Synopsis: It’s 132 minutes of Hackman,
Bergen and Coburn um…horsing around.
Blurb From the VHS
Jacket: “In the tradition of many classic westerns, BITE THE BULLET is an
exciting adventure featuring an all-star cast brought together to battle the
trials of the rugged West in a gruelling 700-mile horse race!”
What Did I Learn?: 1) “A boy lookin' for a
reputation is the most dangerous thing alive.” 2) “A cowboy dresses from the
top down. The first thing on is his hat. And he undresses from the bottom up.
Last thing off... hat.” 3) The West is violent and treacherous: “(e)very
prairie dog hole is a gold mine, every molehill is a mountain, every creek is a
river and everybody you meet is a liar.”
You Might Like This Movie If: You know that you’ll never find a more authentic cowboy than James Coburn.
Really?: So, Clayton (Hackman) beats the
crap out of Carbo (Jan Michael-Vincent) on two occasions, and the latter not
only doesn’t seem to want any payback, he helps Clayton retrieve the missing
horses? 2) I had a hard time believing Clayton could toss those sticks of
dynamite at the bad guys with such power and precision, especially from the
side-car of an early motorcycle.
Rating: Bite the Bullet is a
nearly-forgotten Western from the mid-1970s. Its production values are a bit
low-budget, and the ending is a little tough to swallow (see “Really?”),
but the film features an impressive cast, an engaging storyline, several decent
performances, beautiful cinematography in The White Sands National Monument,
and a surprising animal rights message. All in all, Bite the Bullet is a
fun little movie. 7.5/10 stars.
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