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Bite the Bullet

Play trailer Poster for Bite the Bullet PG 1975 2h 11m Western Play Trailer Watchlist
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69% Tomatometer 72 Reviews 54% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
A disparate group of individuals enters a horse race through 700 miles of the Wild West to win a large cash prize. The contestants include two ex-Rough Riders (Gene Hackman, James Coburn), an aging cowboy who refuses to slow down (Ben Johnson), an inexperienced youth (Jan-Michael Vincent), a Mexican (Mario Arteaga), an Englishman (Ian Bannen) and a woman (Candice Bergen). Over the course of the trek, the riders begin to shed their biases toward gender, race and age, and appreciate one another.
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Bite the Bullet

Bite the Bullet

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Critics Consensus

Despite its over-reliance on well-worn genre cliches, Bite the Bullet's stunning scenery, unique premise, and solid performances fashion it into rollicking journey through the Old West.

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Critics Reviews

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David Robinson The Times (UK) Jan 15
The scenery is great; the story pushes on; only it would be nice to know where the film-makers thought it was actually going. Go to Full Review
Paul D. Zimmerman Newsweek Jan 15
Brooks stretches his story with meaningless two-horse sprints that seems senseless in an endurance contest and lots of deadend incident. Go to Full Review
Judith Crist New York Magazine/Vulture Jan 15
Brooks' use of the camera is simply stunning in its depiction of the grandeur of the West. Go to Full Review
Richard Combs Monthly Film Bulletin Jan 15
Both visually and dramatically the film is constantly receding, since Brooks seems to doubt that he can convey what he means except by making sleeve-tugging speeches. Go to Full Review
Ronald E. Butler Tulsa World Jan 15
It's surprisingly nice to see some of these old cliches paraded out again for a scenic, almost-epic style of western. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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CodyZamboni Z @CodyZamboni 07/05/2024 This movie should be more compelling. Given it's about racing horses over a long distance. Gene Hackman and Candice Bergen keep it watchable, And speaking of long, the running time is too long, Major editing was needed. See more malani w @malani 03/16/2024 i gave up immediately See more Zinjx W 06/06/2023 A long distance horse race with a handful of characters with weak dialog. The film is actually held together by Gene Hackman and James Coburn. Boring at times, not recommend to a classic western lover. See more 12/02/2020 I have a couple of questions, #1) What kind of sleep 'medication' was Sam Clayton given, that made him sick? #2) What were the names and breeds of the horses the contestants rode? See more jon c 06/27/2020 a Western that's a bit more lively and upbeat than the typical grim, dark, and overly-violent outings in the genre inspired by true events in the early 1900's this one has a bit of flair to it since it focuses on a newspaper called the Western Press holding a 700 mile race, everyone is competing in to win $2,000 who's going to to come out on top though with all that prize money? Gene Hackman stars as Sam Clayton an ex-rough rider who could care less who wins while a young Candice Bergen stars as Miss Jones wanting to bail her husband out of jail for bank robbery along with 9 other contestants it's not just the long trek of the journey they'll each have to endure but the intense heat, the cold nights, the wildlife, taking care of their horses but also learning to look past their own biases and prejudices these actors take the reigns of their goal with hardship, the music is lively, the landscapes of the Old West are beautiful, and I like that this is like a race against time, nobody wants to fall behind and each rider has their own reason to finish some don't win for winning, they win for the prize, you win you get noticed and you're something, you lose you're nothing, each of us has to take a pause for our place in the world if we end up winning or losing, if you don't win you're not American, If you need a break from the traditional Western gun-toting mix well then this story of a horse endurance race is a nice distraction testing people's limits not just as racers but their will power and character, too very episodic and moves briskly along breaking down sportsmanship decency from it's best to its worst See more 06/16/2020 A great entertaining western about a long distance hourse race. Good acting. Ending makes me shed a tear or two. Just a good western. Seen it about 8 times. Own the Dvd. See more Read all reviews
Bite the Bullet

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Movie Info

Synopsis A disparate group of individuals enters a horse race through 700 miles of the Wild West to win a large cash prize. The contestants include two ex-Rough Riders (Gene Hackman, James Coburn), an aging cowboy who refuses to slow down (Ben Johnson), an inexperienced youth (Jan-Michael Vincent), a Mexican (Mario Arteaga), an Englishman (Ian Bannen) and a woman (Candice Bergen). Over the course of the trek, the riders begin to shed their biases toward gender, race and age, and appreciate one another.
Director
Richard Brooks
Producer
Richard Brooks
Screenwriter
Richard Brooks
Distributor
Columbia Tristar, Columbia Pictures
Production Co
Vista, Columbia Pictures Corporation, Persky-Bright Productions
Rating
PG
Genre
Western
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 20, 1975, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 14, 2010
Runtime
2h 11m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
35mm, Scope (2.35:1)
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