I thought the car chase was too long, otherwise a great movie. On a scale of 1 to 10 it gets a 9.

Mark

[Chris Alger]

And Robt. Duvall in a cameo as the cab driver, among other excellent supporting cast. Even the hit man's driver, who never says a word in the movie, is creepily authentic. Philip D'Antoni produced, and went on to produce The French Connection, the other great chase scene movie of the era.

I first saw it in the mostly empty El Capitan theater in Pasadena, Texas sometime around 1970 (I was probably 13), a double feature with Bonnie and Clyde, which I had already seen. It was one of the most enjoyable afternoons of my life.

[Phat Mack]

I think you've just mentioned two of the greatest car chase movies of all time (OK, one's an El chase), because the chases were 'plausible'.....no jumping over buildings, etc.

[andyfox]

The car chase was what made the movie a hit. It was the first "modern" car chase in movies. This movie, along with The Great Escape, made McQueen.

[Mark Heide]

andyfox,

The car chase was a selling point for the movie. But, it was not needed to make this a great movie. What was different about this movie that set the trend for the future is the shooting of scenes in real settings. On location in Chicago for the introduction and the main scenes in San Francisco. They actually filmed it in a real hospital with real nurses instead of actors. The scene with Bisset in the architechs office was a real architech office.

Ever since this movie we have been tortured with car chase scenes. I'll admit that the car chase in the French Connection is more exciting due to it being shot in a real closed space under the EL.

What I don't like in movies is the use of or overuse of a stunt or special effect that has no real purpose to convey the plot. So, I hate movies that have lots of special effects or stunts, unless they provide some value to the story. This is probably why I do not like that many movies that have been made in the past 20 years. I'm always searching for something with a story.

Mark