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Dirty Harry

Dirty Harry (1971)

December. 23,1971
|
7.7
|
R
| Action Thriller Crime

When a madman dubbed 'Scorpio' terrorizes San Francisco, hard-nosed cop, Harry Callahan – famous for his take-no-prisoners approach to law enforcement – is tasked with hunting down the psychopath. Harry eventually collars Scorpio in the process of rescuing a kidnap victim, only to see him walk on technicalities. Now, the maverick detective is determined to nail the maniac himself.

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ReaderKenka
1971/12/23

Let's be realistic.

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UnowPriceless
1971/12/24

hyped garbage

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Ella-May O'Brien
1971/12/25

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

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Philippa
1971/12/26

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

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John Brooks
1971/12/27

So the film certainly starts off slow. It looks like it's going to be a completely self-explanatory, ostensibly obvious and pretty painful watch with as predictable a development as the ending would be. It turns out that: no, that's just that first half hour. Gradually the film takes a hold of the viewer and drags him into a more enticing development of the plot, one that engages the public right into the thick of the film's crux. It's like the film at its core has a heavy weight to bear and wishes to unload the burden onto the viewer, who finds himself morally and emotionally committed to the lead character's dilemma: going by the letter of the law and following standard procedure - or - choosing what 'feels right' regardless of the institutions.The film does a well enough job to not be as clichéd as you'd expect, to not be too linear with the plot which is praiseworthy since the film's entirety is really just one big premise (and 'Dirty Harry' so easily could've been a constant reiteration of the same scene over and over), and the protagonist despite being basically a comic book character still remains very relatable for his humanity which is also very much commendable. Strong ending with a very symbolic gesture which gives the whole all the more meaning and appeal, and you know a movie that ends well is infinitely more important than a movie that merely starts well (!).7.5/10.

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sudiniup
1971/12/28

Amsterdam 1972, saw posters of "Dirty Harry" everywhere. When I finally did see Dirty Harry I loved it and how he was such a cool underdog but he had such insights to human behavior. I am watching it again today 2017 and he is more timely than ever. He had skill, intelligence, guts, and the ability to accomplish the dirty assignments.

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Jellybeansucker
1971/12/29

One of the most charismatic movies ever made. It's infuriated liberals ever since it premiered but that was one of its intentions. Well done for it, and it was partly inspired by factual cases where killers had their charges dropped after lawyers argued the accuseds' abuse and violation of legal rights by police. Eastwood plays a homicide inspector who is so sick of the legal system being played by defence lawyers he has decided to be judge himself, meaning trouble for any murderer he's chasing.What's surprised me reading about the making of it is how many big name star actors were approached for the role of Dirty Harry and turned it down in apparent disgust at the character and the tone of the film. Newman I could understand but not some of the others - Lee Marvin! Step up Clint Eastwood and walk into movie super stardom! And there isn't anyone who'd've done a better job of it. Wayne maybe in his day but his day had gone to do it credibly.Eastwood played the zero tolerance cop with relish and conviction and no shortage of style. From the half eaten hot dog to the pistol pointing wise cracking ending, the first shoot out scene, so blunt and direct and full of charisma delivered a picture into movie folk lore. Relentless from then on with really hard hitting scenes for 71, this would cause a stir in the movie industry after audiences loved it and wanted more. They got a lot more and not just from Dirty Harry, as there were many imitators after this iconic (sorry couldn't avoid it) movie.Eastwood was supremely charismatic and super cool in his portrayal, giving us one of the most memorable and quotable movie characters ever. But a special mention must go to Andy Robinson as the really disturbing killer who has nearly as much screen time as Eastwood and goes to town on his nutcase compulsive murderer, Scorpio. You'd probably question the Mayor not insisting Harry Callahan be taken off the case, considering he wanted to pay off Scorpio from the start but it's clear even Harry's superiors have more than an sneaky admiration for his no nonsense methods.Dirty Harry, the movie is a hard slapping crime thriller that still serves as an antidote to legal weakness and injustice and political correctness. I've watched it countless times and it just seems to get stronger with every passing decade. The film packs a punch on many levels, not least pure entertainment and should be on any serious top 250 list. The fact it isn't on this one is down to the same true villains of the movie, liberals.

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oOoBarracuda
1971/12/30

Everyone, including Clint Eastwood novices, has heard of Dirty Harry. The famous titular character was established by Eastwood in the 1971 film by Don Siegel. In the film, Harry is a tough-talking cop intent on tracking down a serial killer haunting the streets of SanFrancisco. A mystery that quickly devolved into a cat-and-mouse game with a great '70's score makes up the iconic film.After a string of seemingly unrelated murders, San Francisco police receive communication with the perpetrator who only refers to himself as Scorpio. In the letter, Scorpio demands a ransom to ensure that no more victims are taken and begins to leave notes at each crime scene. Harry (Clint Eastwood) refuses to toe the company line and submit to the demands of a serial killer, so he goes rogue with his newest partner to track down Scorpio and stop him on his own terms. Harry will stop at nothing to catch the killer and prove the origin of his nickname, Dirty Harry, along the way.I was hoping Dirty Harry would be more of a whodunit exercise than a cat-and-mouse game. The killer is revealed early in the film and with little mystery surrounding the reveal. The opening was fantastic and seemed to be sure to maintain the mystery and intrigue throughout the film, yet once the killer was revealed, the pace began to screech along rather sluggishly. The camera work was fun, however, making sure I stayed put through the entire runtime of the film. Low-angle shots are a surefire way to keep me glued to my seat, and Siegel's use of them so often and effectively was beautiful to watch. Dirty Harry fails the hardest in its inability to hold the same intrigue established in the opening which was a monumental disappointment. If you're looking for an apt cat-and- mouse chase film, Dirty Harry will fit the bill, despite how lacking it is in the mystery component.

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