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Bullitt (1968)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
17 October 1968 (USA) moreTagline:
Steve McQueen As 'Bullitt' morePlot:
An all guts, no glory San Francisco cop becomes determined to find the underworld kingpin that killed the witness in his protection. full summary | full synopsisAwards:
Won Oscar. Another 9 wins & 6 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(30 articles)
Ask the Flying Monkey! (June 24, 2009) (From AfterElton.com. 24 June 2009, 5:30 AM, PDT)
Steve McQueen Lincoln Center Tribute Concludes With "Bullitt"
(From CinemaRetro. 27 May 2009, 2:19 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Modern directors should take note of the style. moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Steve McQueen | ... | Bullitt | |
| Robert Vaughn | ... | Chalmers | |
| Jacqueline Bisset | ... | Cathy | |
| Don Gordon | ... | Delgetti | |
| Robert Duvall | ... | Weissberg | |
| Simon Oakland | ... | Captain Bennet | |
| Norman Fell | ... | Baker | |
| Georg Stanford Brown | ... | Dr. Willard | |
| Justin Tarr | ... | Eddy | |
| Carl Reindel | ... | Stanton | |
| Felice Orlandi | ... | Renick | |
| Vic Tayback | ... | Pete Ross (as Victor Tayback) | |
| Robert Lipton | ... | 1st Aide | |
| Ed Peck | ... | Westcott | |
| Pat Renella | ... | John Ross |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
114 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 moreSound Mix:
MonoCertification:
Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:Atp | Brazil:14 | Australia:PG (TV rating) | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1968) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:16 | UK:AA (original rating)Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Bullitt's reverse burnout during the chase scene actually wasn't in the script - Steve McQueen had mistakenly missed the turn. The footage was still kept, though. moreGoofs:
Crew or equipment visible: A forward aerial shot of the two cars about to turn right (on a street called "Mansell") shows a crew member on the right side of the screen waving the cars through. moreQuotes:
Walter Chalmers: I do not choose to have people accuse me of false promises for the sake of cheap sensationalism, or to be compromised by your lieutenant. moreFAQ
Was Chalmers (Robert Vaughn) crooked?Where was Suzanne Somers Bit Role (uncredited) in the movie? She played Chrissy Snow in the long-running 70's tv sitcom "Three's Company."
more
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Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Bullitt (1968)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
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| Ok I am sorry but.... | otte4 |
| Anyone have the Bullitt screenplay? | Moviequill |
| Remake with Brad Pitt | cheifbrody |
| The Beetle | n_monrad |
| Robert Vaughn | bjnevin |
| steve mcqueen acting | mindstar |
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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.