Bullitt (1968)

Set in San Francisco, a police lieutenant (Steve McQueen) is assigned the task of protecting a witness (Pat Renella) who's supposed to testify against the mob. But when the witness is assassinated before he can testify, the cop is determined to find the killers even though an ambitious politician (Robert Vaughn) insists on hampering his investigation. There's something to be said about technique. On paper, I suspect that BULLITT (based on the novel MUTE WITNESS by Robert L. Fish) didn't look like much but the British director Peter Yates (THE DEEP), his cinematographer William A. Fraker and his wizard of an editor Frank Keller (justifiably winning the editing Oscar for his work here) have whipped up a a tightly stylish crime thriller out of a routine script. As Bullitt, McQueen shows why he defined "cool" at the time and he lets his charisma carry his performance most of the time. The film contains, of course, a near legendary car chase that still has not been equaled. Shot entirely on location in San Francisco and if you've ever lived in the city (I have), you know Yates and company got the feel just right. With Jacqueline Bisset, Robert Duvall, Simon Oakland, Norman Fell and Don Gordon.