San Francisco has been the setting of a lot of exciting movie car chases over the years, but this 1968 police thriller is still the one to beat when it comes to high-octane action on the steep hills of the city by the Bay. The outstanding car chase earned an Oscar for best editing, but the rest of the movie is pretty good, too. Bullitt is a perfect star vehicle for cool guy Steve McQueen, who stars as a tenacious detective (is there any other kind?) determined to track down the killers of the star witness in an important trial. Director Peter Yates (Breaking Away) approached the story with an emphasis on absolute authenticity, using a variety of San Francisco locations. Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Duvall appear in early roles, and Robert Vaughn plays the criminal kingpin who pulls the deadly strings of the tightly wound plot. --Jeff Shannon
(33 votes)
2.
In one of his most memorable roles, Steve McQueen stars as Detective Frank Bullitt, a hard-driving, tough-as-nails San Francisco cop. Bullitt has just received what sounds like a routine assignment: keep a star witness out of sight and out of danger for 48 hours, then deliver him to the courtroom on Monday morning. But before the night is out, the witness will lie dying of shotgun wounds, and Bullitt, a no-glitter, all-guts cop, won't rest until he nabs the gunmen and the elusive underworld kingpin who hired them.
From opening shot to closing shootout, Peter Yates's edge-of-the seat thriller is packed with authentic touches, from on-location San Francisco filming and believably crisp dialogue to uncompromisingly detailed police, hospital, and morgue procedures. The most memorable scene is BULLITT's celebrated car chase. McQueen, an expert automobile and motorcycle racer, does his own stunt driving as he propels his high-performance Mustang GT around and over San Francisco's fabled hills at speeds up to 115 miles an hour. The film is based on Robert L. Pike's book, MUTE WITNESS.
(26 votes)
3.
His new assignment seems routine: protecting a star witness for an important trial. But before the night is out, the witness lies dying and cool, no-nonsense Detective Frank Bullitt (Steve McQueen) won't rest until the shooters - and the kingpin pulling their strings - are nailed. From opening shot to closing shootout, Bullitt crackles with authenticity: San Francisco locations, crisp dialogue and to-the-letter police, hospital and morgue procedures. An Oscar® winner for Best Film Editing (1968), this razor-edged thriller features one of cinema history's most memorable car chases. Buckle up...and brace for unbeatable action.
(25 votes)
4.
There are bad cops and there are good cops - and then there's Bullitt.
Detective Frank Bullitt's new assignment seems routine: protecting a star witness for an important trial. But before the night is out, the witness lies dying and the cool, no-nonsense Bullitt (Steve McQueen) won't rest until the shooters -- and the kingpin pulling their string are nailed.
(26 votes)
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