car chase Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Scenes We Love: 'Bullitt' (Yes, the Car Chase)
Filed under: Scenes We Love »
Bullitt, released 41 years ago next month, is a fairly ordinary crime drama about an unorthodox cop unraveling a conspiracy that led to the murder of a witness. What it's famous for is a 10-minute sequence in which the cop, played by Steve McQueen, is followed by -- and then chases, at terrifying speeds -- the two men responsible for the murder. Nearly every movie car chase since then has been compared to the one in Bullitt, and rightfully so. Watch it, after the jump, and behold its tire-squealing awesomeness.Consider also how different it is from chases scenes in modern movies. The average shot length for this 9 1/2-minute segment is 3.7 seconds, with many shots lasting four or five times that long. I don't think any car chase in a Hollywood film made in the last 20 years has done that -- quick-cutting is the norm now. And while that frenetic style has its place (I love the car chase in The Bourne Supremacy), it would be hard to argue that Bullitt's chase sequence would have been improved by faster cutting. The long shots let you see where the cars are in relation to each other and to their surroundings. Several shots give you a driver's-eye view of the action, and it's like riding a roller coaster. You couldn't get that effect with a series of split-second shots. (Bullitt won the Oscar for its editing, by the way.)
McQueen did his own driving for all but a few shots. (Legend has it he intentionally leaned toward the open window so that viewers could see it's really him.) It's clear there's no fakery in the high speeds, either: Those cars really are going that fast, and they are just barely avoiding countless wrecks. (Another difference between this and most modern car chases: There's very little collateral damage, up until the end.)
Brad Pitt Rumored to Star in 'Bullitt' Remake
Filed under: Thrillers », Warner Brothers », RumorMonger », Brad Pitt », Remakes and Sequels »
The latest Brad Pitt casting rumor is definitely not up there with the recent He-Man nonsense, but unlikely as it may be, at least this one seems more plausible. Monsters and Critics is reporting that Pitt will star in a remake of the Steve McQueen classic Bullitt. According to the sources, "Brad shares a lot of the same passions as Steve Mc Queen -- including a love of motorbikes and fast cars -- so it was a dream role for him." When the film premiered in 1968, it solidified McQueen's reputation as the ultimate "man's man," and the famous car chase is still arguably one of the best ever seen on film. It was reported by this incredibly shaky source that Pitt had been interested in the project since 2003, but this is the first that anyone has heard about a remake in a long time. Supposedly, the looming threat of a SAG strike has spurred executives into action, and they have green-lit the production. Uh-huh.Let's point out one more time that this is a wild rumor, so even if it is true, I doubt we are going to see Pitt tooling around in a *
*Correction: McQueen drove the Mustang GT 390 Fastback, it was the villains in the Charger.
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