Bullitt (1968)

This classic '60s cop film is set in San Francisco where Lt Frank Bullitt has been asked to guard Johnny Ross. Ross was previously in 'The Organisation' in Chicago but is now planning to give evidence to a senate committee. Things go wrong very quickly; a hitman strikes leaving Ross and a policeman critically injured. Walter Chalmers, the ambitious local politician who saw the committee meeting as a way to launch himself of a national stage is furious that his key witness may be unavailable, makes it clear that Bullitt will take the fall if Ross doesn't testify. Bullitt sets about trying to find those behind the attack.'Bullitt' is best remembered for the iconic car chase through the streets of San Francisco... it wasn't the first film to feature a car chase but for a while afterwards it seemed that every cop film had to include a chase scene... and this one remains one of the best with Bullitt's Ford Mustang growling as he pursues the villains Dodge Charger. The film may be known for that one scene but it is just a small part of a fine film. It may not be as action packed as films made these days but the details feel real which keep it gripping. Steve McQueen is on top form as Frank Bullitt and Robert Vaughn is solid as Chalmers. When we learn the identity of the person behind the attack it proved to be quite a surprise... all I'll say about it is; I didn't see it coming until just before the big reveal... by which time we'd been shown plenty of clues. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to fans of the genre; it is still fresh fifty years on.

Old school suspense filled thriller. Loved the slow-paced patient feel to the film of course interspersed with some moments of action. Different filming to nowadays. The camera really focuses on Mcqueen's and some other character's faces. Mcqueen is able to show us his thoughts with his piercing blue eyes. The score is jazzy cool and the environs are often mysteriously dark. The roar of the engines was one of the great film moments. 8/10

Most known for its classic car chase through the streets of San Francisco, Bullitt is one cool action movie. It has those moments of high energy, but at the same time, it's masterful in its pace and spare in its dialog, which is refreshing. Director Peter Yates really lets the story breathe, and by doing that puts the viewer in those moments, whether it's sifting through evidence or searching for someone in airport terminal. There is a wonderful sense of realism about the film.Steve McQueen personifies cool, and I loved how quiet his character is. He expresses himself through his eyes, and it's not until late in the movie that he allows himself to say "Look, Chalmers, let's understand each other... I don't like you" to the shady politician, played well by Robert Vaughn. At a time when America was highly divided, McQueen plays a cop who is not above stealing a newspaper from a dispenser, but at the same time, has a strong moral compass, resists offers to look the other way for his own gain, and does the right thing. When an underworld figure gives him information, he asks him what he can do in return, and refrains from heavy-handed muscling. As he listens to jazz in a nightclub and is inadvertently brushed in the head with a menu by a waiter, he doesn't get indignant or angry, he just smiles, in what seems like a very natural moment. He's tough without having to show how tough he is. As hippies might refer to him, he's 'The Man', and yet, he stands up to 'The Man'. And, as he's also dating Jacqueline Bisset, he's the guy every guy wishes he could be.The rest of the cast is strong, including Don Gordon as his partner and Simon Oakland as his captain. Robert Duvall makes a brief appearance as a cab driver. Georg Stanford Brown is an African-American doctor, and it was nice to see the diversity. I loved the soundtrack, which is cool jazz and used sparingly, which is refreshing. The ending is understated, and slightly ambiguous, adding to the realism. There are beautiful scenes in San Francisco, and while residents will notice the chase inexplicably jumps from the Marina district to an area near Daly City, that ride down the Taylor Street hill is fantastic. Even the cars are super cool in this film, a '68 Ford Mustang and '68 Dodge Charger. If you're in the mood for a great old-school action film, this is it.

Steve McQueen is one of my all-time favorite actors, I rate BULLITT his best movie and performance, so this is one of my all-time favorite flicks.I like the way BULLITT begins rather slowly, picks up with a terrific attack on a star witness in a hotel, slows down again, then turns up the heat with a pacy chase inside a hospital, then quietens again as BULLITT gathers info, then the famous car chase with McQueen behind the wheel of the mean Mustang machine, and the equally famous gas station explosion. And so it carries on, with fluctuations in mood and pace, but all tightly held by highly credible stunts and action, and a superb screenplay (apart from the completely spurious segments with the beautiful Jacqueline Bisset, the inevitable female figure to keep the female gender interested and contributing toward box office).Best of all, Steve McQueen, whose eyes alone carry enough menace to keep the viewer riveted. He speaks seldom and then not very much, but he suffers no fools, is a pro, completely interested in his work, and not above stealing a newspaper. There is clearly a shady side to Frank Bullitt, but it only adds to the character's credibility.Peter Yates' direction is first class. Pity that he may have been forced by the studio to include the completely unnecessary character played by Bisset. Apart from that, the acting, photography, stunts. soundtrack and script all interweave extremely credibly.An example is the confrontation between McQueen and Robert Vaughn, preceded by the misuse of an ambulance, an example of institutional racism in relation to a black doctor, and disrespect for the work of police.The climax at the airport is one of the movie's best sequences, in particular the search for the baddie inside the aircraft. Again, McQueen's eyes alone tell more than any amount of shots or words. He is completely mesmerizing and definitely towers above the film, raising it to heights that I doubt any other actor would have managed. A word of praise for entire supporting cast, all of the highest quality, with particular plaudits for the highly convincing villains.Finally, the ending - McQueen returns home, and settles back to routine, as happens with everybody. I have now watched BULLITT some 10 times, and I have always enjoyed it more than the previous times. Definitely worth 9 stars.