2024-08-03 10:37:39
Today (August 3rd), EBS1 will air ‘Bullitt’, directed by Peter Yates.
A 1984 American film directed by Peter Yates, starring Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset, and Robert Duvall. Running time: 113 minutes. Rated for ages 15 and up.
◆ summary:
San Francisco homicide detective Lieutenant Blait is assigned to protect a witness from Chicago named Johnny Ross for 48 hours. He is a blackmailer using information he has collected to blackmail criminal organizations, and Senator Walter Chalmers has promised him personal protection in exchange for bringing him to trial for his crimes. Blait, along with his colleagues Delgety and Sergeant Stanton, head to the hotel where Ross is staying. The hotel is not a safe place to protect a witness, and to make matters worse, while Blait is away, two assassins come and shoot Stanton and Ross, wounding them and escaping. One of the assassins chases Ross to the hospital to kill him, and Ross eventually dies of a heart attack. However, in the process of discovering Ross’s identity, Blait discovers that there is a conspiracy behind the series of events and persuades the doctor to keep Ross’s death a secret. Ignoring Rep. Chalmers’ orders to end the investigation, Blitt begins to pursue the assassins on his own terms…
◆ Commentary:
This film, which made Steve McQueen one of the most popular actors in Hollywood, was a groundbreaking work for its time. It was a story about a San Francisco detective chasing a criminal who murdered a witness and his colleague, and it changed the direction of the crime thriller genre in many ways, including style, characters, and plot. The image of a rough but righteous detective and the thrilling car chase scenes have since spawned numerous imitations. This film, which is considered Steve McQueen’s masterpiece, is a work that appeals to many people with his always blunt and tough expression, and the car chase scene in the city center, which was very thrilling for its time, is impressive.
◆ director:
Peter Yates is a British director who is considered a master of Hollywood action films. He graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and began adapting at the age of 19. He entered the film industry in the mid-1960s as an assistant director to J. Lee Thompson and Tony Richardson. After that, he went back and forth between TV and film and made his debut (1963). This film, starring 1960s pop singer Cliff Richard, was a musical that fully utilized his charm and was well-received by his fans, but it was not a work that attracted the attention of the film industry. Ironically, it was Hollywood where he learned film directing from Richardson, who led the revival of British film with Lindsay Anderson in the 1960s. He really gained fame after his third film (1967). After seeing the car chase scene in this film, Steve McQueen invited him to Hollywood. And Yates starred in (1968) with McQueen, and with this film’s huge success, he was put on the list of top Hollywood directors. In particular, the car chase scene in this film is considered one of the best scenes along with the car chase scene in William Friedkin’s (1971). It goes without saying that his experience as a stunt manager for car racing drivers for two years in the mid-1950s was a great help in filming. Many of Yates’ early works show his talent for fast-paced action directing. After that, he made humorous films such as the romantic comedy starring Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow, and the film starring Peter O’Toole, but he fell into a bit of a slump. In 1973, he received the attention of critics again with the film starring Robert Mitchum, and achieved commercial success with the marine film (1977). The film he made in 1978, which was made on the back of this success, is considered his greatest masterpiece. Although the number of works decreased significantly in the 90s, in 1995, he showed off his still-going side by presenting a drama (1995) that dealt with the minor conflicts and emotional exchanges between a stubborn grandfather and his grandson who grew up with him.
The EBS1 program ‘World’s Masterpieces’, which showcases carefully selected masterpieces, airs every Saturday at 10:35 p.m.
Reporter Kim Kyung-eun Photo = EBS World Masterpieces
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2024-08-03 10:37:39