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Bite The Bullet

Sandra Lamar Dargie | Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA United States | 01/05/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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!"

A horse ride through hell

T O'Brien | Chicago, Il United States | 02/08/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In the 1970s when westerns were typically cynical, dark and violent, Bite the Bullet went for a more traditional movie, and it works because when it comes right down to it, it's a good story. In the early 1900s, saddle tramp Sam Clayton is out of work after delivering a horse to the start point of a 700-mile horse race. At first, Clayton wants none of the race, but comes around and ends up joining the competition. One of nine riders, Clayton sets off through hellish terrain with little water. Can the riders tread that fine line between pushing both themselves and their mounts too far, and who will win? Not much action here, but I never found myself bored. Great location shooting, a good score by Alex North, and a strong ensemble cast make this 70s western an enjoyable one.

At the height of his popularity, Gene Hackman leads the ensemble cast as Sam Clayton, the cowboy looking for work who joins the 700-mile race. Clayton wants to win, but not at a cost of his own beliefs and morals. If someone's in trouble, he'll help. Candice Bergen stars as Miss Jones, a former prostitute who joins the race to earn some much-needed money, but there may be more going on than she tells. James Coburn plays Luke Matthews, Clayton's old friend who has bet every cent he has on the most reliable rider...himself. Hackman's scenes with Coburn make their past friendship more realistic and believable, you like both characters. Ben Johnson is great in a small part as Mister, an ex-Pony Express rider who's tried everything in life but believes he won't be remembered, winning the race on the other hand would immortalize him. Some of the other riders include Ian Bannen as Sir Harry Norfolk, a British sportsmen who loves competition, Jean-Michael Vincent as Carbo, a youngster trying to prove himself, Mario Arteaga as the Mexican, and Robert Hoy as Christie, the early favorite.

The DVD seems like it was just thrown together. No special features, not even a trailer, and a fullscreen presentation of a movie that would look great in widescreen. Even more frustrating, the credits are in widescreen, but the movie goes to pan-n-scan immediately after. Too bad, but the movie's a good one, an old fashioned western with a great cast, check out Bite the Bullet!"