Bullit film (original 1968) - is it worth watching?

[Halmyre]

I used to think, car chase aside, it was dull but if you pay attention there's a decent crime thriller in there, and Robert Vaughan has a great part as a slimy politician.

[biggbn]

av185 said:

Definitely worth watching.

Similarly The Driver (Ryan O Neil) (on tomorrow eve on Legend) and Dirty Mary Crazy Larry easy to critisise but always enjoyable of its era and definitely worth a watch when aired on Freeview imo.

Both much better than Bullit, as is the original Vanishing Point, The French Connection and many other films of that era...but, yes, of course its worth watching. Its a bloody good film, I just find the car chase ridiculous, overhyped, badly edited, it spoils the movie for me!!!

[richhead]

biggbn said:

Both much better than Bullit, as is the original Vanishing Point, The French Connection and many other films of that era...but, yes, of course its worth watching. Its a bloody good film, I just find the car chase ridiculous, overhyped, badly edited, it spoils the movie for me!!!

agree with this, the car chase in bullet is bordering on ridiculous, worth a watch just so you can make your own opinion, but not the best film ever by a long stretch.

[markiii]

Not helped by Steve McQueen not being a particularly good actor

[DickyC]

Heathens.

Great film. A good story at a steady pace. Don Gordon as Bullitt's right hand man, Delgetti, is brilliant. His interactions with McQueen are a pleasure to watch.

The film originally messed up the Charger crashing. This seems to have been edited to work better now.

Bullitt meeting Eddie the informant is the weak spot for me.

[slopes]

Yeah it's a good film for overall plot but is mostly remembered for the car chase .
Trivial fact, Bill Hickman - stunt driver driving the Charger in the film and wearing glasses - was driving James Dean's station wagon and trailer following James Dean's Porsche on the day dean was killed and was first on the scene.

[bobbo89]

Problem with Bullit is the hype around the car chase scene which for most people watching it for the first time is what they're waiting for. Creates a sense of everything leading up to it seeming like dull filler....

[C5_Steve]

biggbn said:

Both much better than Bullit, as is the original Vanishing Point, The French Connection and many other films of that era...but, yes, of course its worth watching. Its a bloody good film, I just find the car chase ridiculous, overhyped, badly edited, it spoils the movie for me!!!

I found Vanishing Point to be one of the most boring films I've ever watched. Was it worth it for the car? Yes. Could I tell you one plot detail today? Absolutely not

Each to their own and all that, I think they're both essential petrolhead viewing.

[toon10]

It's s superb film. Taught, atmospheric, cool and a lot of it is quite understated comparted to the Dirty Harry movies. It's not perfect but the car chase scene isn't the only reason to watch it.

[Truckosaurus]

toon10 said:

I....atmospheric, cool ..

Those are probably the best words to describe it. Although it does seem to try a bit too hard to be cool at times and in showing that Bullitt as young and liberally minded not like the ambitious and casually racist Chalmers.

It definitely isn't an action movie even though it is famous for the car chase.

It is still enjoyable to watch as a snapshot of Sixties San Francisco etc.

[Janluke]

I watch a lot of films from this era.
I like the relaxed pacing and that the plot is allowed to develop.
I enjoy the social history side the background street scenes, shops, cafes etc

They seem a little more honest than modern films set in that era

[White-Noise]

It's worth watching but I think it's overrated. The music has helped to make it iconic.

[Panamax]

C5_Steve said:

I found Vanishing Point to be one of the most boring films I've ever watched. Was it worth it for the car? Yes. Could I tell you one plot detail today? Absolutely not

I'll give you a clue - "Supersoul", the black DJ dude who was bigging up Kowalski all the way through the movie. A spectacular racial stereotype of the era, only exceeded by Huggy Bear (Antonio Fargas) himself in Starsky & Hutch.

Plot? errm, not really.

Now check out Steve McQueen and the Le Mans movie. You'll need some powerful binoculars to find anything going on at all.

[Truckosaurus]

Panamax said:

Now check out Steve McQueen and the Le Mans movie. You'll need some powerful binoculars to find anything going on at all.

Indeed. It is somehow the worst film ever and also a cinematic masterpiece.

You're about 20 minutes into it before the first line of dialogue.

The behind the scenes story of the film is even more interesting.

[Halmyre]

Panamax said:

C5_Steve said:

I found Vanishing Point to be one of the most boring films I've ever watched. Was it worth it for the car? Yes. Could I tell you one plot detail today? Absolutely not

I'll give you a clue - "Supersoul", the black DJ dude who was bigging up Kowalski all the way through the movie. A spectacular racial stereotype of the era, only exceeded by Huggy Bear (Antonio Fargas) himself in Starsky & Hutch.

Plot? errm, not really.

Now check out Steve McQueen and the Le Mans movie. You'll need some powerful binoculars to find anything going on at all.

There's also the gay hitchhikers, not a sympathetic portrayal for such a 'liberal' film.

[C5_Steve]

Halmyre said:

Panamax said:

C5_Steve said:

I found Vanishing Point to be one of the most boring films I've ever watched. Was it worth it for the car? Yes. Could I tell you one plot detail today? Absolutely not

I'll give you a clue - "Supersoul", the black DJ dude who was bigging up Kowalski all the way through the movie. A spectacular racial stereotype of the era, only exceeded by Huggy Bear (Antonio Fargas) himself in Starsky & Hutch.

Plot? errm, not really.

Now check out Steve McQueen and the Le Mans movie. You'll need some powerful binoculars to find anything going on at all.

There's also the gay hitchhikers, not a sympathetic portrayal for such a 'liberal' film.

Absolutely none of that rung a bell. I remember the ending, that's about it.

All that said I haven't seen Le Mans and the lack of plot doesn't put me off it at all. I think films like that (and the original Gone in 60 Seconds) are part of cinematic history and important to be seen so you can understand how they influenced films afterwards.

[Super Sonic]

It's not full of CGI special effects or gory ott violence, but apart from that it's a good film.

[Cotty]

C5_Steve said:

All that said I haven't seen Le Mans and the lack of plot doesn't put me off it at all. I think films like that (and the original Gone in 60 Seconds) are part of cinematic history and important to be seen so you can understand how they influenced films afterwards.

Important to be seen but as a member of pistonheads a motoring forum you haven't seen Le Mans

[biggbn]

C5_Steve said:

biggbn said:

Both much better than Bullit, as is the original Vanishing Point, The French Connection and many other films of that era...but, yes, of course its worth watching. Its a bloody good film, I just find the car chase ridiculous, overhyped, badly edited, it spoils the movie for me!!!

I found Vanishing Point to be one of the most boring films I've ever watched. Was it worth it for the car? Yes. Could I tell you one plot detail today? Absolutely not

Each to their own and all that, I think they're both essential petrolhead viewing.

On your last point, I agree. I'd say they are both essential viewing even if you're not a petrolhead!!

[biggbn]

toon10 said:

It's s superb film. Taught, atmospheric, cool and a lot of it is quite understated comparted to the Dirty Harry movies. It's not perfect but the car chase scene isn't the only reason to watch it.

I'd maybe turn that round and suggest the car chase is the only reason not to watch it...