Bullitt review

Bullitt: Look, Chalmers, let's understand each other... I don't like you.

Director: Peter Yates
(1968)

Bullitt is one of those films that doesn’t deserve the reputation that is has garnered. It’s one of those popular films that everybody has seen and loves, but in reality, isn't actually that good. Instead, it relies on a gimmick, and in that regard Bullitt is the Avatar of the 1960’s. Here though, groundbreaking CGI is replaced by a groundbreaking car chase, undoubtedly the highlight of an otherwise dull film.

The man behind the title is Steve McQueen’s lieutenant Frank Bullitt, a cop assigned to protect an ex gangster who will testify against the crime group known as the ‘organisation’. After things go awry, Bullitt takes matters into his own hands. While this has the potential to be a good crime thriller, it fails mainly due to far too much emphasis is placed on Bullitt and his dull life. He goes to the store, sees his girlfriend, goes to bars; it’s all highly mundane. Too much time is also spent in a hospital in the films first half. The story that the film tries to develop here is scarce, and as a result feels stretched too thin. The characters are boring too, and add little to spice up proceedings. Thankfully redemption comes along in the form of the best scene in the film.

It is, of course, the famous car chase. Bullitt in his mustang, the criminals in their charger. The mood is set perfectly. Both vehicles are driving around steadily, trying to figure out each other’s next move. It cuts to one of the antagonists buckling his seatbelt. And in an instant the tires screech and the engine roars into life. It begins. What is so refreshing about this scene is how well shot and edited it is. In today's world, shots are so quickly cut together it’s hard to understand what events are unfolding, but not with Bullitt. The camera is either placed on the corner of the street or inside the car, allowing the viewer to feel more intimate with the unfolding events. The vehicles scream round corners and launch over bumps, their engines deafening. It’s such a raw thrill that it caps the high point of the film, which means things can only go downwards from here. After the explosive conclusion of the chase, Bullitt settles into its dull rut once more, right up to the wholly unsatisfying conclusion.

Bullitt isn't a good film. It's laborious to watch thanks to a large amount of uninteresting and unnecessary scenes. It drags too, despite the running time coming in under 2 hours. Still despite this, Bullitt is a recommended watch just for that car chase; it almost makes the film worthwhile.

4