1971 action movieRating: 16/20
Plot: If there's any type of person the misanthropic title cop hates more than anybody else, it's hippies. And San Francisco is currently being tormented by a maniacal one who is sniping random folks from rooftops and promising that he'll continue his bad behavior until the city forks over 100,000 dollars. And he does it all while giggling which ticks off Dirty Harry even more. So, Dirty Harry grows his hair really tall and goes after him, breaking more than a few rules along the way. His struggles with counting make the task even more difficult.
A lot of this movie is too dark. Was that just a problem with the dvd version I saw? I suppose this is the movie that a lot of people have been trying to copy for a few decades now. The story's actually a little weak, and the villain is a little campy (I prefer Malcovich in In the Line of Fire), but there's a coolness working here and combined with some good writing, real characterization, and exciting action scenes, this will likely remain a dated but timeless classic shoot 'em up flick.
last time i saw this on tv i remember it being super dark.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the few films I do impressions of...
ReplyDeletesniveling killer: You tried to kill me.
cold macho Callahan: If I tried that, your head would be splattered all over this field. Now, where's the girl?
near tears whiny killer: I have rights.
more pissed, unsympathetic Callahan: Where's the girl?
about to be in a lot of pain killer: I want a lawyer.
had all he's gonna take Callahen: Where's the girl?!
killer: Ewwyahhaaaaeww!!!!!
I've fould this goes over best at baby showers.
I think there is more to this film than your rewiew indicates. I have loved "Dirty Harry" for 25 years, but I'm kind of ashamed to say it. In a way, it panders to the id. It gives the most despicable villian possible, and turns a super-cool cop loose on him so that we can get just the kind of justice we crave. I think the slightly campy Scorpio is one of the great movie bad-guys of all-time, and Ledger's Joker and "The Dark Knight" kind of reminded me of "Dirty Harry"
I like the darkness in the film because I think it adds to the mood, and I love the movie's score. I think Harry is just fine with hippies (he is certainly OK with the female variety seen through the telescope) but he just can't stand stupidity. Besides, I don't see the killer as a hippie.
I totally disagree with the idea that the story is weak. You could agrue that the film exploits the real-life Zodiac murders and gives the public what it didn't get in real life; absolute closure. I think the story, characters, and dialogue are incredibly strong, just not for all tastes. The "six shots or only five" scenes are two of my favorite scenes, ever. A 20.
One more favorite scene that goes over well at church socials:
in control, hidden killer: Freeze cop. Now, left hand, pull out your gun.
cool Callahan does so
impressed double entendre killer: My, that's a big one.
I say again... a 20!
That's the best impression I've read all week! Who else do you do?
ReplyDeleteI almost mentioned Heath Ledger when writing about 'Dirty Harry' as I also saw some similarities between the two antagonists. The Joker is a better bad guy because he's more of an enigma. With Scorpio, his motivation is clear right from the beginning--dude wants 100,000 dollars. The Joker is a more perplexing character which makes him a lot more interesting to me. Scorpio's motivation does get a little muddled by the end of the film as he seems to get more masochistic, but he just doesn't work completely as a bad guy for me. Probably because of that whining and what I see as a lack of intelligence when he repeatedly either almost gets caught or actually gets caught. That's another reason I liked Malcovich in 'In the Line of Fire' because he was smart and mean. I don't remember that movie well enough to know what Malcovich's motivation was...did he want 100,000 dollars, too?
I don't do many. I used to do a little Nicholson from "The Shining", but I probably sucked. "Dirty Harry" is my best. I'm good at the nutjobs.
ReplyDeleteI think Malkovich wanted revenge for the CIA trying to kill him.
Ledger and Malkovich are two of the greatest, and they are better, but Scorpio is the most hateable. He is a bully and a coward. He is a sadist and a masochist. He is a complete CREEP. His catchability makes a gritty movie more believable. Other bad guys have qualities we like. There is NOTHING to like about this guy, so the end of the movie is that much more satisfying.
That's a good point. I do often like the bad guys in movies better than the good guys (probably because I'm a creep), but I didn't like Scorpio at all. I guess that's the way it's supposed to be.
ReplyDelete