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Awix (3310 KP) rated Dirty Harry (1971) in Movies
Feb 17, 2018 (Updated Feb 17, 2018)
Supremely tough cop thriller that helped elevate Clint Eastwood to iconic status. Worthless hippie-scumbag Scorpio commences reign of terror in San Francisco, only laconic police detective Harry Callaghan has the spine to do what must be done in order to stop him.
Probably best not to think too hard about the morality and politics on display: they are at best deeply illiberal and at worst borderline fascist (antihero Harry doesn't give a fig about Scorpio's legal rights, tortures a wounded prisoner for information, etc). The film is playing with a stacked deck, anyway: Scorpio (nice performance from Andy Robinson - it almost ended his career, as he became so closely associated with the role) is an irredeemable monster, the embodiment of every concern respectable folks had about the 60s counterculture. Needless to say Harry (embodying traditional American values) shows no mercy as the story progresses. Story is very well-told, with just enough moments of ambiguity to keep it from being solely a piece of ultra-right-wing wish fulfilment. Essential Clint.
Probably best not to think too hard about the morality and politics on display: they are at best deeply illiberal and at worst borderline fascist (antihero Harry doesn't give a fig about Scorpio's legal rights, tortures a wounded prisoner for information, etc). The film is playing with a stacked deck, anyway: Scorpio (nice performance from Andy Robinson - it almost ended his career, as he became so closely associated with the role) is an irredeemable monster, the embodiment of every concern respectable folks had about the 60s counterculture. Needless to say Harry (embodying traditional American values) shows no mercy as the story progresses. Story is very well-told, with just enough moments of ambiguity to keep it from being solely a piece of ultra-right-wing wish fulfilment. Essential Clint.
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