classic

Long drawn out plot, poor editing on car chase (see green beetle), did not age well. Regardless, this is a must see classic.

Welcome to Bullitt's World

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"You're living in a sewer Frank. Day after day...The ugliness...With you violence is a way of life, living with violence and death."

This is what San Francisco Detective Lieutenant's Frank Bullitt's (the "King of Cool," the legendary Steve McQueen, 1930 to 1980) girlfriend Cathy (the beautiful Jacqueline Bisset) says to him. As well, this quotation pretty well sums up the entire movie (based on the 1963 novel "Mute Witness" by Robert L. Pike) as the viewer is given a glimpse into Bullitt's world.

On this particular assignment, Bullitt has to protect ("baby sit") a star witness for an important trial. He was specifically requested for this routine assignment by the ambitious public prosecutor Walter Chalmers (Robert Vaughn, who has said that this is his best movie role).

However, things don't turn out to be routine. Bullitt's captain (the late Simon Oakland) gives the viewer a glimpse of what has happened (or at least what he thinks has happened) with this "simple" assignment when he says to Bullitt:

"What the hell is going on here? A high-speed pursuit. And two men are killed. An officer in the hospital. A witness almost murdered. I want to know what's happening and I want to know now!"

A feature of this movie is the car chase or the "high-speed pursuit" (between a Ford Mustang and Dodge Charger) mentioned by the captain (described as one of "movie history's most memorable car chases").This chase is for real, not an illusion. McQueen did his own stunt driving and, at times, actual speeds exceeded 115 miles per hour. The entire chase lasts about eight minutes. (Some say longer, some say shorter. It depends where you start timing.)

Many people are probably under the impression that this chase is the only good thing about this movie. I know I was under that impression. Was I wrong!! The story presented is quite good. It is very realistic (for that time period) presenting to-the-letter police, hospital, and morgue procedures.

The story itself is quite good. It has many twists and turns.

A note of caution here. This is a movie where you have to pay attention. If you don't, the scenes that occur after the car chase will be difficult to follow and you will be disappointed. (In other words, this movie is not for those with a low attention span.) Also note that you may still have questions after the movie has concluded since all of them are not answered in the movie. If you think about what you have seen, you can easily answer these questions for yourself.

The acting is in a word: fantastic. McQueen's performance is superb. Robert Vaughn does a good job of portraying the ambitious Chalmers against McQueen's low-keyed Bullitt character. I also liked Simon Oakland's portrayal of the police captain.

A fun feature (at least for me) was trying to identify actors in this movie before they made it big. For example, Robert Duvall has a small part as a taxi driver. I also spotted Suzanne Sommers in a bit part.

I also enjoyed the sharp, sparse dialogue. There is also jazzy background music (that is most effective in the opening sequence).

Finally, the DVD itself (the one released in late 1997) is perfect in picture and sound quality. It has the movie in full screen on one side and wide screen on the other. There are also some interesting extras.

In conclusion, this is an unforgettable movie starring the legendary Steve McQueen, "The King of Cool." If you decide to view this movie, I urge you to do one thing: buckle up!!

(1968; 1 hr, 55 min; wide/full screen; 22 scenes)

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EAST-WEST CRIME GAME

For people with absolutely nothing to do,rate the famous chase scene in this legendary hit with the one 3000 miles away several years later in "The French Connection". Both Frank and Popeye are "loose canon"cops, supported by highly liberal bosses.Also, in both instances, the police quickly reverse roles,faster than a Clark Kent undressing,becoming the reckless persuers, wanting desperately to atone for past blunders. The spectacular cinematography in San Francinco is contrasted to the stark realism of Brooklyn, but our heroes get their men, albeit in very different ways. Be forwarned to get your vote in quickly, lest Matt Damon attract all non AARP voters in "The Bourne Ultimatum".