Oh man! This is the coolest. Steve McQueen doing his own driving, the best cars possible, killer killers! And the music swings. (I do wish I saw less of the VW bug though!)
OK it was just one day before that guy asked the question that I had seen this film again, so I had all details fresh in mind and it all kept pouring out… peace.
I’d like to add a 4th version to my suggestions why the mafiosi followed Bullitt: initially they neither wanted to kill or intimidate him, but just find out where he had hidden the principal witness.
Four times. This error was spoofed in an episode of Futurama in a car chase with lots of green VWs. They also spoofed that one car lost more than four hupcaps. You can find this info and more on Wikipedia.
… (the latter one died from this but the mafia didn’t know yet). His fellow and the janitor had earlier described the murder and his rifle. At this moment Bullitt maybe accepted to cause a crash because he knew they were the murderers and would try again to kill him. That’s why he stayed aside and provoked the final crash.
… Maybe he didn’t want to kill them but just follow them to their refuge. Because he was more skilled in driving than the mafia types it was an easy thing for him to become the chaser. The mafia driver noticed that and got nervous. He knew that Bullitt would either follow him home or kill him. Then comes the scene with the shooting. It was then, if not before, that Bullitt saw the guy with the rifle and knew that it was the one who shot at his police fellow and at the principal witness. …
… They hoped that after Bullitt’s death the principal witness would again be transferred to the hospital where they could kill him.
3. The mafia had informants in the police department and thus they knew that Bullitt was after them on a hot trace.
But why Bullitt turned from the chased one to the chaser? He knew that it had to be the mafia who was after him and probably wanted to kill him. So it wouldn’t be enough to shake them off - they would be after him again. …
Well, at the beginning it wasn’t Bullitt who was the chaser. The mafia types were after him. You may ask why? I have three suggestions: 1. They didn’t know yet that Bullitt had taken the principal witness out of hospital to hide him from the mafia. They just wanted to intimidate him with the car chase so that he wouldn’t defeat anymore their murder attacks as before.
2. They suspected that he was responsible for the hiding of the principal witness and wanted to kill him. …
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
I love the part at the beginning when the mustang pops up in the mirror at 2:16
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
Hickman was the man!
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
get rid of those dumbass ads!!!!
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
where’s my comment??
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
the bad guys are quite gay and nasty
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
Still The Best Car Chase Sequence in the History of Motion Pictures.
If they redid it today, it would be an overdone, digitized mess.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
LONG LIVE BILL HICKMAN
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
Oh man! This is the coolest. Steve McQueen doing his own driving, the best cars possible, killer killers! And the music swings. (I do wish I saw less of the VW bug though!)
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
It’s “Shifting Gears”. At the start of the video “Bullitt opening title sequence” from jtkeroac there’s a description of this sequence.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
OK it was just one day before that guy asked the question that I had seen this film again, so I had all details fresh in mind and it all kept pouring out…
peace.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
whats the name of the song at the start of the clip?
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
chill out tubi it was not a dig just a general statement about the film,you wanna relax a bit mate lol.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
If you don’t care, don’t read.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
Always wondered the same thing. I used to just tap the clutch and off the gas for a split second and bang it into the next gear.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
after 41 years and still a thrilling ‘cat and mouse’ car chase
very hip soundtrack as well
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
Who cares about all the whys and whats of this scene,mc queen was one cool fucker and no matter what still a classic car chase
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
Why’s Steve double clutching the up shifts?
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
he was flushing them out
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
I’d like to add a 4th version to my suggestions why the mafiosi followed Bullitt: initially they neither wanted to kill or intimidate him, but just find out where he had hidden the principal witness.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
Four times. This error was spoofed in an episode of Futurama in a car chase with lots of green VWs. They also spoofed that one car lost more than four hupcaps. You can find this info and more on Wikipedia.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
… (the latter one died from this but the mafia didn’t know yet). His fellow and the janitor had earlier described the murder and his rifle. At this moment Bullitt maybe accepted to cause a crash because he knew they were the murderers and would try again to kill him. That’s why he stayed aside and provoked the final crash.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
… Maybe he didn’t want to kill them but just follow them to their refuge. Because he was more skilled in driving than the mafia types it was an easy thing for him to become the chaser. The mafia driver noticed that and got nervous. He knew that Bullitt would either follow him home or kill him. Then comes the scene with the shooting. It was then, if not before, that Bullitt saw the guy with the rifle and knew that it was the one who shot at his police fellow and at the principal witness. …
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
… They hoped that after Bullitt’s death the principal witness would again be transferred to the hospital where they could kill him.
3. The mafia had informants in the police department and thus they knew that Bullitt was after them on a hot trace.
But why Bullitt turned from the chased one to the chaser? He knew that it had to be the mafia who was after him and probably wanted to kill him. So it wouldn’t be enough to shake them off - they would be after him again. …
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
Well, at the beginning it wasn’t Bullitt who was the chaser. The mafia types were after him. You may ask why? I have three suggestions: 1. They didn’t know yet that Bullitt had taken the principal witness out of hospital to hide him from the mafia. They just wanted to intimidate him with the car chase so that he wouldn’t defeat anymore their murder attacks as before.
2. They suspected that he was responsible for the hiding of the principal witness and wanted to kill him. …
May 1st, 2009 at 11:48 pm
How many times did they pass that green VW?