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Clint Eastwood's iconic Dirty Harry Callahan gets his start with this gritty, simple story of a frustrated police inspector who is tired of criminals getting away with murder.
Callahan (Clint Eastwood) is an angry inspector with the San Francisco police department. A maniacal killer, named Scorpio (a great Andrew Robinson), is stalking the city, and sending ransom letters to the frustrated mayor (John Vernon). To say Harry is unorthodox is an understatement, as he breaks rules while tracking Scorpio down, almost dying, and getting new partner Chico (Reni Santoni) hurt in the process. Once nabbed, Scorpio turns the tables and begins demanding his rights, is released, and then Harry's real fury at the system and the criminal come through.
Lucky for us, original lead Frank Sinatra had to bow out of the film due to an injury incurred on another project. Eastwood is excellent in a role that is not very strong on character. There's a running joke as to why he's referred to as "dirty," and all the explanations offered are probably true. Don't look for a love interest, or a peek into Harry's home life, the fast paced film is concerned with the Scorpio case and little else. Watching Harry butt heads with the city bureaucracy is a relief in this day and age, with Harry speaking for most of us, as is seeing certain criminals getting their comeuppance. Over fifty years later, there is still talk of a Dirty Harry reboot or remake. I doubt modern film makers could capture the very un-PC flavor of the character and script. Harry hates everyone, and doesn't mince words, so even if a remake kept in only some of the quips, it would still be considered offensive- many groups are not portrayed well here.
This is no action-packed spectacle filled with computer generated stuntwork. We know who the killer is, so we aren't saddled with a mystery, clues, and CSI minutiae. Instead, we have a rogue cop, ticked with the system, who garners justice in the name of the average person. I think a lot of us can associate with that, and with Harry. Followed by "Magnum Force."
