Dirty Harry | Maurice Argent, Jo De Winter

Dirty Harry | Maurice Argent, Jo De Winter | One of my favorites

DVDs:

Dirty Harry

	Dirty Harry Maurice Argent, Jo De Winter Warner Home Video, 2001 average customer review:based on 150 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Whether or not you can sympathize with its fascistic/vigilante approach to law enforcement, Dirty Harry (directed by star Clint Eastwood's longtime friend and directorial mentor, Don Siegel) is one hell of a cop thriller. The movie makes evocative use of its San Francisco locations as cop Harry Callahan (Eastwood) tracks the elusive "Scorpio killer" who has been terrorizing the city by the Bay. As the psychopath's trail grows hotter, Harry becomes increasingly impatient and intolerant of the frustrating obstacles (departmental red tape, individuals' civil rights) that he feels are keeping him from doing his job. A characteristically taut and tense piece of filmmaking from Siegel (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Shootist, Escape from Alcatraz), it also remains a fascinating slice of American pop culture. It was a big hit (followed by four sequels) that obviously reflected--or exploited--the almost obsessive or paranoid fears and frustrations many Americans felt about crime in the streets. At a time when "law and order" was a familiar slogan for political candidates, Harry Callahan may have represented neither, but from his point of view his job was simple: stop criminals. To him that end justified any means he deemed necessary. --Jim Emerson

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PURE 70'S NOSTALGIA

Warner Brothers is going to "make the day" of Clint Eastwood fans everywhere on June 3rd when they release all five Dirty Harry films on special edition DVDs with all-new bonus features. With Eastwood in the starring role, Dirty Harry would one of the most influential films of the 1970s. This would usher in an era of gritty crime dramas and would open the door for such films as Shaft and Death Wish. Even John Wayne would put down his cowboy hat and play a Dirty Harry-style cop in McQ. Dirty Harry wasn't an action hero and it's almost impossible to think that the film could have been made today when there is so much reliance on over-the-top action and CGI special effects.

This film came along at a time during the Viet Nam-era when there was so much disillusionment in the country. Harry Callahan wasn't the action hero; he was the anti-hero, constantly at odds with authority including his police chief and the Mayor. We see almost nothing of Harry's personal life, almost as if he didn't exist outside of his job with the San Francisco PD. It's a clever touch by the writers and Director Don Siegel to show the obsessive drive of the character. Nothing mattered to Harry more than catching the bad guys no matter what it took.

Andrew Robinson turns in a memorable performance as a psychotic sniper dubbed Scorpio. After killing one girl, he demands a ransom from the city or he promises to kill again. The case is assigned to Callahan and in a bit that would be repeated through the film series, he is teamed with a new, young partner, this time Chico Sanchez (Rene Santoni). You know all you need to know about Callahan's character when he captures Scorpio but is forced to watch the prosecutor release him because Harry didn't give him his rights. Callahan wants to know who was looking out for the latest victim of Scorpio. This will set the table for Eastwood to deliver his famous, "Do you feel lucky punk" offer to Scoprio at the film's climax.

Nearly 40 years later Dirty Harry still holds up well. Eastwood is the model of cool. As a bank robbery interrupts his lunch at a diner, Callahan foils the robbery while still finishing off his hot dog! The film has a catchy, jazz soundtrack by Lalo Schifrin. You need only listen for a few moments to know you're watching one of those memorable cop films. Presented in letterbox format, Dirty Harry has never looked better. This is one of the most important films of the 1970s.

Extras

Clint Eastwood's biographer, Richard Schickel provides an all-new commentary on the film. While Schickel can be dry and goes several minutes without speaking, he offers some insightful views on the film.

Dirty Harry's Way is a 7:00 promotional piece produced in the 1970s which helped to hype the film and draws comparisons to film noir of the 1940s.

Dirty Harry the original is a 29:00 documentary from the 1990s and is hosted by the late Robert Urich who had a role in the second Dirty Harry film, Magnum Force.

The Long Shadow of Harry Callahan (25:00) is a new feature and takes a look at the roots of the 70's cop dramas as being urban westerns. Modern filmmakers and actors share their thoughts on the landmark film and how it has influenced their own work.

The Man from Malpaso is a 58:00 biography on Eastwood originally produced in 1993.

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One of my favorites

I saw this at the drive in back in the 60's.It always has been on my top 10 lists.

A very "Dirty" Harry

A great story but a barely passible PQ. Lots of dirt on the picture and inconsistant color saturation (from washed out to cartoonish to very good, depending on the scene) I was dissapointed in the video transfer, could have been better.

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