It’s all about the car chase. Beyond that, it’s hard to see through Bullitt, a 1968 police mystery with a nearly incomprehensible plot, tepid pacing, and long sequences without a word uttered.  All of these things combine to make a film that’s difficult to grab hold of, even Steve McQueen can’t save the scripting here.

Bullitt’s strongest asset, besides the oft-mentioned car chase, is its style. There’s a sense that this is real, and the natural style of direction is very involving. Rarely does the audience hear music, and tension is built by silence.  The medical scenes are especially powerful. Before any action takes place there is always big build up leading to a feeling of intensity unmatched by many films.

Sadly, with most of the movie, it’s simply too quiet. McQueen stands around, staring into the camera expressionless. His dialogue is brief and to the point, setting up an early “good cop, bad cop” routine that feels rebellious. For the time period it was striking, now it’s mundane.

The story, concerning the murder of a witness to a crime, is a lost cause. A big sticking point is why the witness opened the lock of a door when he knew the killers were coming. It’s brought up numerous times throughout the film, and yet by the time the movie's over everyone seems to have forgotten about it. It’s never explained, and there is no logical reason for him to have opened the lock.

The key mystery cannot be solved as the perpetrator isn’t introduced to the audience until the final frame. This ploy isn’t interesting material, and Robert Vaughn, playing a corrupt politician, seems to be the closest thing to a villain the picture has to offer. Jacqueline Bisset is wasted here, barely getting in a word of dialogue until a long speech near the end of the film. 

Despite its flaws, Bullitt provides some incredible stunt work. A foot chase at an airport is impressive given the lack of special effects to help the filmmakers along. Like much of the film, it feels real and intense. Likewise, the inevitable car chase is truly one of the best ever filmed, using amazing camera work down the streets of San Francisco. It’s unlikely the film would be remembered at all had it not been for this 10-minute sequence.