Movie Guide: The Golden Years - 1968 – Bullitt

Recommendation: Eleventh and first recommendation of the third part of this excellent year, 1968.

And, knowing from the beginning that, in this second part, after the «Terror» genre, we were going to focus on the genre, misnamed «police«, today, we are going to find a film that, instead of a label as general as «police«, it could better be described as «a neo-noir action-thriller«.

Its title, the iconic, «Bullitt » and this is the first installment that we are going to do in tribute to an iconic actor, and that in the case of our recommendation today, he plays a tough detective. His name: Steve McQueen. Shall we gut it?

And so, we are going to find an American «neo-noir action and suspense» film, with one of the most famous car chases, produced by Warner Bros Pictures. A film according to (Zepellin Rock), which benefits from the charisma of Steve McQueen and the beauty of Jacqueline Bisset, although for me, the development of the film is quite slow.

In summary, a certainly acceptable film that, with a budget of $5.5M, obtained a collection of $42.3M. Placing it in fourth place in the ranking of best box office of the year, and only behind our already recommended ones: the iconic «2001 a Space Odyssey«, «Oliver» and «Funny girl«. «That’s not bad at all«

Its director was the British director born in Aldershot, Peter Yates. Little-known film and television producer, but who nevertheless has more than 29 films behind him. His most recognizable film is, of course, our today recommended «Bullitt«. To which we have to accompany: «John and Mary» (1969), «Breaking Away» (1979) for which he got an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe for best director. And «The Dresser» (1983) for which he got the same nominations: Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Director. Ending up by mentioning his last «Suspect» (1987).

And then, and as we said, with the interpretative section of this «Bullitt«, today, we are going to pay that well-deserved tribute to its main protagonist, and that deservedly, in this year 1968, we are going to give him two recommendations : our «Bullitt» and then «The Thomas Crown Affair«. Who are we talking about? Well, of course, from the iconic Steve McQueen.

Let’s dig a little deeper into this Steve McQueen and what he was a brilliant and meteoric star of the 60s, becoming the highest paid actor in the world. If we don’t review the titles of this great actor born in Beech Grove, Indiana and who, his acting beginnings and for which he jumped from anonymity, was in the TV series «Wanted: Dead or Alive» (1958-1961) making him very popular in USA.

But without a doubt, if a film gave him the first and definitive push, it was the western and by us already recommended «The Magnificent Seven» (1960). Film by director John Sturges, and co-starring with actor Yul Brynner.

To then reach him what would be the accolade that elevated him as a star, and it was the one directed by the aforementioned director John Sturges, together with James Garner, who were both pushed to stardom, with this choral prison film and located in the setting of the war genre called «The Great Escape» (1963)

Next, in the same year, we have his first Golden Globe nomination for best actor for the romantic drama «Love with the Proper Stranger«. And above all, the Oscar and Golden Globe nomination for the war film and already recommended by us «The Sand Pebbles» (1966).

And now, finally, we enter our current and recommended 1968, and in which, with the film that we first came across is this «Bullitt«, and with which we will find a Steve McQueen who personalizes a tired police lieutenant who, jaded and chastised, finds himself completely immersed in the world of violence. And that next week, we will follow, with his second film made in this year 1968, and that deals with the same «police» genre that is none other than the detective «The Thomas Crown Affair» and that we will unravel in our next recommendation.

Por último, abandonando sus afamados años 60, vamos a acometer la parte final de la carrera del gran Steve McQueen, y en la que nos vamos a topar con excelentes interpretaciones suyas, como: en 1973, con su última nominación al globo de oro a mejor actor y que fue, de nuevo en un drama carcelero ubicado en el entorno del género de guerra y, coprotagonizado con un gran y cegato Dustin Hoffman, «Papillón«

And to finish, we are going to look a year later, at our last recommended intervention for this great Steve McQueen, and it is what it undoubtedly is, in my opinion and together with «The Poseidon Adventure» of good Gene Hackman from (1972), the best film of the genre so hackneyed in the 70s, called «catastrophist«, its name «The Towering Inferno» from (1973) and which co-stars with another monster in this interpretation, the good old Paul Newman. «Absolutely nothing«

Lastly, at an interpretive level, in this «Bullitt» we should highlight his companion who, on this occasion and in which many believe that she is French, although in truth she is British, since she was born in Weybridge, Surrey, United Kingdom, we We meet the beautiful Jacqueline Bisset and for whom, for her role in this film, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Most Promising Actress.

And finally, simply mention the list of supporting actors who accompanied them, such as: Robert Vaughn, Robert Duvall and Don Gordon.

And so, with this relationship, we leave the interpretive aspect of this, «Bullitt«, to inform you that the film is born from the script made into a movie by the screenwriters Alan R. Trustman and Harry Kleiner, adapting the novel «Mute Witness» work of the American writer Robert L. Pike.

And finally, and in this case, I want to leave you a special review, for the composer who composed this iconic soundtrack of «Bullitt» and who is none other than the great Argentine maestro born in Buenos Aires, Lalo Schifrin and orchestrated by the orchestrator Richard Hazard. A certainly special sound, based on the style of the purest contemporary American jazz, and which, as it teaches, is so hackneyed and used in this type of genre, the «police«.

A musical style that comes from the sound that the great Henry Mancini had already found, in the 60s with titles like: «Charade» (1963), «Pink Panther» (1963), «A Shot in the Dark» (1964 ), «Arabesque» (1966).

And that, without a doubt, they merged in these same 60s, with the great Lalo Schifrin and that we will review his compositional career with themes such as: the well-known theme of the television series «Mission Impossible» (1966), «Cool Hand Luke » (1967) and for which he got his first Oscar nomination for best soundtrack. And in 1968, together with our «Bullitt» for «The Fox», he got his second Oscar nomination for best soundtrack.

To, without succeeding, jump back to 1979 to, and even touch the genre of «horror» with the soundtrack for the film «The Amityville Horror» getting an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination for best soundtrack, «but nothing«. Closing our list, a year later, in 1980 with «The competition» and with which he obtained his last Golden Globe nomination for best soundtrack. «How unfair right? So many good BSo’s and nothing«

Henry Mancini – 1963 – Charade 

Henry Mancini – 1963 – Pink Panther 

Henry Mancini – 1963 – Pink Panther – Royal Blue 

Jerry Goldsmith – 1963 – The Stripper 

Henry Mancini – 1964 – A Shot in the Dark 

André Previn – 1966 – The Fortune Cookie 

Lalo Schifrin – 1966 – Mission: Impossible 

Lalo Schifrin – 1968 – Bullitt 

Jerry Goldsmith – 1974 – Chinatown 

Vangelis – 1982 – Blade Runner – Blues instrumental 

Vangelis – 1982 – Blade Runner – Echoes 

Vangelis – 1982 – Blade Runner – Rachel’s Song 

Vangelis – 1982 – Blade Runner – Sordina Blues 

Vangelis – 1982 – Blade Runner – Wait for me 

John Barry – 1982 – The Cotton Club 

John Carpenter – 1988 – They Live 

Alan Silvestri – 1992 – The Bodyguard 

And with this tribute to the great Argentine composerLalo Schifrin, without further ado, I’ll leave you with this «Bullitt«, knowing that you should take into account that, as always, under the cover, we have left the post published on Ok.ru and, below of its trailer, the link of the complete film in the original version with subtitles. Therefore, you just have to click on any of these links, to be able to enjoy the chosen option.

Synopsis: Frank Bullitt is a Lieutenant of the San Francisco police. An ambitious politician tasks him with protecting a protected witness who is being hunted by the Chicago Crime Syndicate. Despite Bullitt taking every possible precaution, he is unable to prevent him from being killed. From that moment on, he will endeavor to thoroughly investigate the case, which is much more complex than it seemed at first sight. (Filmaffinity)