Go ahead, read the review…
Inspector Harry Callahan is a loose pistol. He doesn’t always follow the rules, but he does get the job done. When he is assigned a case of an individual only known as the Scorpio Killer, who takes great pleasure in randomly killing people from rooftop, he takes it personally. Not satisfied with only killing from the rooftop, the Scorpio Killer decides to kidnap a young girl and challenge Callahan to follow his trail, deliver $200,000 without missing a phone call or the girl suffocates under the ground in some location. Can Callahan do this?
The story is certainly dated in Dirty Harry, as it was mainly built around the Zodiac killer events during that time period (or near it). The sensation that someone was killing randomly, in the craziest of manners, probably carried most of the suspense in this film. I could certainly see how that could work. Dirty Harry works well in this area, though it probably isn’t as hard hitting as it use to be. Regardless, Clint Eastwood’s pissy demeanor (I mean this with respect) and his no-nonsense style of character, fits the bill perfectly. Another aspect of his character that matches the time perfectly was the nation’s call for someone to stand up and take care of the neighborhoods when the cops couldn’t. Callahan was created after this sentiment, or so it seemed, where sometimes the law doesn’t make sense, sometimes action makes more sense than the law. There is a point in the film where this is clearly pointed out (D.A. scene) and it drives home the point. What’s neat about this scene is that it still applies to how things go today. The law sometimes holds back justice and those who seek justice generally can’t find it quick enough. There have been a few trials that come to mind recently that drive that point home, none of which this reviewer is going to mention… use your imagination.
Outside of Callahan, Andrew Robinson’s Scorpio Killer is pretty freaky.
*SPOILER ALERT*
Robinson’s always been known to be the odd-man-out when it comes to weird roles. He was very famous (in a cult sort of way) for Hellraiser and you can see where it all started as this outrageous killer. For the most part, he plays the typical killer that most people have always seen in these types of movies. The moment he takes over the school bus full of kids, he’s scary. He begins nice, he sings with the kids then starts slapping them as he spirals down. Again, he is a scary fellow, probably type-cast after this movie, but nonetheless very powerful and effective. He’s the perfect opposite of Callahan.
*SPOILER ENDS*
Again, the story that Don Siegel crafted with writers Harry and Rita Fink is appropriate for the time and very strong. The film isn’t a let down, certainly not like the ones after it. Their set-up and characters are strong and they seem to work remarkably well. Siegel truly gave a new identity to Eastwood, getting him out of the western role, only by scenery. He took all the strong points of perfection that Eastwood accomplished in his past old-west films, mixed them together with a modern-day cop and produced Callahan. He became more than a one dimensional cowboy, he became a deep cop who was scared by lawbreakers, but still obeying the laws the best way he can.
Overall, the story is strong, but again out-dated. It still is a nice ride that doesn’t quite get exciting until you hit the stride at the end. When you reach the pinnacle of the film, you’ll be one satisfied movie-goer.
I know what you’re thinking, Blu-ray… must be good
I love Blu-ray and have seen many, many films converted onto the format. I’ve seen Bonnie and Clyde, A Clockwork Orange and a few others on this format. Between the three, I think this might be the weaker of the transfers. I’m not quite sure how it ended up that way, but the visuals still look a bit grainy. If I were to blame it on anything, I would be blame it on the 70s. This doesn’t mean that the HD doesn’t show, it just means there are artifacts here and there that bring down my opinion on the quality of video. For most digital transfers, dark scenes can bring out the worst of the video, regardless of the HD format. I would say that it’s a good transfer, but certainly not the best I’ve seen for an older film. As for the audio, the audio is beautiful. You will adore it, and promptly turn it down to make sure you’re not waking the neighbors (just kidding — they might call the police on you though because they’ll hear the sharp, clear sounds of gunshots).
As for features, here’s what you get:
– Commentary by Historian/Eastwood Biographer Richard Schickel
– New Retrospective Documentary The Long Shadow of Dirty Harry
– Acclaimed American Masters Profile Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows
– Vintage Profile Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso
– Interview Gallery
– Two Vintage featurettes (1971 and 2001)
– Dirty Harry Movies Trailer Gallery
The special features are out of this world perfect. You won’t be disappointed in the delivery and the extra content. Plus, you get a very informative and neat book as the Blu-ray case. It’s pretty damn cool. You’ll love the end letter by an official in San Francisco.
Did I use five verbs, or six?
Regardless of verbs, if you’re a fan of Eastwood, you simply cannot pass this Blu-ray up. If you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing this series (or how it began), then you should certainly dig in. The Blu-ray is good enough to view, the special features may make it good enough to purchase. Regardless, you get a great story with a strong set of characters, especially Eastwood’s Callahan.
So, slap on your 70s brown jacket, tighten up your tie and get going to check this out.
