There's a lot to appreciate here other than the iconic car chase, and compared to the borderline-fascist "cop on the edge" thrillers that would follow, it's a breath of fresh air. McQueen gives Frank Bullitt a countercultural edge just through sheer force of will, but more impressive than that is how filled with beautiful grace notes his performance is, making this guy seem human rather than a superhero (favorite of many, many examples: The way he smiles ingratiatingly at the airport clerk when he asks "what gate?" towards the end). Super-stylish 60s cinematography, super-slimy 60s Robert Vaughn, and a super-cool Lalo Schifrin score are also great, although it's really no wonder that they sometimes manage to get drowned out by all those car and airplane noises.