I know what you’re thinking.  What could I possibly say about Bullitt that hasn’t been said already by thousands millions of car nuts, moviegoers and journalists.  And you’re right; this subject has been covered exhaustively.  But then I learned that the majority of my students had not seen this film.  I was shocked.  Sure, some of them had seen the chase on the YouTubes, but almost none had seen the whole movie.  So allow me to point out, for the next generation, why Bullitt is required CDF viewing…

Whenever the subject of Bullitt comes up, people say something like, “Oh yeah!  That’s such a wicked car chase!”  And fair enough; the cross-cultural appeal of Bullitt is largely driven by its main event, which happens about midway through the picture.  But there’s so much more to this film than the car chase — as good as it is.  From the moment Bullitt begins, we know we’re in for an exceptional presentation.  Consider the title sequence, designed by the great Pablo Ferro.  The thick block letters appear, then slide out of view, leaving holes that reveal a different scene; we then travel through these holes into the next shot.  It’s slick, modern and indelible all at once.  The Lalo Schifrin score, with its soft brass and catchy baseline, provides the perfect backdrop for these visuals.  Incidentally, Pablo Ferro also created the iconic titles for Dr. Strangelove four years earlier, so he has a reputation for great graphic sense.  Design students can learn a great deal from his work, even forty-plus years later.

Another great design aspect of Bullitt is its surrounding context.  Indeed, San Francisco is one of the main characters in this film.  The final piece simply wouldn’t be the same without it.  Obviously, the hilly nature of the streets contributed to the chase sequence, but beyond that, San Francisco as a location colors the whole picture.  It infuses the visuals with an urbanity that parallels the title character’s persona.  It also serves to render Chalmers, the quasi-antagonist, as a fish-out-of-water who probably sees the city’s eccentricities as a nuisance.  We see all facets of San Francisco — from the downtown cityscape to the countryside, to the airport, where the climactic shootout occurs.  We not only see real places, but real people as well.  Actual doctors, for example, were used in the hospital scenes.  It’s this complex canvas of individuals and locales that gives Bullitt its authentic feel.

And then there’s the centerpiece of the film.  You’d be hard pressed to find a movie chase that looks more realistic.  The only one that comes close is The French Connection, which also featured stunt driver Bill Hickman.  But as good as the chase is, there’s one flub that always stands out:  that green Volkswagen Beetle.  The run down the long hill is filmed from three different vantage points which are then shown in succession.  This serves to lengthen the chase and get more use out of the one stunt versus performing three separate ones.  As a result, we see the same green Beetle overtaken three times.  Had this been, say, a white Ford Galaxie, we might never have noticed.  The valuable design lesson here is that a background item should be as inconspicuous as possible so it doesn’t distract from the main focus of the piece.  Other than this, the chase scene lives up to its legendary status.

Lastly, this film is relevant for its superb framing and editing.  Anyone who has put together a portfolio will tell you that transitions from one slide to another are almost as critical as the content itself.  The same is true in film; editing can make a scene drag on or race by depending on who’s doing the editing.  Bullitt features some ingenious cuts, which underline the modern feel of the picture.  When the ambulance arrives at the hospital at night, for example, it backs up towards the door, putting its left headlamp directly in line with the camera.  As soon as the inevitable lens flare occurs, we cut to the inside of the ER.  Words can’t describe how effective this is on the screen.  Similarly, each shot in Bullitt is lined up in a way that best tells the story, or conveys the mood of a scene.  When Frank first meets Chalmers, he walks into a noisy room full of wealthy women enjoying coffee.  The camera is placed on the floor, and we see Frank walk through the door and stop, flanked on both sides by legs.  It’s a great shot, and one that conveys the overwhelming nature of the room.  Designers can take a page from these techniques when presenting their work; looking for the best view, the best framing, the best transition to showcase their idea.  These details could make or break the designer’s efforts.

So next time Bullitt is playing on TV, and you have some time to kill, take a moment and enjoy this film for what it is:  a visually sophisticated piece that happens to have a wicked chase in the middle.  People in all creative disciplines can learn something from this film; both forty years ago and today.