Chase sequences have been a prominent way to expose the magic of cinema. Many directors have challenged themselves to craft the best and longest pursuits they could, with the unforgettable help of crews of mechanics and stunts. Sometimes, this effort paid off, and some scenes became widely known and significantly revered for their technicalities and crazy lengths.
For example, film buffs have been dissecting shot-by-shot the famous sequence from Bullitt since its release, while car fanatics have fantasized about the possession and full discharge of his V8 Ford Mustang GT. If a chase scene is well-done, whether it will become the best one ever made or just a great action sequence among others, it will always satisfy every type of viewer. You can never go wrong with a car chase scene.
10 The French Connection (5m50s)
In 1971, The French Connection helped William Friedkin finally put his own mark into the New Hollywood legacy. This amazing thriller revolves around resolute policemen Jimmy Doyle (Gene Hackman), nicknamed Popeye, on an international chase of French heroin kingpin Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey). The movie would win Best Picture, Best Director, and three other Oscar categories.
Friedkin is unstoppable throughout the movie, with his realistic portrayal of the story and documentary-like sapient camera work, but the chase scene is what makes him superior to most. In order to obtain a specific rhythm to the editing, the director listened to Black Magic Woman by Santana and conceived an alternative editing that kept the spectators tensive until the end. We are forced to balance our attention between Doyle chasing in the car and Charnier's hitman Nicoli (Marcel Bozzuffi) in the elevated train, threatening the conductor. The adrenaline is infinite in this chase, and its unpredictability is its strength.
9 Ronin (7m)
The legendary filmmaker John Frankenheimer is behind Ronin, a heist thriller with Robert DeNiro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgård, and Jonathan Pryce. A stellar cast for this late masterpiece of the American director, who shows once more his ability to craft solid, tense, and exquisite movies. Ronin shines for his dull and gloomy cinematography, superb action scenes, and the wonderful performances by the cast.
The famous car chase at the movie's end is no lesser than a moment of cinematic history. The pursuit develops in seven minutes, with the cars high speeding on streets, sidewalks, and a gallery in Paris, creating mayhem and destruction as they pass. The absence of CGI and the highly detailed sound mixing, which makes the cars' engine roar more potently than ever, elevate the scene to a realism seldom obtained on an action movie set. The editing brings everything together with potency and accuracy.
8 To Live and Die in L.A. (7m35s)
To Live and Die in L.A. is probably one of the greatest neo-noirs ever made and a cornerstone of William Friedkin's career. The American director crafts a tense, esthetically mind-blowing, and perfectly shot movie revolving around a money counterfeiter named Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe) and a secret service agent on his tail called Richard Chance (WIlliam Petersen). Everything plummets after Chance's partner Jimmy Hart (Michael Greene) is killed by Masters.
The car chase sequence that William Friedkin gifts us is just pure film school. The scene's rhythm is given by perfectly paced editing, which is not only fast enough to convey the speed of the pursuit but also slow enough to show all the details. Friedkin puts the camera everywhere, showing the cars from every angle. The cherry on top is the opening of the chase, probably shot with a long crane camera attached to a car. The rewind button is a must in this case.
7 Smokey and the Bandit (8m33s)
Smokey and the Bandit is a classic 1977 road movie directed by Hal Needham and starring a fitting Burt Reynolds as Bo Darvile, nicknamed The Bandit. Darville has to smuggle bootleg Coors beer on behalf of affluent Big Enos (Pat McCormick) to his sponsored racer at the Atlanta Southern Classic. Aided by a friend driving the truck full of beer, Darville and his black Pontiac encounter a runaway bride named Carrie (Sally Field).
This movie features many chase scenes, but the longest is the last one. The scene is strongly constructed by the director, who opts for straightforward and solid camera work. The accidents and car smashing are always on point, and both Reynolds and Field are great in their parts. Smokey and the Bandit is a staple in Burt Reynolds's filmography and a feel-good special for the appreciators of action comedies.
6 Bullitt (10m53s)
Bullitt immortalized the great Steve McQueen into legend and gave us an iconic car chase that everyone knows. Detective Frank Bullitt (Steve McQueen) loses a witness he had under protection, and he is determined to find out who is behind the assassination. The movie was directed by Peter Yates and features a neo-noir premise sometimes broken by full-on action sequences; McQueen is the man for the role and smashes it completely with his straightforward portrayal.
This movie cannot be separated from its car chase scene, which by most is considered the greatest ever. The music of Lalo Schifrin is amazing in building up the tension that precedes the chase, but the genius idea comes after: the music is silenced by the engine's roar, and the rest is history. Solid as a rock directing, high-speed precision stunt driving, and the amazing urban scenario of San Francisco crown this chase as a masterpiece.
5 Blues Brothers (11m15s)
Directed by John Landis, who also co-written the script with actor Dan Aykroyd, The Blues Brothers is about Jake (John Belushi) and Elwood (Dan Aykroyd), two passionate brothers for blues who decide to save the orphanage that raised them. The mission consists in putting back together their old band and using the money from the gigs to pay the needed taxes to keep the place open.
The Blues Brothers has become a classic, and it has been recognized for its exhilarating screenplay, the stupendous soundtrack with blues and soul classics, and the infinite list of cult scenes. Among them, the car chase at the end of the movie remains vivid in the memory of whoever watched it; more than 100 cars were smashed during the shooting phase, while police, military, neo-nazis, and a rival band were all together pursuing the brothers in those 106 miles that to their destination Chicago.
4 The Italian Job (14m3s)
Charlie Croker (Michael Caine) is an ex-felon who decides to take on the job of his late partner: robbing millions in gold bullion in Turin, Italy. The rich loot is revealed to be a payment by the Chinese government to Italy in exchange for a new car factory. Despite the poor reception at the time, The Italian Job later gained cult status, helped by the Hollywood remake with Matt Damon in the role of Caine.
The Italian Job's chase is once again unforgettable and unique on its own. Mimicking the comedic atmosphere of the movie, the chase features three Mini Coopers - red, white, and blue - running around Turin and outrunning the police with fun gags. The directing of the scene by Peter Collison is detailed and careful, showing us all the dynamics and the different locations of Turin, from the streets to the metro.
3 Death Proof (15m32s)
Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, Death Proof is a part of the double feature Grindhouse, which also contains Planet Terror by Robert Rodriguez. The directors conceived this double feature as an homage to the 1970s B movies; Tarantino's segment features Kurt Russell as serial killer stuntman Mike, an aging stunt double who kills women with his car.
Despite being a less appreciated movie in his filmography, Death Proof doesn't change the truth that Tarantino is always a safe bet. The car chase scene is filmed perfectly, alternating close-ups of the characters and breathtaking car pursuit; what stands out immediately is the complete absence of special effects, which gives the scene a realistic and adrenaline-like atmosphere. At the same time, the scene is characterized by an intriguing flipping of roles: while the chase starts with Stuntman Mike as the predator, it ends with him being prayed upon by his own victims.
2 Mad Max: Fury Road (16m46s)
Mad Max: Fury Road is probably among the best action movies of all time and one of the many masterpieces of George Miller. The movie talks about a post-apocalyptic world where the greatest currency is water; Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) rebels against her dictatorial warlord and smuggles his five wives out of the city they live in. In the chaotic and frenetic journey to freedom, the fleeing group meets Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy), a lone nomad.
Even if there are arguments for considering Mad Max: Fury Road one single long chase, this list focuses on the final chase. No words can describe the brilliance of this movie, let alone the adrenalinic climax; the editing and cinematography catapult you into the dirty roads of that wasteland, while the fitting soundtrack keeps the tension to the max. The explosions follow each other, and the stunt team exceeds itself with beyond-human-capacity sequences. A milestone.
1 Gone in 60 Seconds (40m)
Gone in 60 Seconds has steadily emerged as a cult classic precisely for its car chase, which is the longest in history. Maidrian Pace (H. B. Halicki) is an insurance investigator by day and a master car thief by night; one day, he accepts a drug lord's commissioned job of "procuring" 48 specific cars in five days. Despite the low budget for production, Gone in 60 Seconds was very popular in 1974 and smashed the box office.
Gone in 60 Seconds may be a B movie with some imperfections, but it's a great show of Halicki's heart and perseverance. In fact, not only he starred in the movie, but he also wrote, directed, and produced it. The car chase scene is everything you would expect from a 1970s B movie and beyond, marking at 40 minutes; cars speed on the streets of five cities, causing accident after accident, in a mayhem of steel and glass.