A very disjointed title sequence for a rather disjointed and detached film.

That said, Bullitt is my favorite movie. The thing I like about these title sequences, and the film as a whole for that matter, is that everything isn’t spelled out for the viewer — leaving room for interpretation and that unsettling feeling the day after watching it.

IMHO, directors in general these days tend to fill in the gaps a little too much. Combined with the addiction to ‘do it cg/post’ this leads to little or no imagination on the part of the audience member.

my 2¢.

Wayne

I also find the term disjointed peculiarly out of place. This title sequence beautifully sets the stage for two of the most intriguing cinematographic themes in this film, viz., fluidity and transparency/translucency. In virtually every frame of this film Yates’ camera is gently slipping away – or the camera is still and the actors are slipping off the frame. Even when the action gets cranked up the frame manages to incorporate a layer of gentle slippage to the motion.

As for transparency, just count the number of times scenes are shot through – or significant details are seen through- transparent materials. In the title sequence Ferro has managed to take both of these visual devices to an even higher level by having the typography itself not only constantly slipping and irising but also having it create dynamic compositional seams. Although a great movie, this is another fine example of how the limits of title sequence can be turned into a strength and ultimately provide perhaps a more potent expression of the visual themes or style because of its concentrated succinctness and freer narrative structure.

Some of these visual themes are evident in other work by Ferro and I think it would be an interesting study to see how much a primary director may have been influenced by title sequences.

IMHO, The setup of Ross being given a pass by his brother is what was asked for by Steve M. The title sequence delivered provided exactly that. Not in the least “disjointed” if one actually follows the storyline. The art of how it was done on 35 film is apparent. Look at Thomas Crown Affair M.T. another 35mm multi-pass optical (with the internal sequences) conceived and executed rather well. I do find it interesting that many creatives (these days), forget about the process of making a film to include credits, or that the concept is nothing but an after thought. If the sequence is not that important, use white lettering over black like Woody Alan; a valid approach. The goal of “Reel One” is to capture and trap the audience into the story, period. If the first ten minutes of the movie is interrupted by the credits, then you have a problem, especially if their is crucial story and character development relied upon. Yes, it must be entertaining and these days, my head spins with all the over produced CGI used in M.T. sequences. Recently, one that I thought was very well produced and seemless in the construct of the story, was “Zombieland”. That’s how you make a sequence tie into a story using special effects. The point? The story required it.

I love this sequence. What I think that’s overlooked in this conversation is how Lalo Schiffrin’s music compliments the titles. It just makes everything about this sequence, “cooler.”

Sometimes I think the musical element is often missing from most discussions about title sequences.