![]() ![]() Bite The Bullet is a very good western, with convincing performances from its all-star cast and luscious cinematography from the great Harry Stradling Jr. Some lose their horses along the trail others are even less fortunate and lose their lives. ![]() As they ride through forests, deserts and mountains toward the finishing line, the riders get involved in various adventures and tragedies. Among those seeking the glory and the romance are English gentleman Norfolk (Ian Bannen) young show-offy hot-head Carbo (Jan-Michael Vincent) a rugged old man in search of a final moment of honour (Ben Johnson) a poor Mexican with serious dental problems (Mario Ateaga) feisty female entrant Jones (Candice Bergen) former Rough Rider Luke Matthews (James Coburn) and introspective horse-lover Sam Clayton (Gene Hackman). At the turn-of-the-century, various riders gather in a Wild West town to compete in an endurance horse race of some 700 miles or so. for this was his third western of the '70s, and the first of real quality (his previous two - The Hunting Party and Zandy's Bride - being pretty terrible if truth be known). It also marks an example of the "third-time-lucky" adage for Gene Hackman. Not only does it resist the '70s urge to show gore and brutality, it also manages to come up with a plot that is actually quite novel. By the 1970s, the western genre was virtually exhausted and many of the westerns made around that time were either cheaply-made, badly-dubbed European offerings, or depressingly violent revenge westerns (e.g The Hunting Party, The Revengers, The Deadly Trackers, The Last Hard Men, etc.) Bite The Bullet, however, is a happy exception. ![]()
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