Bite the Bullet is a sprawling, exciting epic western from writer/director Richard Brooks. Loosely based upon fact, it recounts a newspaper-sponsored 700-mile endurance horse race which takes place over the course of a week in 1906. A winner-take-all prize of $2,000 is at stake. Although there is a route map, the only requirement is that the riders make it to designated checkpoints by the end of each day. How they get there is up to the riders. And what a group of riders!
Bite the Bullet
Studio: Twilight Time/Columbia Pictures
Year: 1975
Rated: PG
Program Length: 131 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 1080p
Languages: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA
Subtitles: English SDH
The Program
What's a horse get out of it? Colic. Cracked bones. Mister, did you ever see a horse run himself dead just to please the man on his back? What for? To get his picture in the paper? For glory? Horse don't give a damn who wins the race. - Sam Clayton
Bite the Bullet is a sprawling, exciting epic western from writer/director Richard Brooks. Loosely based upon fact, it recounts a newspaper-sponsored 700-mile endurance horse race which takes place over the course of a week in 1906. A winner-take-all prize of $2,000 is at stake. Although there is a route map, the only requirement is that the riders make it to designated checkpoints by the end of each day. How they get there is up to the riders. And what a group of riders! Sam Clayton (Gene Hackman) and Luke Matthews (James Coburn) are Spanish-American War veterans who charged up San Juan Hill together. Since the war Clayton has worked as a cowboy and Matthews has become a professional gambler. The veteran actor Ben Johnson plays an unnamed Civil War veteran who tries to sell his medals but finds no takers because he fought for the losing side. Miss Jones (Candice Bergen), a former hooker, is the only female rider in the race. She says that she has "2,000 reasons" to enter the race, but it turns out that her real ambition is more complicated. Mario Arteaga plays the role of a Mexican who has left his family behind in the hope of bringing home the prize. Sir Harry Norfolk (Ian Bannen) has traveled from England to ride his horse in the race. Carbo (Jan-Michael Vincent) is a hot-headed, arrogant young man who is looking to make a reputation for himself.
As the film opens, Clayton is escorting Tripoli, a champion horse owned by the wealthy J.B. Parker (Paul Stewart) to the rendezvous point where a special train is picking up the contestants. The plan is for Clayton to ride Tripoli, but he misses the train because he stops to aid two horses and pony which were left to die in the middle of nowhere. This forces Clayton to travel an additional 70 miles in order to reach the starting point for the race. There he meets up with Rosie (Jean Willes), an itinerant madam who has seized the opportunity to set up a traveling saloon and whorehouse, and her most favored employee, Honey (Sally Kirkland). Clayton's tardiness causes him to fired by J.B. Parker's son (Dabney Coleman), who gives the assignment of riding Tripoli to Lee Christie (Robert Hoy). Without any income and low on cash, Clayton decides to enter his own horse in the race.
An endurance race is not really about speed. The only advantage to being the first to reach a checkpoint is that it gives the rider and the horse more time to rest before heading out again. It is only on the last day that it promises to turn into a speed duel to be the first to the finish line. The major challenge, as it turns out, is to make it to the last day. The riders have to cope with the cold while riding through high country and blazing heat while crossing the desert. Shortcuts exist but pose unknown dangers, and crossing a river with a fractious horse is a daunting task. Along the way we get to know the contestants, and of course some we like better than others. In the meantime, Rosie's saloon/house of ill repute is traveling by train to set up for business at each checkpoint.
Director Brooks, who previously had a western hit with The Professionals, keeps the action moving along and the film seems to be shorter than its actual running time. Brooks also injects some humor, as in one scene where Matthews gets lost taking a shortcut and has an unproductive encounter with a local rancher. "Well, how far is it to town?" asks Matthews. "Don't know," replies the rancher. "Never measured it." There also is considerable drama. In one memorable scene, Clayton's countenance goes dark as he relates the brutal reality of the San Juan Hill charge to Miss Jones. Bite the Bullet also is replete with magnificent scenery shot in such diverse locations as Carson National Forest, White Sands National Monument, and in the State of Colorado. Ultimately, the real heroes of Bite the Bullet are the horses, who refuse to quit even when exhausted and covered in lather (the producers swore that no animals ware injured during the filming). The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, Best Original Score (Alex North) and Best Sound. It is a very entertaining western and fans of the genre will want to get this limited edition while it remains available.
The Video
The picture quality of this Blu-ray release is outstanding. The transfer is consistently sharp and free of damage, with vibrant colors and numerous shots of spectacular vistas. The only exception is the opening Columbia logo, which has very heavy grain and is far from crisp. One commentator in another thread noticed a scene at 1:12 in which Sally Kirkland appears to be a bit fuzzy, but that looks to me like a depth of field matter rather than an issue with the transfer. Jean Willes, who is in the foreground in that scene, is in perfect focus. There is no evidence of excessive noise reduction or any other unwelcome digital manipulation. This is a demo quality transfer which demands to be used to show off how spectacular Blu-ray images can look.
The Audio
The lossless 5.1 DTS-HD MA soundtrack is every bit as good as the video presentation. The audio beautifully captures every sound, from the pounding hooves of the horses to the thumping engine of the iron horse. Dialogue is clear throughout, although I had trouble making out a couple of Mario Aretaga's lines which I rectified by taking advantage of the optional English subtitles. Alex North's wonderful music score is given a wide and eminently pleasing soundstage. As is always the case with Twilight Time releases, the film can be viewed accompanied by the isolated score track.
The Supplements
Other than the isolated score track, the only extra is the original theatrical trailer. The trailer is not quite pristine but it still is in very good shape. It includes some vintage black and white photographs which help to put the film into historical perspective. The trailer has a running time of 2 minutes, 29 seconds.
The Packaging
Bite the Bullet comes in a standard Blu-ray keep case. Included is an eight-page color booklet which contains an informative essay by Julie Kirgo, still photos and a reproduction of an original movie poster.
The Final Analysis
Bite the Bullet is a freewheeling, exciting western featuring an outstanding cast, spectacular cinematography by Harry Stradling Jr., and a rousing score by Alex North. As with all Twilight Time releases, this edition is limited to 3,000 copies and can be ordered only at Bite the Bullet Blu-ray.
Equipment used for this review:
Panasonic DMP-BD50 Blu-ray player
Panasonic Viera TC-P46G15 Plasma display, calibrated to THX specifications by Gregg Loewen
Yamaha HTR-5890 THX Surround Receiver
BIC Acoustech speakers
Interconnects: Monster Cable
Release Date: Available Now
