Bullit

Bullit, 1968
Bullitt (Two-Disc Special Edition)



I couldn't help myself, once I saw that this movie won an Oscar I had to cheat a little and find out which category. As far as the movie goes, I really just anticipate this being a typical cop/action movie. I'm hoping for at least one ridiculous chase scene. This is another movie that the Enzian is scheduled to screen as part of their Cult-Classic Series; however because of my work schedule I won't be able to make it to the theater to see this one there. Instead I'll be watching it at home wishing I could have made it out.

After having watched the movie:
(Possible spoilers below)

It makes clear sense to me now that this movie was nominated and won the Academy Award for Best Editing. The movie is nearly two hours long, but quite honestly I hardly noticed the time had passed by. I thought the pacing was perfect, and I absolutely loved chase scene. I would even go as far as to say that the chase sequence alone earned the movie the Academy Award for Best Editing.

I actually get really excited watching chase scenes now after working on a movie that had required filming a chase scene. Although the chase scene for the movie I did lacked the same level of intensity as Bullit, which at times topped out at more than 100 MPH, while our top speed was at a mere 35 MPH. I rode in the camera truck next to the director and first assistant director, which pulled the car our actors were in. At times the camera, camera operator and first camera assistant were on a platform which extended off of the bed of the truck, just inches off of the ground. For safety reasons they were harnessed to the frame work of the truck and platform. All while the stunt team drove around the vehicle we were towing as though they had gone mad.

Since working on a movie with it's own chase scene I've kind of secretly become engrossed in chase scenes as a whole. I thought it was amazing to see these two cars fly through the streets of San Francisco weaving in and out of traffic and kicking up dust. I just couldn't believe that at times the drivers were driving at speeds close to, and at times more than 100 MPH. Honestly, that's insane. I think I would have been a little nervous at times to be at the monitor watching as the scene was being shot. Perhaps this is the best car chase sequence I've seen, and I loved the idea of not adding music over the sequence. This is perhaps an example of when music isn't always necessary.

I would go as far as to say Frank Bullit is definitely a bad ass. The car chase sequence aside, the rest of the stunts required I would buy that someone could reasonably perform in an every-day scenario. In this aspect Bullit reminds me a little of Jack Bauer from the Fox TV series 24. Both Bullit and Bauer take certain liberties in order to do what they think is the best possible solution and then worry about how to should explain it later. Honestly, they both put a lot into the fact that once they save the day, everyone will be so overwhelmed with relief that they're going to forget completely the multiple traffic laws that were violated as well any other civilian lives that were put at risk. This is a trait that I find absolutely amazing, because it seems to be one I lack. I would have a hard time acting outside of protocol and going about things in a text book type manor.

Final thoughts: Bullit is exactly what I wanted my first James Bond movie to be. I wanted some degree of over-the-top stunts and effects, but something that would still register possible and realistic. I'm sorry Bond fans, but the final action sequence of Golden Eye was too over the top for this girl. Although I haven't given up on the Bond series as a whole. I'm going to hold out and see if Sean Connery can redeem Pierce Brosnan and save the series, but in the mean time the score still remains Bullit : 1, Bond movies: 0.

OFFICIAL COUNT: 15 DOWN 350 TO GO

Next up: This is Spinal Tap

P.S. Luckily, during the filming of the chase sequence I worked on there was only one minor injury that day. It was me. I managed to get tripped up in all of the cables from the camera and monitor and fall face first into the bed of this truck - literally. I was stuck until two people from our crew pulled me up by my, because I fell into such a tight space. This is a picture of the truck and me wearing my "pouty pants" after falling, and sure enough everyone saw me face plant it.