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Bullitt

Bullitt

  • Status: Released
  • 17-10-1968
  • Runtime: 113 min
  • Score: 7.15
  • Vote count: 1198

Senator Walter Chalmers is aiming to take down mob boss Pete Ross with the help of testimony from the criminal's hothead brother Johnny, who is in protective custody in San Francisco under the watch of police lieutenant Frank Bullitt. When a pair of mob hitmen enter the scene, Bullitt follows their trail through a maze of complications and double-crosses. This thriller includes one of the most famous car chases ever filmed.

Steve McQueen

Lt. Frank Bullitt

Robert Vaughn

Walter Chalmers

Jacqueline Bisset

Cathy

Don Gordon

Lt. Delgetti

Robert Duvall

Cabbie Weissberg

Simon Oakland

Captain Sam Bennett

Norman Fell

Captain Baker

Georg Stanford Brown

Dr. Willard

Justin Tarr

Eddy

Carl Reindel

Detective Stanton

Felice Orlandi

Albert E. Renick

Vic Tayback

Pete Ross

Robert Lipton

1st Aide

Ed Peck

Westcott

Pat Renella

Johnny Ross

Paul Genge

The Hitman

John Aprea

Killer

Al Checco

Desk Clerk

Bill Hickman

Phil

Robert Cleaves

Uniformed Courtesy Officer (uncredited)

CinemaSerf

Steve McQueen is at his most grumpily enigmatic as he portrays this unorthodox San Francisco police lieutenant. He's none too pleased when the greasy-pole merchant "Sen. Chambers" (Robert Vaughn) has him detailed to guard a shady character who's a potential witness in a case against some hitherto Teflon gangsters. When two gunmen break into his room and gun him down, it becomes imperative that "Bullitt" gets to the bottom of things before his new found pal nails his slats to the mast. With the active support of "Capt. Bennet" (Simon Oakland) who increasingly has to run point for the man, he begins an investigation that manages to irritate just about everyone as he realises the case is complex and downright dangerous. It's this left field style of work that this cop excels at, and McQueen is on confident form delivering a persona that's conflicted and determined to get to the truth without selling his soul to Satan. To that latter end, he must rely more and more on girlfriend "Cathy" (Jacqueline Bisset) who seems to be his only link with sanity as the maelstrom of events begins to get on top of him. It's famous for the car chase, and some of the scenes at the airport towards the end are directed really quite tensely but I can't pretend I liked the conclusion. After all the interweaving and duplicity, it all rather ran out of steam. The style of the production isn't exactly electric either, and in many ways it reminded me of a great many other similar style vehicles about rogue police officers created for A-list actors whose careers might be considered "between genres". That said it's still a good, solid, thriller with a few twists and a Vaughn who always managed to portray the sleazy characters naturally.