By Lee Pfeiffer
Twilight Time has released the 1975 gut-busting Western Bite the Bullet as a limited edition (3,000 units) Blu-ray edition. The film, directed by Richard Brooks (one of the most truly macho filmmakers of his day) centers on a disparate group of cowboys who are competing in a 700 miles endurance horse race in hopes of winning the $2,000 prize. I saw the film when it was first released but it made no impression on me whatsoever. Thus, watching it on Blu-ray afforded me the opportunity to re-evaluate a movie that I remembered literally nothing about. Maybe it's just the wisdom that comes with age or the fact that we can't take for granted films boasting this type of cast, but this time around I really enjoyed Bite the Bullet. This is the type of Western that was produced by studios on a routine basis. Nowadays, however, good Westerns are hard to find and the pleasures of watching Brooks' film are much greater today than they were at the time of the movie's initial release. There are many admirable qualities to the movie, but most of the credit must go to Brooks himself, not only for his top-notch direction but also for his remarkably mature screenplay. The cowboys he presents are not glamorized in any way. They each have human frailties and attributes. These are men who will risk their lives for one another without even knowing each other's name. Gene Hackman is a weary, middle-aged drifter who half-heartedly enters the race largely out of boredom. James Coburn is a gambler and grifter who hopes to multiply the prize money many times through side bets. Candice Bergen is the only woman in the race, a beautiful sometimes prostitute who provides a surprising plot twist toward the end of the film. Ian Bannen is a rich dude from England who nonetheless has all the grit of his American competitors. Jan Michael Vincent is the brash, hot-tempered young rider who learns humility during the course of the race. All of these actors give very fine performances but the most moving is Ben Johnson as an aging cowpoke valiantly battling a myriad of health problems as he forces his way toward the finish line. His campfire soliloquies are quite moving. I was very impressed by the abilities of the major cast members to perform most of the rough riding themselves. It adds immeasurably to the realism and Hackman, in particular, takes a number of falls from his horse that must have made the insurance agents age a few years. The film also makes poignant pleas against the practice of animal abuse. Brooks, aided by Harry Stradling Jr.'s magnificent cinematography and Alex North's rousing score, makes the most of the gorgeous locations in Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada. The sequences in the desert convey the blazing heat so convincingly that you should keep a cold beer next to your remote. The film eschews brutal violence for character studies, though there is plenty of action as the competitors battle nature, wild animals and each other.
The Blu-ray release is from a remastered print and is top notch in every aspect. Julie Kirgo provides the always informative liner notes in the collector's booklet (a wonderful staple of Twilight Time releases) and there is an original theatrical trailer.
One puzzling aspect of the film is that there are no final credits. The film just ends with an abrupt cut to black, which is certainly unsatisfying. Nevertheless, Bite the Bullet is a wonderful adventure well worth adding to your Blu-ray collection.
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