MovieChat Forums > Bullitt (1968) Discussion > Nothin special

Nothin special

posted 11 years ago by LaPfieffer92
18 replies | jump to latest

i remember when I was in high school and I first got into older movies, and heard of this movie bullitt. im not a big mqueen fan, he always kinda annoyed me but I gave it a shot. I remember the car chase was pretty cool and the music for it, but beyond that, it was boring and I didn't get it. it may have started all the other cop movies afterward, but its actually a pretty boring movie, and cmon hoq cheesy is it to have the cops last name "bullit"? lol. why not call his shotgun.

Realism, Remakes and Unnecessary Sequels are ruining movies!

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Doc-McCoy 11 years ago

"...im not a big mqueen fan, he always kinda annoyed me"

Really? I'd never had guessed that.

"I remember the car chase was pretty cool and the music for it, but beyond that, it was boring and I didn't get it. it may have started all the other cop movies afterward...."

It's true that there are slow spots, but in those days movies weren't geared toward teenagers; people have said "The Godfather" is too long, slow and boring. Movies weren't live action comic-books as many are now.

I saw "Bullitt" twice in late 1968, and in the many hundreds of movies I've seen in theaters before and since, not one EVER got the response from audiences as the chase scene in "Bullitt" did - not even close.

"Life is a scam" - Steve McQueen

[–] Stirchley 11 years ago

It's true that there are slow spots

I think we could say that about 99.9% of movies.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Stirchley 11 years ago

^I've seen Bullitt innumerable times and I have no clue where the slow spots even are. I think it's what's referred to as pacing.

[–] crawfish (57) 5 years ago

You mean, not even the one in The French Connection, which is even better?

[–] liscarkat (19418) 6 years ago

OP--When you were in high school, did they teach you about capital letters?

[–] Sandoz (2021) 6 years ago

He's probably still in high school. Anyone older than a pus-headed teenager would know how cool McQueen is in this movie.

[–] crawfish (57) 5 years ago

Just got this movie on DVD, simply because it's a good film noir cop thriller, and because it's what I call one of those "transitional" movies----the type of films that started getting more realistic in how they depicted life in general, instead of the typical Hollywood BS---there were the kind of films that paved the way for hardcore '70s realism in films--like movies such as The Chase, and The Detective, for example. I grew up watching films like this, so I didn't think there was anything slow about it---it is what it is, lol. I can see why Bullitt's and not just because McQueen's in it (though that does add to how good it is, though, and I like him---plus he was one of the films' producers, too.) Anyone claiming it's too slow has simply never watched a film made before the '00s, lol. Bullitt's a good film, and it's a near-classic, too.

[–] SeussMyTub (226) 6 years ago

LOL

[–] jasonbourne (1027) 5 years ago

I'm watching 60s movies now because it's my parents generation. Compared to other movies of the 60s, Bullitt is a mediocre movie. It's not in the top 25, but I guess it's popular because of what you said. Comparable movies to the level of Bullitt are Easy Rider (better in my opinion) and In the Heat of the Night (better in my opinion). In terms of box office, Bullitt made more money worldwide than the other movies, but Easy Rider made almost as much.

[–] BillySlater (4282) 5 years ago

Easy Rider bored the hell out of me. Not sure why there is so much love for it.

[–] jasonbourne (1027) 5 years ago

I guess it's considered a period movie and drug culture influenced movie. The Vietnam War affected my parents and sorta affected me with riots and people organizing protests against it all the time. People hated what the government was doing and didn't believe what they were saying anymore. I think marijuana is still a schedule one drug and I enjoy psychedelic rock.

[–] BillySlater (4282) 5 years ago

I do find the 60´s an interesting period in the movies. You mentioned a top 25. Do you have a top 25 for movies in the 60´s? I admittedly haven´t seen that many movies from the 60´s.

[–] GhostOfIMDB (96) 2 years ago

I have to agree. I think The French Connection, for example, is significantly better. The car chase scene was not bad, but was underwhelming. But of course, this movie's car chase scene set the new standard, so it was improved upon.

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

The French Connection was a ripoff of Bullitt, so how could it have been significantly better? Maybe it was better in the sense in that it improved on the former movie's mistakes or improved the pacing. But the movie owed so much of a debt to Bullitt that the sequel absolutely stunk.

[–] GhostOfIMDB (96) 2 years ago

Well I'm not disputing that Bullitt was an influential movie. But TFC just executed better on those concepts. Including the car chase, imho.

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

Bullitt is considered a groundbreaking film because that was the movie that set the foundation for every single cop drama film and TV show, as well as invented all the tropes. For example:

1. Having cops/detectives in plainclothes while on duty.
2. Cop who goes against his superiors and bucks the rules.
3. The angry police chief/superiors who threatens to take the cop's badge or fights the hero the entire time during his crusade.
4. The adrenalin-fueled car chase.
5. Cop buddies.
6. Showing a single man in a mature premarital sex relationship and in a live-in relationship (which was scandalous at the time).
7. Cop who isn't a choir boy but unprofessional and a slouch in his personal life. (Like when Bullitt steals a newspaper.)