Movie #85- "Dirty Harry" (1971)

I've seen only one movie in the Harry Callahan series.  It was "The Dead Pool" when it hit theaters back in 1988.  At that point, the film landscape was littered with tough-talking cops with authority issues.  In an attempt to add a twist, the cop would be saddled with a partner and be just a shade crazy.
It's entertaining to go back to "Dirty Harry" and realize how many films it inspired or ripped it off, depending on your viewpoint.  In comparison to current cop movies, some might complain that it moves slow.  This wasn't a film designed on action, but rather on attitude and tension.  Harry was a renegade.  He had no respect for his superiors (or the mayor), yet still lived by a code that guided his actions. Harry's desire to do what he felt was right often put him into less than desirable situations.  Even with this strong, ethical code, he wasn't a beacon of humanity.  He had issues with those of a different ethnic or sexual background.  Placing the film in San Francisco offers a great contrast with the cities liberal sexual attitude against Harry's machismo.
San Francisco is used for more than just the contrast.  The cities rolling hills play an important role in the cat-and-mouse game between Harry and Scorpio, the killer who has the residents living in fear.  "Dirty Harry" is the film that contains the "Do I fell lucky?" speech, and the writers realized they had dialogue gold since it appears twice in the movie.  Too bad I didn't watch "Dirty Harry" when the material was fresh, instead of seeing the cliches that followed.

Rating: 8/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 79