Review of Dirty Harry (1971) by John K — 16 Sep 2018

Aptly humane and sane..

Dirty Harry.

Dirty Harry is a character driven crime thriller about a madman who is on a killing spree and to stop him, an equally bold cop is hired to pull off this job. The feature may be of "cat and mouse" nature but its simple chess politics that it plays with all tricks in, is what makes it smarter and cunning than the usual cop cases.

If it is brimmed with action then it is full of slick moves, if it has any chase or physical sequences it is performed with panache and if there are any morale conflicts or threats they are projected with gut wrenching execution that screams the glorifying cinematic experience that every fan aspires for. The background score is palpable enough to add the cynicism on each sequences, the cinematography is decent with sharp sound effects and fine editing but poor art designing.

The way it simplifies the human necessities and emotional aspects by choking up the characters' nerves and narrowing its abilities is how it offer a three dimensional perspective to them which is purely cathartic to the eyes. Eastwood is lethal and also vulnerable and with a character range that he has offered he milks out the essential bits and foliates it through finesse on screen. The narration is appreciative and thoroughly gripping but with Siegel's brilliant execution it creates the anticipated impact on screen.

The smarter ideologies of the crimes are written with maturity and depicts the entire subjective procedure to the viewers to elaborate the bar and the magnitude of the stakes and emotions that the characters are going through it. Thoroughly competent action and chase sequences, gripping and layered screenplay that enfolds with appealing characters and revealing concepts are the high points of the feature.

Dirty Harry is undeniably dirty but it is aptly humane and sane whose buoyant natured script is the real gem that keeps giving it back.