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The police drama was spun on its head in 1971 by the violent, glib, and anarchic Dirty Harry, a Nixon-era hit that continues to influence films as varied as Lethal Weapon and Seven. Clint Eastwood, in one of his most iconic roles, stars as Harry Callahan, a rebellious member of the San Francisco Police Department assigned to pursue the gruesome Zodiac Killer. In his investigation of the long-haired serial killer, this hard-boiled hero stands by his individualistic code of honor, even when it comes violently in conflict with the modern legal system. Director Don Siegel transfers this detective out of 1940s noir to a realistic modern city, illuminating the urban nightmare in all its decayed perversity. There is a simplicity to Siegel's clean, direct style that belies the deep emotional core of the film; and the action scenes, while as exciting as they come, are staged on a human scale. Dirty Harry makes the perfect introduction to the work of one of America's best action directors, working with the screen giant who helped forge his legend. Ben Wolf

All Movie Guide

"You've got to ask yourself a question: 'do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?" Dirty Harry provoked a critical uproar in 1971 for its "fascist" message about the power of one, as it also elevated Clint Eastwood to superstar status through his most enduring screen persona. Harry Callahan (Eastwood, in a role meant for Frank Sinatra) is a sardonic, hard-working San Francisco cop who can't finish his lunch without having to foil a bank robbery with his 44 Magnum, "the most powerful handgun in the world." When hippie-esque psycho Scorpio (Andy Robinson) goes on a killing spree, Harry and new partner Chico (Reni Santoni) are assigned to hunt him down, but not before the Mayor (John Vernon) and Lt. Bressler (Harry Guardino) admonish Callahan about his heavy-handed tactics. Racing against a deadline to save a kidnap victim from suffocating to death and unbothered by the niceties of Miranda rights and search warrants, Callahan brings in Scorpio, only to see him released on technicalities. "The law's crazy," opines Harry in disgust, before taking it upon himself to ensure that Scorpio doesn't kill again. Directed in violent and efficient fashion by Don Siegel, with a propulsive score by Lalo Schifrin, Dirty Harry was the fourth Siegel-Eastwood collaboration after Coogan's Bluff (1968), Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970), and The Beguiled (1970). Critics at the time strongly objected to the heroic image of a cop's violations of a suspect's Miranda rights, forcing Siegel and Eastwood to deny that they were right-wing reactionaries. All the same, Dirty Harry proved to be highly popular and spawned four sequels: Magnum Force (1973), The Enforcer (1976), Sudden Impact (1983), and The Dead Pool (1988). Lucia Bozzola

Product Details

• UPC: 085391859130
• Source: WARNER HOME VIDEO

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Clint Eastwood Collection
• Dirty Harry Ultimate Collector's Edition