Review: Bite the Bullet
Set in the early 1900s, the film concerns a cross-Colorado endurance horse race with an array of cowboys and one cowgirl (Candice Bergen) competing for a cash prize. The late, great Gene Hackman is an equine lover charged with delivering a champion horse to one of the riders, but ends up signing up for the race alongside fellow former Rough Rider James Coburn. Ben Johnson, Irish actor Ian Bannen, Jan-Michael Vincent, and Candice Bergen essentially play ‘The Old Timer’, ‘The Englishman’, ‘The Kid’, and ‘The Woman’, also competitors in the race. A seemingly engaging premise is given surprisingly slow and uninvolving treatment from writer-director Richard Brooks ( “Elmer Gantry” , “In Cold Blood” , “The Professionals” , all classics in my book). This cross-country horse-riding western from 1975 features strong work by a perfectly cast Gene Hackman, a rousing music score by Alex North ( “Spartacus” , my favourite film “The Misfits” ), and nice scenery. However, it’s...