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Airlane1979's Replies
Thanks for that thoughtful reply. Despite my numerous viewings of this film, I hadn't seen that subtext which is, as you point out, critical of Bullitt's methods.
If we look at it from a police procedural point of view, Bullitt's motive for chasing the two suspected hitmen seems slapdash at best, murderous at worst. What was his goal? Did he want them to stop? What would he have done if they had? Effectively, he's a plainclothed police officer in an unmarked car chasing two suspects at high speed without any indication such as a flashing light, which was highly dangerous to other road users. Then he runs them off the road at that same speed into a petrol station which explodes. In real life, numerous civilians would have been killed and injured, whilst the suspects were not treated with the basic rights they needed under the US criminal justice system of the time.
Yes, this was just for excitement. It's no better than most other Hollywood police films which present the police perspective without criticism.