Discover
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Steve McQueen
Stunts -
Peter Yates
Director -
Carey Loftin
Stunt Coordinator -
Bill Hickman
Stunt Driver -
Lalo Schifrin
Original Music Composer -
Alan Trustman
Screenplay -
Loren Janes
Stunt Double -
William A. Fraker
Director of Photography
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CinemaSerf 1/24/2025 3:05:57 PM
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.
Robert Duvall
Cabbie WeissbergJacqueline Bisset
CathySteve McQueen
Lt. Frank BullittRobert Vaughn
Walter ChalmersDon Gordon
Lt. DelgettiSimon Oakland
Captain Sam BennettNorman Fell
Captain BakerVic Tayback
Pete Ross