This year marks the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. To celebrate the occasion, various Warner Bros. movies are being re-released in cinemas throughout 2023, so audiences can (re)experience a bunch of classic films on the big screen.
However, despite a considerable number of top titles receiving a theatrical re-release, including Superman: The Movie, Batman Begins, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Exorcist, one notable collection of Warner Bros. films has been overlooked. That film collection is the five Dirty Harry movies originally released between 1971 and 1988.
Keen to highlight this set of films (because they are great), this week I’m taking a look back at each entry, starting today with Dirty Harry. The film might not be heading back into cinemas any time soon, but it doesn’t mean I can’t spend some time discussing its magnificence, and reminding you why it is such a great picture.
Directed by Don Siegel, Dirty Harry stars Clint Eastwood, Andy Robinson, John Vernon, and Reni Santoni. The movie follows the story of Inspector Harry Callahan who is a San Francisco cop on the trail of a psychotic killer.
In the film, a mysterious sniper shoots and kills an innocent woman in a rooftop pool in San Francisco. Upon leaving the scene of the crime, the murderer – later referred to as ‘Scorpio’ – leaves behind a note demanding $100,000 from city officials or he’ll kill again.
The note is discovered by Inspector Harry Callahan, who is investigating the murder. After sharing the note with his superiors, as well as the Mayor of San Francisco, Callahan is put on the case to locate Scorpio.
Despite various attempts to capture the killer, he continues to terrorise the city. Scorpio then increases his demands, demonstrates his resourcefulness, and highlights the depth of his depravity, while Callahan does his best to bring the murder spree to an end.
When it comes to dark, gritty, and iconic movies from the 1970s, they don’t come much better than Dirty Harry. The film is a true classic in every sense of the word, and arguably one of Clint Eastwood’s best movies.
Dirty Harry is a detective story, it is a character study, it is an action movie and a thriller, and it offers up plenty of commentary on police brutality, crime, and punishment. The picture is also beautifully filmed, with some stunning shots from cinematographer Bruce Surtees, and it is expertly scored by Lalo Schifrin.
From Eastwood’s rule-breaking Callahan through to Andy Robinson’s disturbing Scorpio, Dirty Harry packs a punch and is never less than effortlessly cool. It looks good, it is loaded with story and character work, and it has multiple standout sequences.
With Dirty Harry, director Don Siegel sets out a tale that is as much about what happens in the story, as it is about what’s on screen. Callahan and Scorpio are the key players in the film, and a huge part of the movie’s appeal, but so is the setting.
Siegel wants the audience to be invested in his characters, but at the same time wants the world around them to be intrinsic to the story. To make things hit just right, San Francisco has to play a significant role in the picture and this is where Siegel really goes to work when setting the mood and tone.
The city may look good on the surface, but it is grimy, it’s grubby, and there’s crime, sex, and violence around every street corner. This is the sort of environment which can give birth to a villain like Scorpio, but one which is in desperate need of a no-nonsense hero like Callahan.
And speaking of Callahan, Clint Eastwood is perfectly cast as the ‘dirty’ cop, who isn’t really dirty at all. Instead, he’s someone who is direct and self-assured, and thanks to Eastwood’s charm and swagger, he makes a big impact on the screen.
Dirty Harry inspired countless imitators throughout the ‘70s and beyond and a large part of this is down to Eastwood. He isn’t a muscle-bound hero, but he is imposing in his own way, and he is someone who can command (and steal) a scene.
Early into the film, Callahan takes down a group of bank robbers with just a handgun and a mouthful of hotdog for back-up. Throughout this whole scene it is impossible to take your eyes off Eastwood, and in an instant an icon is born.
But every good hero needs a horrid villain, and they don’t come more psychotic than Scorpio. Similar to Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight, Scorpio is unnerving and unpredictable, and Andy Robinson is fantastic in the role.
Scorpio has no redeeming features – none whatsoever – yet he’s not a one dimensional foe. There’s something very troubling about him, which Robinson really taps into, and at times he’s terrifying.
Eastwood nails the character of Callahan irrespective of who he is pitted against, but having Robinson be this good at being that bad helps elevate the character even further. Despite the limited screen time the two actors share, this is an excellent pairing of hero and villain.
Outside of the setting, as well as the Eastwood/Robinson combo, Dirty Harry has so much to offer. From the suicide sequence and Scorpio’s beating, to the school bus hijack and the final showdown, Dirty Harry continuously finds way to keep audiences invested.
The film may be more than 50 years old, but it has lost none of its power to transfix. Action films are a dime a dozen, but there’s something about Dirty Harry which ensures it stands out from the crowd and it’s not difficult to see why this picture spawned four sequels.
Should you wish to watch Dirty Harry, the movie can be downloaded via all major digital platforms. Dirty Harry is also widely available on DVD and Blu-ray, including as part of the Dirty Harry boxset, from all good entertainment stores including Amazon US and Amazon UK.
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