Here's Why The Bullitt Car Chase Scene Was So Influential

Whenever filmmakers tried to create an exciting car chase action scene, they were hampered by technical limitations like rear-screen projectors that took you out of the scene. But then Bullitt was released in 1968 with the most realistic depiction of a car chase movie-goers had ever seen. Bullitt essentially did for movie car chases what Star Wars did for science fiction films. That's because, unlike other movies at the time, the stunt driving was all done for real. There were no cheap rear-screen projections used for the close-up shots of the actors, and none of the scenes were sped up in post-production to heighten the sense of speed. They didn't need to be, because those cars really were gunning through the streets of San Francisco at over 110 mph.

There was a sense of danger unlike any movie chase before it as the two muscle cars weaved through traffic and jumped over the hills of San Francisco, while the camera literally put you in the driving seat. The soundtrack is glorious, too - and we don't mean the music soundtrack. Not a word of dialogue is spoken during the 11-minute long sequence. Apart from the iconic jazz score that does a great job of building tension before the chase erupts in a cloud of tire smoke, there's no music either, allowing you to appreciate the sound of two screaming V8 muscle cars battling it out. Bullitt set the standard for all movie car chases to follow, making it the most iconic and influential chase scene of all time.