Dirty Harry: Don Siegel

This was actually the second time that I have sat down to watch Don Siegel's Dirty Harry. The first time was several years ago and, truth be told, I didn't understand why it was so popular. But having recently decided to watch all of the Dirty Harry series, I felt like it was only proper to re-watch this first film so I could have some context. And let me just say that now, I completely understand why Dirty Harry was embraced as a cultural milestone. The film is a howling screech of fury against a society bogged down by rules and laws that actually retarded justice. Therein lies the secret of SFPD Inspector Harry Callahan: he isn't a fascist maniac but a man so entirely devoted to justice that he is willing to break the laws that he has devoted his life to. He is one of those impossible characters (who can only truly exist in fiction) who is always right and whose seemingly illegal actions are ALWAYS justified in hindsight. In my opinion, the reason why the film works so well isn't Eastwood's performance as Callahan. Truth be told, I think his performance is somewhat flat. No, Dirty Harry works because of Andy Robinson's performance as Scorpio, the gibbering serial killer who is more than happy to play the system for all it's worth. He hits all of the right notes for inspiring indignation in both the audience and in Callahan: he kills with impunity, he rapes and murders young girls, he loves to work the system, and he is legally untouchable. If Scorpio had been a regular run-of-the-mill murderer, then Callahan's actions would have seemed horrific and completely unjustified to the audience. But because he is so unstoppable and infuriating, the audience imagines that they are stomping on his injured leg in the football stadium along with Callahan. We believe in Callahan because we know he is the only cop capable of beating Scorpio at his own game before he kills again. The film also captures the American public's increasingly distrustful feelings towards the government in the 1970s. And, yes, the film did come out a year before Watergate. But consider this: the Dirty Harry franchise was still popular during the advent of the VHS in the late 70's and early 80's. People who rented or purchased the film could not have missed the seemingly prophetic symbolism of a government organization crippled by those who exploited it. The American people never lost their sense of justice. But in the wake of Watergate and the Vietnam War, they realized that they would have to look outside the system towards rule-breakers like Harry Callahan to find it.

10/10