Bullitt - Limited Edition Collector's Set

Starring:Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset, Don Gordon, Robert Duvall, Simon Oakland, Norman Fell, Georg Stanford Brown, Justin Tarr, Carl Reindel, Felice Orlandi, Vic Tayback, Robert Lipton, Ed Peck, Pat Renella, Paul Genge, John Aprea, Al Checco, Bill Hickman, Lary Crews
Director: Peter Yates
Studio: Creative Design Art
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

Peter Yates's 1968 cop drama has its existentialist pretensions, but there is something seductive about its strained seriousness and Steve McQueen's intentionally stoic performance as a San Francisco police detective on the trail of a murderer. A couple of key action sequences boost the film's stature, the most memorable of which is a vertiginous car chase that Yates almost approaches as a dance. Jacqueline Bisset provides window dressing as Bullitt's girlfriend--worried about how much his job strips away his humanity--and Robert Vaughan is almost reptilian as an opportunistic politician. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Classic action with a bit of substance.......2007-07-02

Bullitt is an intense and suspenseful crime drama that features the famous car chase through San Francisco.

Steve McQueen is memorable in the lead role, with excellent support from Don Gordon as his partner, Delgetti, and Robert Vaughn as the powerful 'good guy / bad guy'. Look also for Norman Fell in a smaller role as a hardened police captain and a younger Robert Duvall as a cab driver.

Most people remember Bullitt for its car chase sequence, for better or for worse. It's good fun with a number of known continuity errors (passing the green VW Beetle at least three times, as well as the white car (Pontiac?)) and that black Dodge Charger must have about eight hubcaps on it, I swear, since about four fall off and later they seem to be back on. (Or did cars have two sets of hubcaps as standard equipment back then?) ;-) In any case, it's a must-see for classic muscle car fans, and the best moments are the "you are there" moments filmed over the drivers' shoulders.

Beyond that, Bullitt's enduring charm is its heavy atmosphere, rather than its dialogue or character development. At times, it seems so real that it almost feels like a documentary. You are taken behind the scenes into the medical and police worlds of the late 1960's.

The plot has enough twists to keep you going. However, by today's standards, some of the scenes could've been left out. I realize that the film tries to show the main character as both a distant maverick as well as a human being, but a number of scenes and subplots could've been edited out in favor of a tighter plot. I mean, do we need to watch Bullitt in a restaurant or grocery shopping or in forced, flat dialogue with his lover? I felt that these moments detracted from the film, rather than adding to it.

The soundtrack works well for the era, as composed by Lalo Schifrin. The opening titles is one of my favorite movie themes. It's jazzy and it fits the film well.

My favorite part of the film is its opening sequence. The titles are blended in creatively with the plot, which begins immediately. That, with the already mentioned music, creates the most enduring impression with me.

Bullitt is not a perfect movie, and not quite the classic that some would make it to be, but it's definitely worth seeing and owning.

"I Want to Nail Him".......2007-06-11

I saw this again last night for the first time in years and it reensured what I believe all this time: "Bullitt" is the greatest movie I have ever seen in my life. It will take a long time for me to find a movie that can top this. Not only that, but "Bullitt" is the only movie I know that grabbed my heart and moved me deeply. As evident in the scene, my favorite in which Bullitt's girlfriend Cathy (Jacqueline Bisset-what a class act angel! She's a split image of what fellow Brit Keira Knightley is; as you know they both co-stared in "Domino" in which Bisset played Knightley's mother) discovers a dead woman strangled and half-naked and later on, Frank Bullitt (Steve McQueen) pulls the car over the side of the highway because he knows she is pissed. As she gets out of the car and goes into the grass field, Bullitt follows her. Then she speaks by saying "Do you let anything reach you? I mean, REALLY reach you? You think violence is a way of life. Living with violence and death". Speaking of that there is a revealing scene in which the witness is shot and eventually killed in the face. Revealing because that's how Martin Luther King died from in the same year of "Bullitt"'s release. The supporting cast is great which includes Robert Duvall as the cab driver, Simon Oakland, Norman Fell as the police caption, and last but not least Robert Vaughn as Walter Chalmers-the most evil villian I have ever seen in any movie. This is a man that hates blacks and the police (including Bullitt). The movie along with the car and airport chase is a true masterpiece.

Pure Magic.......2007-06-09

This film demonstrates to contemporary Hollywood just how to make a superb thriller without having an explosion every 5 minutes. You know its a classic from the opening shot. Lalo Schifrin's insistent theme kicks in over the credits and the rollercoaster ride starts.

McQueen is marvellous as a Frank Bullitt a no-nonsense, and somewhat rebellious detective who is having no truck with authority. Robert Vaughn, who I've always liked, but never really rated as an actor, is excellent here as Walter Charmers (who is anything but charming!). The scenes between him and McQueen are riveting. Theres the famous car chase of course, which is great, but watching it again recently, the thing that struck me was the completely realistic Hospital scenes. Its all very clinical if you'll excuse the pun.

On disc 1:
There is a commentary by the directory Peter Hyams and a trailer.

On Disc 2:
Documentary 1 'The Cutting Edge: The Magic Of Movie Editing' narrated by Kathy Bates
Documentary 2 'Steve McQueen: The Essence Of Cool' a film about McQueen.
3 'Bullitt: Steve McQueen's Commitment To Reality'.

Of the extras the commentary is probably the best bit, but the film itself is reason alone to buy these discs.

The Classic 70's Cop Movie (from 1968!).......2007-04-03

This was one of a handful of truly classic cop movies from the period. Not to be missed if only for one of the best chase scenes ever to make it to film. Steve McQueen is more Steve McQueen than usual; calm, cool and always in charge. If you liked the Dirty Harry series, the French Connection or the Seven Ups this is a must see. This version is also in Wide Screen (unlike the one I rented) and it's much better than the cut up for your TV version.

Excellent Action Film with Excellent Car Chase.......2007-04-02

Steve McQueen is possibly one of the coolest men of all time. His presence in a film is enough to make it great. Besides that, this film is well directed, well planned out. My major issue with the film is the plot can get a little murky at times and bogs down what is one fantastic action movie.

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