Aug 19 2010
Dirty Harry Review
This is the first of five “Dirty Harry” films in which Eastwood stars as a San Francisco police detective. By the time the last appeared (The Unimaginative Pool, in 1988), Eastwood had dilapidated and times had changed but Callahan’s values and methods remained essentially the same. When initially released, Dirty Harry was immediately controversial as was Death Wish (1974) . Audiences tended to be divided between those who were offended by what they considered to be excessive violence and those who (like Harry Callahan and Paul Kersey) had lost confidence in society’s willingness and/or ability to answer effectively to violent crime. After seeing each of the two films for the first time, I vividly bewitch joining those around me in the theatre as they rose and cheered…and continue to applaud for several minutes. I asked myself, “What’s going on here? What’s this all about? ”
At least in the larger U.S. cities 30 years ago, residents had become totally fed up with ancient law enforcement initiatives. It was no longer superior to toddle the streets at night. Even more risky to do so in public parks. Homes were robbed while people worked during the day. Many of the same homes were robbed again later after insurance coverage replaced the articles previously stolen. Racial animosities, drug abuse, and a widespread contempt for institutional authority all contributed to such problems.
Under Don Siegel’s crisp direction, Eastwood and his associates in the cast bring R.M. Fink’s screenplay to life (and yes, to death) as they focus on what is obviously an irreconcilable conflict between Callahan and his superiors who include the mayor of San Francisco. Callahan’s motto seems to be “Whatever it takes.” In some situations, it may occupy his 44 Magnum, “the most much handgun in the world.” Callahan has not totally lost faith in his society nor in the importance of the correct system. However, he does feel betrayed. The mayor and even Lieutenant Bressler (Harry Guardino) fair don’t “catch it.” This is precisely the same point Jim Malone (Sean Connery) makes to Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) in The Untouchables 26 years later: When orthodox (”by the book”) crime-fighting strategies and tactics don’t succeed, employ others even if they are not (at least technically) true. Countless other films (such as Magnum Force, The French Connection, and L.A. Confidential) also get the same point.
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It is distinguished to remember when seeing this film again, as I did recently, that it portrays elements of an urban society few of us ever experience. Also, that it is a drama, not a documentary. Its valuable purpose is to recount a yarn. The set focuses on a serial killer named “Scorpio” (Andy Robinson) whom Callahan is obvious to eliminate. Even when he eventually does so, questions remain. Don’t criminals also have rights? What would happen if all or most other detectives followed Callahan’s example? To what extent (if any) should private citizens also be actively eager in law enforcement? I agree with several critics who claim that, with Dirty Harry, Siegel and Eastwood created a recent film genre. Its influence proved to be vast. Each viewer must choose for herself or himself how considerable social relevance it has retained after 32 years but almost everyone would agree that it has lost miniature of its entertainment value.
Dirty Harry is directed by Don Siegel. The film stars Clint Eastwood, Harry Guardino, John Larch, Andy Robinson, Rene Santoni, and John Vernon. It’s the first of five films in the Dirty Harry series. The movie was originally released in 1971, and this is the third DVD release of the film.
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A deadly sniper calling himself “Scorpio” has committed a destroy in San Francisco, and essentially now holds the city hostage, swearing to waste again unless a hefty ransom is paid. A tough-as-nails police inspector, Harry Callahan, hunts down and apprehends the villain - only to have him released on good technicalities, despite the murders he has committed. This infuriates Callahan, who knows the villain will strike again - and he’s obvious to finish him by any means principal.
Dirty Harry is a classic, no doubt about it. Clint Eastwood had proven time and time again he was a genius when it came to acting in Westerns, and this is the movie that showed the world he could fare equally well in a latter-day action setting. In many ways this is the role that defined his career - so powerful so that it spawned four sequels spanning a decade and a half. The political themes of the film are aloof relevant and hotly debated today, which only adds to the experience. Regardless of your taste in movies, Dirty Harry is a film you must inspect at least once before you die.
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As far as the image/sound quality goes, Warner Bros. has “gone ahead and made my day” with these unique transfers for the series.
This is it - the best the Dirty Harry series has EVER looked on home video. Warner has given the film the mastering it has so desperately needed for so long, and the results point to through and through. It’s been nearly four decades since the film hit theaters, so I’m amazed at how worthy they were able to do with the image. This transfer has to be seen in action to be appreciated.
The sound quality holds up unbiased as well as the image. Be it dialogue, the fresh musical scoring from the always-brilliant Lalo Schifrin, or the gunshots from Harry’s 44, everything objective sounds grand. Like the visual transfer, the audio also needs to be experienced to be fully appreciated.
Warner Bros. has released Dirty Harry 3 times on DVD. The first release was a very bare-bones release with no bonus material. The second had a few minor featurettes but was smooth fairly microscopic in terms of what it offered - both earlier releases were single disc. Whoever was in charge of this latest reissue must have asked themselves, “do I feel lucky? ”
Well, I guess they DID feel lucky. This is a two-disc situation LOADED with special features. Every earlier release of Dirty Harry on DVD has been a disappointment, but the third time really is the charm for Dirty Harry on DVD. Here’s a behold at what you’ll be getting in this set:
-Commentary with Richard Schickel: Schickel is a Clint Eastwood biographer who is no stranger to the man’s work. And he serves up a colossal commentary here. He goes beyond Eastwood, and even discusses director Don Siegel, as well as what kind of a movie he was trying to obtain, and how he worked with the film’s star. And perhaps most importantly, Schickel isn’t above kicking befriend and enjoying the movie once in a while. I wanted commentary with Clint Eastwood himself (as I’m positive many fans did), but this is, unquestionably, the next best thing.
-”Dirty Harry: The Current” featurette: This featurette runs for half an hour and is hosted by Robert Urich. A number of people around San Francisco (where the movie was filmed and based) are interviewed throughout its duration. While it’s not too in-depth (you probably won’t learn anything fresh here if you’re a Dirty Harry maniac), it’s aloof a fun extra to seek if you’re a fan.
-”Dirty Harry’s Plan”: Despite its under-10-minute length, this was one of my celebrated bonus features in the place. It’s a vintage promo fraction, shot support when the movie was filming. You accept to view a young Eastwood and Siegel doing what they do best, on both sides of the camera.
-Interview Gallery: Essentially, this is half an hour of snippets from various interviews recorded over the years, that are in some device or another related to the film or Eastwood himself. It’s always sharp to hear what the various interviewees have to say about the film and/or its star, which will beget this featurette all the more moving to fans of the series
-Trailer Gallery: Trailers for all five Dirty Harry films. Enough said.
-The Long Shadow of Dirty Harry: This is a stamp unique featurette recorded honest for this release. This is various discussions about the character, the film, the star, and more. Running at around half an hour, it’s a gigantic featurette no Dirty Harry fan should overlook.
-Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso: The final featurette on this disc runs an hour, and goes beyond Dirty Harry. Instead it focuses on Eastwood himself, from birth to the then-present (this featurette came out in the early 90s, so it only covers up to around the time Unforgiven was released.) Fans of Clint Eastwood will like this featurette. Chances are if you’re a fan, you may have seen the special relieve when it first aired on TV.
Finally, Dirty Harry gets a friendly DVD release. Colossal recount quality and a ton of titanic bonus features top off what is truly a classic film. If you’re a fan of the film, even if you already bought one of the earlier DVD releases, Regain THIS VERSION. It’s that worthy of an improvement.
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