Very Cool!!!

good back-story, and good acting

A Disappointing Continuation

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

So the film certainly starts off slow. It looks like it's going to be a completely self-explanatory, ostensibly obvious and pretty painful watch with as predictable a development as the ending would be. It turns out that: no, that's just that first half hour. Gradually the film takes a hold of the viewer and drags him into a more enticing development of the plot, one that engages the public right into the thick of the film's crux. It's like the film at its core has a heavy weight to bear and wishes to unload the burden onto the viewer, who finds himself morally and emotionally committed to the lead character's dilemma: going by the letter of the law and following standard procedure - or - choosing what 'feels right' regardless of the institutions.The film does a well enough job to not be as clichéd as you'd expect, to not be too linear with the plot which is praiseworthy since the film's entirety is really just one big premise (and 'Dirty Harry' so easily could've been a constant reiteration of the same scene over and over), and the protagonist despite being basically a comic book character still remains very relatable for his humanity which is also very much commendable. Strong ending with a very symbolic gesture which gives the whole all the more meaning and appeal, and you know a movie that ends well is infinitely more important than a movie that merely starts well (!).7.5/10.

Admit it, you've all heard about the most powerful handgun in the world and about punks being lucky. The original Dirty Harry, starring Clint Eastwood at his prime, spawned multiple sequels and is still regarded as something of a crime classic.And yet I'd claim that the story itself is not all that memorable. Sure, it has a solid foundation and I do like the midpoint twist concerning the fate of the killer, but it is also a bit on the slow side and the runtime could be cut down quite significantly.Rather it's the character that makes this such a memorable film. We don't necessarily remember just how the crime got solved or what exactly the killer was doing. But we do remember how impossibly cool Eastwood as Harry Callahan was, walking down the street with a .44 Magnum in hand. There's even a scene in the film where Callahan has to talk to a jumper. And even that is cool.Not a perfect film by any means, but Dirty Harry is one of those archetype characters. A renegade, a loose cannon, a man who gets things done no matter what. And for that alone this is one fine film.

I'm not really sure how, at my great age, this could be the very first time of seeing this film but I'm pretty certain it is. Looks very impressive in Blu-ray with magnificent opening scenes, shot from high up and far away and closing in on violent action in vivid, colourful close-up. Considering all the Italian police action films I have seen, odd that I should not have visited one of their major influences. Thinking about it Clint Eastwood is a pivotal and iconic figure, being influenced by but even more, himself influencing Italian crime and western films. This one is very tough and uncompromising and Eastwood strides through it, a man against the world, including the police officials he has to work around. Being of the early 70s the film is not as slick as one might expect today in so far as scenes crash and collide with night turning to day without a murmur. No time for niceties, its the story stupid! My only reservation, the film runs for 100 minutes, 90 would have made it more tight and we could probably have lost one of those meet ups with the major or governor. Splendid action though and again being early 70s goes out of its way to show a bit of sleaze every now and again.

Plot; San Francisco detective Harry Callahan gets caught in a game of cat and mouse with a deranged serial sniper.The zeitgeist of the era certainly informs this first entry in Eastwood's Dirty Harry saga, but far less so than its reputation. The cultural clutter is certainly there on the margins, but at it its core Dirty Harry is a reasonably well made thriller anchored by Eastwood's steely turn as the titular character and Andy Robinson's deranged Scorpio killer. I think the movie might've worked a bit better had the latter had a clearer ideology and objective, but Robinson sells it with his unhinged performance.