Bite the Bullet [P&S]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

An excellent cast, featuring Gene Hackman, Ben Johnson, and James Coburn, highlights this entertaining Western that came and went at the box office, barely noticed by audiences. That doesn't stop the exciting story from capturing the viewer's attention as a disparate group of riders assembles to participate in a marathon 700-mile horse race across the American West at the turn of the century. The standard mutual feelings of distrust give way to respect and grudging admiration as each rider is put to the test. Stunning cinematography and locations, plus a gripping pace set by director Richard Brooks, set this Western apart at a time when the genre was in decline. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Subtitle: Mult
• Screen: Pan and Scan
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Audio: MONO
• Features:
  • Interactive Menus
  • Scene Selections

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Nominated Best Original Score - 1975 (Alex North)
•     Nominated Best Sound - 1975 (Arthur Piantadosi, Al Overton, Jr., Les Fresholtz, Richard Tyler)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Gene Hackman - Sam Clayton
       Candice Bergen - Miss Jones
       James Coburn - Luke Matthews
       Ben Johnson - Mister
       Ian Bannen - Norfolk
       Jan - Michael Vincent - Carbo
       Mario Arteaga - Mexican
       Robert Donner - Reporter
       Robert Hoy - Lee Christie
       Paul Stewart - J.B. Parker
       Jean Willes - Rosie
       John McLiam - Gebhardt
       Dabney Coleman - Jack Parker
       Jerry Gatlin - Woodchopper
       Walter Scott, Jr. - Steve
       Billy Burton

• Director:

  Richard Brooks

• Producer:

  Richard Brooks

• Screenwriter:

  Richard Brooks

• Cinematographer:

  Harry Stradling, Jr.

• Composer (Music Score):

  Alex North

• Editor:

  George Grenville

• Art Director:

  Robert F. Boyle

• Set Designer:

  Robert Signorelli

• Costume Designer:

  Rita Riggs

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Richard Tyler, Les Fresholtz, Arthur Piantadosi, Al Overton, Jr.

• Special Effects:

  Chuck Gasper

• First Assistant Director:

  Tom Shaw

• Sound Editor:

  Kay Rose

REVIEW:

• This unique fusion of the western and the race movie is a grand, old-fashioned epic that offers some surprising food for thought. Richard Brooks' script deftly balances adventure and racing-oriented setpieces with nuanced characterizations and thoughtful dialogue that explores how "winning" is a central part of the American ideal. Brooks directs his narrative with a judicious eye, making effective use of sharp cinematography by Harry Stradling, Jr. to convey both the beauty of the landscape and the grueling toll it takes on the racers. Brooks also gets strong performances from a diverse, likeable cast: Gene Hackman excels as the rugged but big-hearted hero - the emblem of the best American qualities that Brooks is using his film to praise - but there is also skillful work from James Coburn as an amusingly roguish racer and Jan-Michael Vincent as a callow young rider who is forced into maturity by the challenges of the race. That said, it is Ben Johnson who captures the heart of the film with his finely-tuned performance as an over-the-hill drifter who pursues the race despite his poor health. His campfire monologue about how one must be a "winner" to be noticed in America is quietly devastating stuff. Finally, it is worth noting that the film boasts a lavish musical score by Alex North that has a sense of grandeur reminiscent of the work of Aaron Copeland. All in all, Bite The Bullet is majestic, rousing entertainment that appeals to both the heart and the mind. It is well worth the time for anyone who wants to enjoy a uniquely American epic. ~ Donald Guarisco, Rovi