I'm with SilentWarrior on this. I didn't expect much from it but was decently impressed by quality direction and excellent cinematography. Unsure about the morals of the film perhaps...
I was struck by it's B-movie, cinéma vérité style, plunging the viewer into near darkness for long stretches of time. To me it screams 70s cinema, even though it was made at the very start (1971). It holds up thanks to two performances: Clint Eastwood's defining role as Dirty Harry, of course, but also Andrew Robinson (who will always be Garak to me) as the nutso Scorpio
I love how he's got 6 rounds to spend in that massive Smith&Wesson model 29 and they use it to further the story with it's own dialog ("Did he fire 6 shots, or only 5?") It's bloody brilliant and made Harry one of the most quotable gunfighters in history. It's a little violent, and the nudity seems thrown in merely to cater to the male crowd, but a good flick.
I thought it was an interesting idea to have all of these scenes shot pretty far away and going pretty slow, so that you watch the action as if you were observing from a rifle sight. It strengthen the idea that Harry and the riffle guy share similarities through the way they can observe things. Maybe it wasn't necessary to have that many Harry peeping scenes to have the spectator understand that though, but I guess it brought a funny aspect to the thing. Apart from that I didn't find the movie so special, but its 50 years old now, and I'm sure back then it brought a lot to the table and the reason I didn't find it special is because a lot of his successors were largely inspired by it.
These days, anything short of a Baz Luhrmann seizure constitutes a slow editing pace. I thought that’s why Dirty Harry seemed so sluggish when I watched it a couple of years ago with the kids on the 9’ screen in our basement. Clint Eastwood was, of course, imposing and iconic, but the film as a whole felt like an overwrought Quinn Martin production. The dated Lalo Schifrin score didn’t help.
Sunday the kids took me to a revival house screening of Harry. It played on a 40’ screen (as surely God intended). It was a completely different experience. More screen real estate translated into more places for the Scorpio killer to hide. The audience spent long seconds between cuts tensely searching for bad guys in the blackness made possible by the seventies’ faster film stocks.
Once again I learn what I should already know: size matters. iPhones, laptops, and cinema screens each have their own dynamics of composition and pacing. Those dynamics aren’t interchangeable.
Did I mention the kids chose Dirty Harry tickets as a Father’s Day present? It seems that more than once during their childhood, as one or the other of them teetered on the brink of mischief, they each remembered looking my way, daredevil eyes glinting. They recalled (as I did not) the threat of discipline in my standard response: “You’ve got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well… do ya, punk?”
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cinephile085
The prototype of the modern action antihero.DerekFME
I'm with SilentWarrior on this. I didn't expect much from it but was decently impressed by quality direction and excellent cinematography. Unsure about the morals of the film perhaps...Siskoid
I was struck by it's B-movie, cinéma vérité style, plunging the viewer into near darkness for long stretches of time. To me it screams 70s cinema, even though it was made at the very start (1971). It holds up thanks to two performances: Clint Eastwood's defining role as Dirty Harry, of course, but also Andrew Robinson (who will always be Garak to me) as the nutso Scorpiojacktrewin
some great moments never boring. and some classic (and funny) linesDisneyStitch
I love how he's got 6 rounds to spend in that massive Smith&Wesson model 29 and they use it to further the story with it's own dialog ("Did he fire 6 shots, or only 5?") It's bloody brilliant and made Harry one of the most quotable gunfighters in history. It's a little violent, and the nudity seems thrown in merely to cater to the male crowd, but a good flick.Earring72
Terrific cop drama. Still holds up after 40years and repeat viewing!Rohit
Eastwood is a real badass!!Johnny60pack
I thought it was an interesting idea to have all of these scenes shot pretty far away and going pretty slow, so that you watch the action as if you were observing from a rifle sight. It strengthen the idea that Harry and the riffle guy share similarities through the way they can observe things. Maybe it wasn't necessary to have that many Harry peeping scenes to have the spectator understand that though, but I guess it brought a funny aspect to the thing. Apart from that I didn't find the movie so special, but its 50 years old now, and I'm sure back then it brought a lot to the table and the reason I didn't find it special is because a lot of his successors were largely inspired by it.Joker of Gotham
A classic cop movie with the most badass cop, played by one of the most badass actor of his generation.4/5
you've gotta ask yourself a question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?
Ilikechicken
I love this movie, so simple and easy to follow.ghillli
One of my Fav movie from Clint Eastwood,Who suits best for that cop character :) . and watched all sequel bcoz of him only :D .Man of less words ;)ecnered
Do I feel lucky?jatinc
awesome movie... loved it...Strelok
Classic Eastwood flick. Definitely a fav.brian_fuller
These days, anything short of a Baz Luhrmann seizure constitutes a slow editing pace. I thought that’s why Dirty Harry seemed so sluggish when I watched it a couple of years ago with the kids on the 9’ screen in our basement. Clint Eastwood was, of course, imposing and iconic, but the film as a whole felt like an overwrought Quinn Martin production. The dated Lalo Schifrin score didn’t help.Sunday the kids took me to a revival house screening of Harry. It played on a 40’ screen (as surely God intended). It was a completely different experience. More screen real estate translated into more places for the Scorpio killer to hide. The audience spent long seconds between cuts tensely searching for bad guys in the blackness made possible by the seventies’ faster film stocks.
Once again I learn what I should already know: size matters. iPhones, laptops, and cinema screens each have their own dynamics of composition and pacing. Those dynamics aren’t interchangeable.
Did I mention the kids chose Dirty Harry tickets as a Father’s Day present? It seems that more than once during their childhood, as one or the other of them teetered on the brink of mischief, they each remembered looking my way, daredevil eyes glinting. They recalled (as I did not) the threat of discipline in my standard response: “You’ve got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well… do ya, punk?”
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