Bite the Bullet (1975)
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71% of critics liked it
(14 reviews) -
49% of users liked it
(1,618 ratings)
An excellent cast, featuring Gene Hackman, Ben Johnson, and James Coburn, highlights this entertaining Western that came and went at the box office, barely noticed by audiences. That doesn't stop the exciting story from capturing the viewer's attention as a disparate group of riders… More An excellent cast, featuring Gene Hackman, Ben Johnson, and James Coburn, highlights this entertaining Western that came and went at the box office, barely noticed by audiences. That doesn't stop the exciting story from capturing the viewer's attention as a disparate group of riders assembles to participate in a marathon 700-mile horse race across the American West at the turn of the century. The standard mutual feelings of distrust give way to respect and grudging admiration as each rider is put to the test. Stunning cinematography and locations, plus a gripping pace set by director Richard Brooks, set this Western apart at a time when the genre was in decline. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi
- Directed By
- Diego Munoz, Richard Brooks I
- Genres
- Western, Drama, Action & Adventure
PG,
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 1975 Wide
- Studio
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Critic Reviews
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Variety Staff, Variety
An excellent, literate action drama probing the diverse motivations of participants in an endurance horse race.
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, Time Out
Any random thought ever committed to paper about the intrinsic 'messages' of the Western genre here turns up as a line of speechifying dialogue: the result is a folly stultified by its own seriousness.
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Vincent Canby, New York Times
In spite of all the care, the money and the hardships that apparently went into its production, the movie looks prefabricated, like something assembled from other people's earlier, better inspirations.
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Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
A finely crafted, epic Western about a cross-country horseback endurance race.
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Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Unusual, big budget western concerning horse race to deathly finish.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
Cast
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Gene Hackman
as Sam Clayton
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Candice Bergen
as Miss Jones
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James Coburn
as Luke Matthews
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Ben Johnson
as Mister
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Ian Bannen
as Norfolk
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Jan-Michael Vincent
as Carbo
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Mario Arteaga
as Mexican
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Robert Donner
as Reporter
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Robert Hoy
as Lee Christie
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Paul Stewart
as J.B. Parker
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Jean Willes
as Rosie
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John McLiam
as Gebhardt
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Dabney Coleman
as Jack Parker
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Jerry Gatlin
as Woodchopper
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Walter Scott Jr.
as Steve
- Joe Brooks
- Billy Burton
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Sally Kirkland
as Honey
- Darwin Lamb
- Buddy Van Horn
