Bite the Bullet
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Movie Reviews of Bite the Bullet
Movie Review: You don't Eat Lead when you Bite the Bullet
Summary: 4 Stars
I never understood why this one wasn't a bigger hit at the time. The successful "Hidalgo" that did very well is a similar kind of horse race story. Over the years many people have caught this one again and appreciated the true cinematic art of it. Hackman and Coburn were always great in Westerns and this is one of their best. Bergen and Johnson turn in good performances as well. Well developed characters in this grueling horse race across country in the old West. Hackman plays the part of an aging cowboy that appreciates horses. Coburn a worthy rival that isn't above dirty tricks. Johnson an elderly rival that deserves respect. Bergen, although a woman, has certainly proved herself as good or better than any male rider. Vincent has no respect for horses and you feel he should be beaten. I recommend it for the whole family.Movie Review: A lost jewel film!
Summary: 4 Stars
When we make the account of celebrate Westerns, usually we use to forget this film. There is to my mind one powerful reason: this picture was not released in the right time. There were so many factors in that ages that simply ignored traditional works , because Hollywood searched fresh airs. The names of Independent and talented filmmakers such Scorsese,Pakula Coppola, Kubrick, Casavettes turned the attention of the audience to them, leaving behind a group of directors who had not perceived the time of the great changes in the Cinema.
But the virtues of this film overcame all these obstacles to become in a cult film.
Movie Review: Hackman rules.
Summary: 4 Stars
Good little action piece. Nice ensemble cast. It's a little dated as far as effects and cinematography go, but the acting and unfettered plot make up for that. Gene Hackman (as always) adds a depth and weight to a character that could otherwise be your cliched hero of films today. Some minor social commentary and emotional content make this film a little more poignant than others of it's ilk. Precursor to big budget action flicks of today that lack most of these elements. Very 70's in style and feel.Movie Review: "Horse don't give a damn who wins the race. Me either."
Summary: 3 Stars
If "Bite the Bullet" sentimentalizes the independence and force of ordinary men without glamor who have to struggle for a prize in a hard, bitter, and lonely environment, it also examines the cruel or inhumane treatment often inflicted on animals...
"Bite the Bullet" is an all-star Western about a 700-mile horse race that takes place in the middle of 'Nowhere, USA' at the turn of the last century, for a chance to win the grand prize of $2000...
At the head of the line is Gene Hackman, an ex-Rough Rider who believes in caring for lame animals, and despises cruelty to horses, ladies in distress, lost kids and lost causes...Hackman has got the heart, and at the film's climax, he is the sleeper--the one to beat...
His old-timer friend from fighting days at San Juan Hill is James Coburn, a natural-born gambler who certainly can't afford to lose... He just bet everything on this race, and got seven-to-one... Coburn and Hackman have a great chemistry together, and their friendly rivalry imposes the name of the game...
Also riding: Candice Bergen, who has 'two thousand reasons' to compete in the race; Ben Johnson who desperately wants to win the prize to be a man to remember; Ian Bannen, the tough Englishman who comes 5,000 miles to beat the best; Mario Arteaga, the cool Mexican who needs the money for his loving family in spite of suffering from unbearable toothache; and Jan Michael-Vincent who brings the lower calibrations of judgment, antagonism, and rage to his interactions... This punk kid certainly has a knack of provoking a man to violence... He soon will be in his own best way to learn some life lessons from 'real' cowboys...
Brooks' movie has the courage to show how beauty can flourish in our treatments for animals... He accomplished a film that is beautifully photographed and expertly put together... Brooks leaves a whole host of abiding impressions through his nine riders' true character...
Movie Review: Brooks cuts to the quick too often to win this race
Summary: 3 Stars
Bite the Bullet has a solid screenplay and is an often handsome looking picture, but it boasts some of the worst editing I've ever seen in a major studio picture. At times it's so disjointed it's almost as if you're watching an assembly put together before shooting has finished. Certainly the potential of many scenes seems to thrown away in slapdash editing that constantly undermines the film. Considering the troubles other Columbia pictures had at the time in their desperate attempts to avoid bankruptcy, it's possible that the film was cut to the bone from a much longer version, but it looks like they've thrown out the baby with the bathwater.
As a result, Richard Brooks' tale of a western endurance horse race never really connects despite a great cast - Gene Hackman on top form and James Coburn in roles that seem to be virtual reprises of Robert Ryan and Burt Lancaster's characters in The Professionals, and Ben Johnson as a nameless saddle tramp out to make a name for himself before he dies best among them. There's also the problem of animal cruelty: despite the script's compassion for horses, there's no doubting that some of the horsefalls would now be illegal. On the plus side, there's some truly striking use of slow motion and normal speed in the same frame, and when the film isn't in such an all-fired hurry it does throw in some nice character moments. And it's a lot better than Hidalgo.