Review of Dirty Harry (1971) by Daniel A — 24 Aug 2012

Review Number: 1.

Dirty Harry - The classic that spawned off a whole generation of similar-type movies, but always remained in a league of its own.

Don Siegel's "Dirty Harry" was arguably the start of the serial killer/cop genre inherent in so many mainstream American movies released today. Setting the stage for countless rip-offs and sequels, "Dirty Harry" was one of the true first of its kind--not only in regards to its genre influence but also in terms of its content. (Full frontal nudity, heavy vigilante-style violence and strong language.) It is, in fact, one of the quintessential 1970s films--capturing the very essence of the typical gritty '70s film style we're all familiar with.

It is an excellent police thriller about a serial killer who can only be brought to book by a police officer who is prepared to bend the rules a little. As well as being an exciting and suspenseful story in itself, there is an interesting - and unresolved - subtext about whether the end justifies the means (the film, long before any sequels were envisioned, ends with Harry's vigilante-style policing administering the roughest of justice to killer Scorpio, but then throwing his police shield away in disgust at how impotent due process leaves authority against such people).

Harry is a paradox. In one sense, he is an 'outlaw'. He has little respect for formal authority (in the opening minutes, we see him being rude to the mayor) and he carries a strictly non-regulation monster of a gun. Harry is openly racist and mutinous. And yet he is also deeply moral. He conforms to an unarticulated ethical code that is anglosaxon American. He protects the weak and confronts the wrongdoers, no matter how the odds are stacked against him. Arguably, it was this characterisation that made Eastwood a megastar.

There are some illogicalities about the plot. Such an important event as the cash drop is left to two cops working alone, when in reality there would be a massive covert operation. When Scorpio beats the rap, there is no public outcry or media storm, and he is allowed to get on with his anonymous existence virtually untroubled.

At the time of its release, "Dirty Harry" was seen to be very much in touch with the mood of the general public who had seen an obvious increase in violent crime accompanied by an apparent inability on the part of the law enforcement agencies to deal with the problem effectively. This left many people feeling vulnerable and let down by the system that was supposed to be there to protect them. The analysis of the problem as expounded by Harry Callahan was that the justice system had become too soft on criminals, criminals' rights had been given greater importance than those of the victims and the lawyers who represented suspected criminals were simply hell bent on obstructing the police in their work.

Dirty Harry is a classic of in every way, shape, form, and one of the most influential works in the genre. Great action magnificently directed by Don Siegel, the master of the genre, great dialogue, and relentless tension make this the ultimate detective thriller and one of the defining films of the 1970s.