Right film review time again and this is one of the most iconic films of its time, Dirty Harry starring Clint Eastwood as the epnoymous title character, Harry Callahan, a San Francisco police officer who has has a no nonsense, gritty approach to his work. So let's give it a look shall we....
OK the plot begins with a serial killer nicknamed Scorpio (Andy Robinson) who kills a girl in a swimming pool by sniping her from a rooftop. The investigating police officer, Inspector Harry Callahan (Eastwood) finds a ransom note which he takes to the mayor (John Venon), which reveals that Scorpio demands $100,000 and if it isn't delivered he will kill one person a day until they pay him. The mayor then decides to put Callahan in charge of investigating the case although he is reluctant to at first due to Callahan's rebelious nature. Later a local diner, Callahan spots a bank robbery take place across the street and he kills two of the robbers and injures the last one, and he stands over him saying the immortal line "I know what you're thinking? Did he fire six shots or only five?" to which he asks the robber "do I feel lucky? Well do ya, punk?" the robber relents from picking up his shotgun, but says to Callahan he's got to know, and Callahan pulls the trigger which clicks to reveal the chamber is empty, and he smiles as he walks off.
Callahan is later assigned a rookie partner, Chico Gonzalez (Reni Santoni) whom Callahan is wary of at first as he feels assigning someone so inexperienced will most likely get them killed. Scorpio commits another murder as he has killed a young black boy, leaving the police to deduce that he might kill a catholic priest next (as he stated in his ransome note). This soon leads to Callahan and Chico steaking out a rooftop at night to try and capture Scorpio, with whom they soon engage in a gunfight, but Scorpio escapes and kills a police officer disguise as a priest in the process. Scorpio next up kidnaps, rapes and buries a girl alive, and he warns the police that he wishes to double his ransome to $200,000 or else he will kill the girl. The mayor finally relents and insist that Callahan deliver the money to Scorpio to end the killings, to which Callahan reluctantly agrees to but he thinks that Scorpio will kill the girl regardless.
Later that night Scorpio has Callahan run between various payphones throughout the city to ensure that he isn't being followed. Callahan eventually faces Scorpio, who beats him up and sadistically tells him that he has changed his mind and he will kill the girl, prompting Callahan to stab Scorpio in the leg, who limps away and escapes again after a quick gunfight with Chico, who is injured as a result. Chico soon after decides to resign his duties as his wife is concerned for his life, leaving Callahan to carry on investigating alone. Callahan however is soon given a new partner, who informs him that Scorpio has been seen in Kezar stadium, where Callahan later goes at night and finds Scorpio, shooting him in the leg, he tortures Scorpio by stepping on his wounded leg, who eventually relents and reveals where the girl is, but they are too late to save her. Callahan is then soon outraged to learn from the DA that as Callahan unlawfully searched his home without a warrant and seized his rifle, that they cannot charge Scorpio. After this Callahan is ordered to stop following Scorpio, after the serial killer pays a thug to give him a severe beating, which he blames Callahan for publicly. Scorpio's next move involves kidnapping a group of school children on a bus and he phones the mayor asking for a new ransome and a plane so he can leave the country. The mayor requests Callahan deliver the ransome again, but Callahan refuses and sets off to hunt down Scorpio and stop him once and for all.
Dirty Harry is without a real classic police drama, and it started a new trend in gritty cop films, in which we see Callahan is a real anti-hero, who to resort any measure to stop criminals. The film itself was a long time in development and at one time it was actually originally cast for John Wayne who turned it down as he felt the script glorified violence. And Frank Sinatra was also cast in the role but he sustained an injury and was unable to do it, which left the role open for casting with Clint Eastwood not being the top choice, as Robert Mitchum and Burt Lancaster were both considered, who both turned down the part. Eastwood was eventually cast in the part but insisted that the film was set in San Franciso and he was drawn to the part due to Callahan's concern for the victims of violent crime, and the film reflect the politics of the law at that time which saw the victims rights being trampled on.
Getting onto the performances well it has to be said this is very much Clint Eastwood's film, as he is perfect in his role as "Dirty Harry" or Inspector Callahan, the tough, hard headed cop who will take any measure necessary to ensure justice is served. Callahan despite his tough and gritty nature still remains a decent cop however and he very much shows his concern for the victims as well as for his partner Chico. Callahan also shows alot of contempt for the system especially when Scorpio is let go as there is insufficent evidence to press charges against him, which sees the criminals given more rights than the victims. Eastwood has plenty of memorable dialogue in the film, starting with the scene where he speaks to the mayor who warns him about causing no trouble like he did the year before in the Fillmore District and the mayor says "that's my policy". And Callahan replies "well when a naked man runs after a women with the intent to commit rape, I shoot the bastard, that's my policy!" to which the mayor masks why he thinks that's and Callahan replies "well when I see a naked man with a butcher knife chase after a women with a hard-on, I hardly think he's out collecting for the red cross!". Later in the mayor's office, after Scorpio publicly blames his arranged beating on Callahan when he is shown bandaged up on TV, Callahan says "Anyone can see I didn't do that!" and the mayor asks how and Callahan replies "because he looks too damn good that's how!". And there is of course Callahan's classic moment where he goes up to the robber at the start and says his famous line "So you gotta ask yourself the question: "Do I feel lucky?". Well do ya, punk?". Clint also some really good dramatic moments aswell particularly in the scene where he tells Chico's wife that he had a wife himself but she died and Chico's wife asks him how does he still do the job, and Callahan says "I don't know. I really don't". And in reference to his nickname "Dirty Harry" Callahan later on reveals why he is called that, when he is out one night with Chico and he spies a young woman who get's undressed, and he is beaten up by some nearby thugs. Later he turns to Chico and says "now you know why they call me Dirty Harry. I get every dirty job that comes along!".
In other performances, Andy Robinson is really good as the killer, Scorpio, and he plays him quite creepily and he does cut an intimidating and sinister villain. Robinson's best scenes include when he bounces Callahan all around the city and he eventually confronts him and beats him up, and he says "Don't you pass out, no don't you pass out, you rotten stinking oinker!". And another good scene is where Scorpio pays a thug to beat him up and as the thug beats him severely, the thugs asks does he want more, Scorpio, who looks bloody and battered says with contempt "every last penny, you black son of a bitch!". And possibly Robinson's most chilling moment is where he kidnaps the kids on the school trip and he starts off nicely by getting them to sing "row row row your boat" but he soon turns nasty when one of the kids says they want to go home, and he hits the boys and says "what's the matter with you?! Sing! I'm gonna kill all your mothers!".
John Vernon is also really good in his role as the San Francisco mayor, who warns Callahan not to harm Scorpio in his attempts to deliver the ransome. And Vernon get's a funny line after his first meeting with Callahan who says "when a naked man with a butcher knife and a hardon runs after a woman, I don't think he's collecting for the red cross!" and the mayor says "he's got a point!". And finally Reni Santoni is pretty good in his role as Chico, Callahan's rookie partner who get's some good lines, and after Callahan get's berated by the police chief, Chico says "So that's why they call you Dirty Harry. You keep getting the shit end of the stick!".
Getting onto the direction, Eastwood's long time collaborator, Don Siegel does a terrific job here and he keeps the pacing tight and the suspense high, and he stages some impressive action sequences, with the best one being the climactic chase sequence at the end as Callahan goes after Scorpio, as Callahan chases Scorpio on the school bus and eventually to a rock quarry. And lastly I have to mention the film's notable score, which is by Lalo Schifrin, which is very distinctive and funky, with its great use of percussion, piano and guitar, which incorporates some really good dramatic passages, not to mention some funky ones.
Sooooo that's it for my look at Dirty Harry, which to this day still remains one of the best crime thrillers in modern cinema, which propelled Clint Eastwood into worldwide stardom and introduced to the big screen one of its most memorable anti-heroes.
And with that I'll leave you there.... punks!
No comments:
Post a Comment