Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Race Of Personal Best, November 7, 2004
I watched this film the other night- I hadn't seen it since I was a teenager. I loved it.
It's a western that's much more than that. While it's premise is about a horse race- it's really about life's race; about games that seem bought and paid for, age vs youth, friendships and whether we let things come between them, and about why people run the race and how one man's reaction to it can influence others to change the dynamic(in a good way).
Hackman and Coburn make a good combination in this as former Rough Riders. Jan Michael Vincent had a role where he really had to shine and I think he gave the performance of his career, here. Ben Johnson breaks your heart in what is one of the most real roles he has ever offered (and probably a real testament to how the real cowboy lived). Candice Bergman is terrific, too.
This story handles a full range of issues (racial, sexual and animal rights) in a fair and real sense. Some have remarked about some of the cruelty depicted here, and the point Richard Brooks was making (I think) is, there are some real swine in this world. They view anything- be it animal or their fellow human beings, merely as a means to an end. They're either too stupid or too insensitive to know how dark they are. It's also an example of how we set examples for one another. If you allow stupid to do as stupid does- stupid will!
I won't spoil the ending- let's just say that it makes a point about what's really important, in a very effective, emotion filled way. I think you leave this film not only satisfied- but feeling uplifted.
My personal favorite of Richard Brooks and time extrememly well spent.
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13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent alternative to the typical western fare, December 2, 1999
If nothing else, this movie has a great cast and a very interesting storyline. It begins in the first few years of the 20th century somewhere in the West. A 700 mile race is promoted by a newspaper that sets rider and horse against each other and the elements. It also pits the wealthy and their resources against those of more modest means with obvious results. However, I feel the strengh of "Bite the Bullet" is not so much a story of classes as it is the characters themselves. With a plethora of well-known character actors, the movie takes the time to develop each of these characters in a manner that makes "Bite the Bullet" an enjoyable and very watchable movie. Obviously, as a person who loves the wide-screen version of any movie, I cannot wait for "Bite the Bullet" to come out in DVD and widescreen format. However, until that time, I feel that once you see the cast involved in "Bite the Bullet" you will enjoy watching this wonderful and underrated version an era coming to an end.
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10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bite The Bullet, January 4, 2002
Bite the Bullet assembles some of the best talent in Hollywood. Gene Hackman, James Coburn and Ben Johnson are each at their finest. And who knew Candice Bergen could sit a horse so well? This grueling endurance race, based very loosely on a true story, pits Thoroughbred against Mustang, Arabian against Quarter Horse. The riders are no less a mixed bag than their mounts. The savage terrain takes its toll on man and beast, creating enemies and reluctant allies. The brutality depicted in this race was not unknown at that time and one hopes that the Special Effects Department was responsible for bringing it to the screen. Making that optimistic assumption, I recommend the movie to action lovers and those who study human nature. And I smile, knowing that my grandfather would have called it a "humdinger" of a tale!
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