Director Richard Brooks has done some magnificent films(IN COLD BLOOD) and some terrible ones(WRONG IS RIGHT), "BITE THE BULLET" is one of those in-between. It's half-great, half-bad!  The film's more of a character study with an adventurous horse-race as a background setting, but only a few of the characters in the film are likeable or believable enough to make the film interesting.  Set in the late "wild west", Gene Hackman stars as a truly noble cowboy with hopes of winning the race for the $2,000 jackpot.  Competing against him are James Coburn, Ben Johnson, and believe it or not, Jan-Michael Vincent!  Surprisingly enough, Vincent is quite good here!  Actually, for the most part everyone gives a fine performance.  But, unfortunately, Bergen never feels right in her role, and her performance often prevents the viewer from becoming thoroughly immersed into the film. 

Another problem is that the film's pace sometimes seems slower than the 700 mile race!  Brooks' slow, deliberate pacing with "IN COLD BLOOD" actually helped the film's atmosphere, but there are long stretches in "BITE THE BULLET" where "nothing" is happening worthwhile or interesting!  Worse, Brooks slows the imagery down with slow-motion, which only makes the intended action to a scene feel sluggish instead!

Fortunately, Hackman, as is typical, makes the film worthwhile. He has a few scenes that are outstanding to watch on their own, and some of his dialogue is not just stirring, but provocative as well!. 

COLUMBIA TRISTAR has provided the film's correct 2.35:1 aspect ratio with 16:9 enhancement.  It's fantastic.  Although there are a few scenes wherein the color is restrained, it appears to have been intentional, as the look of the "wide" open terrain wouldn't have the same visual impact if it was bursting with vibrancy. There's virtually no grain and the contrast is close to perfect. Fleshtones appear natural throughout.

The Dolby Digital mono soundtrack is in good shape, offering intelligible dialogue, free from distortion throughout the film.  The fidelity is also quite good, complimenting the wonderful score from Alex North!