How The 1968 Film, Bullitt, Made Fast And Furious Possible – SlashGear

Prior to the “Fast and Furious” films, “Bullitt” showcased what many believe is arguably the most iconic car chase in movie history. What made it special was how it was presented, which was a very raw portrayal, something that was quite unprecedented at the time. In Car Insider’s Snapchat  — which compiled the 100-year history of Hollywood’s car chase sequences — it showed how rudimentary these scenes used to be. Starting with the 1924 film “Sherlock Jr.,” chases were only as basic as filmmakers shooting the sequence backward before playing it in reverse to emulate the notion of danger and speed. Filming equipment limitations prevented older movies from portraying real car stunts on actual streets.

That is, until “Bullitt” came into the picture, bringing with it a pretty realistic, over-10-minute-long car chase scene that’s as thrilling as it is authentic. This is thanks to advancements in filming equipment. Since the film utilized more durable and compact cameras — such as the Arriflex 35 II — its filmmakers were able to shoot car chases in real locations instead of a movie set. This allowed “Bullitt” to capture stunts on San Francisco’s hills while putting audiences in the seat of the action with its in-car shots courtesy of portable cameras. The film editing in “Bullitt” was so exceptional, it won an Academy Award in 1969 (via Oscars). However, better gear is just one part of how “Bullitt” set the standard for car chase scenes to come.