Bullitt
February 2001 Reviewed by: Doug Schneider Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Ironically enough, in last year’s very funny film, The Tao of Steve there is no character actually named Steve. Instead, it’s about a bunch of guys trying to be a "Steve." See, a "Steve" is the epitome of cool -- Steve Austin, Steve McQueen -- these are Steves. A "Steve" can also simply be a man that other men can admire. For instance, James Bond qualifies as a "Steve" despite not being named Steve. And of course, "Steve" always gets the girl because, well, he’s a "Steve." (FYI. The opposite of a "Steve" is a "Stu.") Today the closest thing we have in movies to a "Steve" is Russell Crowe -- a cool guy that other guys can cheer for and wish they resembled.

In the 1960s Steve McQueen was the quintessential, cool tough guy -- an action hero before there was such a thing. Solitary and grimacing, you knew he could get the job done. Heck, Kevin Costner even tried to look like McQueen when he starred in The Bodyguard (The Bodyguard was reportedly originally written for McQueen with Diana Ross as a co-star). However, there is no one quite like Steve McQueen, so Bullitt is a fabulous way to get indoctrinated into what it means to be a "Steve."

McQueen plays Frank Bullitt, a no-nonsense cop who is charged with guarding a witness. Right off the bat there is an attempted hit on the witness and Frank’s partner ends up getting killed. What transpires is a moderately interesting tale of revenge as Frank figures out whodunnit. The story’s good, but what got me charged about this movie was not just the compelling plot, but rather the quality of the filmmaking. There is some really fabulous stuff going on here including stellar camerawork (lots of handheld work along with nice lighting and lens effects) and superb editing (for which it won an Oscar). As for stunts, they’re top notch. The real treat is the now-famous car chase. In today’s age of digital gimmickry it is exhilarating to see something so real. I sat back in my seat and stared with some amazement as they sped through the streets of San Francisco -- save for the decent chase scene in Ronin, they just don’t do stuff like this in movies today! All in all, this is really impressive work that will thrill today’s audiences.

There’s a much more expensive Collector’s Edition version available, but I watched the standard-issue DVD. I’m not sure how the audio and video compare. This is obviously a re-mixed soundtrack (put into Dolby Digital Surround), but it has been redone quite well. Some older films are harsh and spitty-sounding with little dynamic range. While not necessarily stellar, this one is still very acceptable with a clean and quite detailed soundfield (the film was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound). On the down side, some distortion does come through, particularly in the car-chase scene and some other parts near the end. As well, there is an absence of any real low bass. On the other hand, plenty of subtle sound effects shine through and music is played very naturally. Given the vintage of the film, I give it fairly high marks in this regard. Picture quality is about the same level with vivid colors with nicely rendered flesh tones. It does vary throughout in terms of quality. Sometimes it’s a tad soft and a little bit indistinct and other times a bit of grain shows. Overall it’s good and is much better than similar films I’ve seen of this age.

The extensive Collector’s Edition version boasts many extras, including a small poster, lobby cards, and much more. Fans of this film may be interested in these extras, but even in the bare-bones standard version, there are a few interesting tidbits. For the most part it’s textual information displayed on the screen: "Cast & Crew," "On Location," and "Awards." The two most interesting extras are the theatrical trailer and a short film called "Steve McQueen’s Commitment to Reality." The latter briefly describes McQueen and his commitment to getting realism into films. The realism not only extends to the stunts, such as the car chase and running in front of an airplane, but also to the use of real hospitals and their medical staff in some key scenes.

If you’re tired of the many formulaic plots, dig up this gem at your video store. Without a doubt this film has influenced countless films that followed it. Bullitt may be more than 20 years old, but it is guaranteed to entertain you like it was made just yesterday.

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