Dirty Harry. Written by Harry Julian Fink, R.M. Fink, and Dean Riesner. Directed by Don Siegel.
Clint Eastwood as SFPD Homicide Inspector Harry Callahan
Andy Robinson as Charles "Scorpio" Davis
Harry Guardino as SFPD Homicide Lt. Al Bressler
Reni Santoni as SFPD Homicide Inspector Chico Gonzalez
John Vernon as The Mayor
John Larch as The Chief of Police
Released 23 December 1971
Budget $4 million
Box Office $36 million.
Dirty Harry was such a commercial success that it spawned four sequels, none nowhere near as good and disturbing as the original. Without Dirty Harry perhaps we would not have L.A. Confidential and Bud White and Ed Exley. Inspector Harry Callahan in the squint of Clint Eastwood is the archetypal morally suspect police officer; and the film, hugely controversial when it came out, still has the power to shock. Critics have called it a "deeply immoral film"; they have said he is the flip-side to Scorpio; some have called him the kind of cop our world has to have. The film holds up amazingly well for being 48 years old. It is a messy film, and Harry is a messy character, messier than Bud White, Ed Exley, and even Deputy Wurms. So...
Your reaction to Harry? Good guy? Bad guy? Better than Bud White? Worse? Do you approve of his actions? In a world of Scorpios (based on a real figure, and the subject of the film 2007 David Fincher film Scorpio), do we need a cop like Harry? Write several sentences. We'll finish the film tomorrow, and pull all these strands together—what we've been asking to respond to again and again here. 250-300 words.
Here's a scene that Rick will fill you in on in terms of the law: the ways Harry violates the law when he tortures Scorpio.
See you all tomorrow!
I think he’s a pretty stereotypical good-bad cop and that’s probably because a lot of cop movies after it wanted to replicate that. I think harry is a good fictional cop, but a very bad cop to model after in real life. In a real world his destruction in order to get a bad guy and assumption if intent is dangerous. In the fictional world the audience likes him because of his dry wit and his willingness to do the “right” thing. But the only time he exhibits real control is when he’s trying to coax that guy off the top of the building. Other than that he seems to be willing to be a confession out of everyone even if that means it’ll nullify any evidence that they have. He’s not worse or better than any other cop before him, he’s just different.
ReplyDeleteThere are two sides two “dirty” Harry Callahan. We’ve seen both of them in the section of the film that we watched. While he may play by his own rules, Harry is very effective in the bank robbery scene, where he single handedly takes down 4 bank robbers, while still chewing his lunch. This can be contrasted with the whole torture and lack of warrant fiasco at the stadium. In both he was no nonsense and efficient, but in the case of the stadium, his “efficiency” ended up nullifying the case. He acts like a vigilante, accept he is actually a police officer. He doesn’t follow orders, he doesn’t get warrants, and he kills or harms on a whim. The thing is, I doubt that there’s any other cops in his precinct that could have done what he did at the bank. On the flip side i think the other officers would have gotten a warrant for the stadium and wouldn’t have tortured an unusable confession out of the suspect. There was a quote on the blog about how Dirty Harry is the kind of cop the world has to have. I don’t agree with that, and I think that Dirty Harry is terrible at being a cop, he single handedly ruined an important multi-homicide case. I think Dirty Harry would make an excellent criminal because he has the cold blood and intelligence to make a killing in the criminal world, no pun intended. His only good moments are the ones where you see how much he cares about that girl that was going to be killed.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the majority of “Dirty Harry” I am convinced that Detective Callahan is neither good nor bad. Similar to Bud White, I would think of Harry as a “rogue” meaning he does whatever he wants and often does not listen to his superiors. This can create a dramatic and interesting film, but in real life can cause many problems. In my opinion, Harry has the right intentions, but the way he acts in certain situations is not acceptable. For example, he illegally trespasses without a warrant in order to find Scorpio and tortures him to gain information. When contemplating whether Harry’s actions are justified, I find myself thinking about ethics, and I eventually arrive at the series of questions that Dudley asked Exley towards the beginning of “L.A. Confidential.” I believe that in certain situations violence is needed to properly uphold the law; however, there are very few of these circumstances, and they are difficult to identify. In addition, giving complete power to police officers can have terrible results and can easily lead to the abusing of it. Society probably needs a cop similar to Harry or Bud White, but they must be incredibly thoughtful yet decisive at the same time. The main problem with having a cop like Harry or Bud White is the amount of trust that we must place in their decision making. Because we are all human, putting complete confidence into someone is very risky as we all make mistakes.
ReplyDeleteMaybe this is hypocritical of me considering what I’ve said in past blog posts, but I think that Callahan really tries to do the right thing and is justified in most of his actions. He doesn’t necessarily play by the rules, but he is a good cop nonetheless. After seeing the first half, approximately, of this film, I have changed my mind about Bud White. Both Callahan and Bud simply try to get justice for others. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that, especially when people’s lives are at stake. However, in some of the scenarios in L.A. Confidential, Bud doesn’t need to be as violent as he is. Callahan, on the other hand, is often caught in very dangerous situations. Though Callahan may be abrasive and cold, he shows that he cares for others in the way he protects the citizens of San Francisco. I don’t necessarily approve of his actions, and I can’t see myself ever being that violent, but I completely understand why he does what he does. To Callahan, his job is to take down criminals, and he clearly does so by any means necessary. With a criminal as disgusting and dangerous as Scorpio, Callahan needs to be as brutal as he is. I do think that the world needs a cop like Callahan. While I think he’d be too aggressive if put on traffic duty, I think he would be perfect for dangerous, high-pressure situations. I wouldn’t mind if a cop broke the law to catch a murderer and save the people of my city.
ReplyDeleteHarry is definetly a good guy. He may have the typical tough cop roughness around the edges, but he does try to save lives. If he was a bad cop he wouldn’t be so invested into his case, but Harry went all the way. After getting cracked ribs and multiple other injuries he still went straight back to chasing Zodiac( after a rudimentary recovery in the emergency hospital). He’s definetly unconventional, as he almost completely ignores the law. It’s reasonable for him to do so since he’s an actually good cop, but if a bad or immoral cop thinks they’re above the law as well an issue occurs. I think he and Bud White are very similar, but Harry seems control his emotions more. Bud would beat up or kill anyone that isn’t a good person; Harry does seem to exhibit more restraint. He doesn’t attack the attorneys despite them letting Scorpio walk free. I think they’re probably is a need for Harrys in the world; he does the jobs no one wants to or will do in respect of the law, hence the nickname “Dirty”. Especially now where trials and arrests are a very long and tedious process, killers can still be dangerous. Harry may present a problem, but he gets the job done no matter what.
ReplyDeleteThis might be an unpopular opinion but I really approve of how inspector Callahan goes about his job. Now, I definitely don't think that every cop and detective should act like this, but I do think it is worth having a few people that conduct themselves in this way. The world needs people like this sometimes. A cop or detective who is willing to possibly ignore the law in order to save a life or anything to achieve the best possible outcome. In the stadium, Harry decides to implement extremely cruel but highly effective methods to get Scorpio to give him the young girl's location. In a situation like this one, I see nothing wrong with his approach. Torturing a domestic terrorist to get him to tell you the location of a teenage girl who is slowly suffocating doesn't exactly seem wrong. Illegal maybe, wrong no. The fact we learn later that the girl was already dead by that time is irrelevant. In that moment, Harry is taking whatever measures he deems necessary to be able to save the girl that everyone still believes to be alive. Don't get me wrong, I completely understand how doing stuff like this could be detrimental in several ways, for both the city and the police department. That being said, I still believe that having a few people like Harry Callahan in the world would ultimately be beneficial in stopping heinous crimes, even if it's not done in the most above the board way.
ReplyDeleteTo me, I think Harry is a good cop. I think he cares about his job and strives to seek justice for the people who were killed by Scorpio. He goes to extended measures, like volunteering to drop the bag of money off and following the suspect knowing that he could die. Even though he did violate some laws while in action, I think his intent is of a good cop and he is dedicated. I would say he is better than Bud White for those reasons. I don’t approve of his actions, but I know his mind is in the right place. I think other officers, especially during that time period, would have killed the black robbers on the spot and also killed Scorpion when they had the chance. Harry knew how to restrain himself, even though it came back to bite him in the butt.
ReplyDeleteI am really intrigued by Dirty Harry’s character. First off, I love his nickname because there are so many possible implications. It could refer to his persistence of going after people relentlessly, his sometimes gruesome tactics like when he stomped Scorpio’s already-shot legs on the stadium field, the fact that he “always gets the shit end of the stick” according to Gonzalez, the fact that he treats people unkindly because he does not seem to have a place in his heart for anyone but his deceased wife, and so on and so on. I love that there is no definite answer to the meaning behind his nickname. I like Harry. I do not know if this is partially because he is Clint Eastwood, but he seems to perform his job the way he genuinely believes it should be done. He relentlessly plays phone tag with Scorpio, which makes his job look incredibly difficult, and I sympathize with him because I can see the serious phycological effects of his profession. He does not seem incapable of caring about somebody, but he does not seem to have any remotely emotional connection to anyone besides his tethering hatred for Scorpio. So, yes, I think Harry is a genuinely good guy with little to no manners. I think that in a world of Scorpios, we could use more Harry’s because it takes some gumption to do what Harry does, but in a world of more petty crime, I think Harry may overdo his job. Harry shows a certain level of dedication to his job, the safety of his community, and this case, but I would need to know more about him personally, for instance, his why-I-became-a-cop story, to decisively decide whether or not I believe him to be a “good cop.”
ReplyDeleteFrom what we’ve seen, Harry seems like an aggressive cop who shows no mercy towards people who don’t abide by the law. Quite honestly, in his department, I’ve observed that this mindset is very effective. After all, it seems as if most of the department feels the same. Because of the fact that he gets the job done, I have to say I like him a bit more than Bud White. White was a good movie character because of his complexity, but he doesn’t go very far past that. He let his emotions take control of him too often, especially his sense of anger. This is a trait we have yet to see from Harry. He understands his job well, and doesn’t get overly attached; something that we saw Bud White do alot. While Harry is by no means a hero, I think that he’s a cop that is great at his job, especially when there’s a Scorpio on the loose. While I can’t say I approve 100% of his actions, I can say, with confidence, that I like his style. He seems hard to break, intimidating, and the last person who I’d want to see behind the gun when staring at the barrel of a .44 Magnum.
ReplyDeleteHarry is a VERY interesting character. With the film title “Dirty Harry,” and the blatantly obvious question that the characters around Harry keep bringing up is, why is he called Dirty Harry? As the film unraveled I began to catch glimpses of why. You can’t help but notice his stern and defensive way of cooperating with people. He seems to always find success one way or another, but it’s never gentle or empathetic in any way. He reminds me of Agent Smith in the Matrix. This kind of mindless threat that will stop at nothing until his goal is reached. Except for Harry, his moral compass, although not perfect, tends to point in the right direction. So, as of now, I would say he is a good guy, just a dirty good guy.
ReplyDeleteAnd do I think we need a cop like this today? No, not really. He is interesting to watch in a movie, but we don’t really need him. I feel as if cops are effective enough today, and I am sure some cops are even a bit like Harry, but to me, it would make no difference whether or not we had a cop like Harry.
DeleteFrom what we have seen so far in this movie, harry seems like the type of cop who doesnt play around and does not show mercy for criminals who dont listen to the law. I would say he is a good cop because you can tell he cares about his job alot and wants "justice". I approve of his actions because he will go to extreme measures to save a life. I think he handled the scorpio thing very well because he didnt bring a whole swat of police with him but at the same time i thing it was dumb for him to think the girl would be left alive. I dont think we need a cop like harry today. I feel as though back then, police weren't as efficient with arresting criminals and now it is a lot easier.... so someone on the force like him would cause drama and beef. I think when someone would let their ego get the best of them on the force, it will cause people to get hurt and injured.
ReplyDeleteI think when you put power into some police officers, they will abuse it on their suspects. As we see in todays media alot, the police officers with power will abuse it and end up in bad situations they didnt want to put themselves in. I feel as though if officer harry was in the current police force, he would get fired in an instant for "not having a warrant, following suspects, etc."
DeleteDirty Harry is effective at what he does, but he is not effective as a police officer. He has traits of a good police officer determination, curiosity and dedication to his job. However he cannot follow orders, update others on his work and follow any plans other than his own. This makes him an ineffective officer. It was ridiculous that he was oblivious to a suspect's rights and was still able to become an officer. With all this being said there are certain incidences where his brutal behavior and disobedience are needed. He did a great but unkind job of getting the suicidal man down safely. If he did not disobey orders and have his partner listen in on the calls he would be dead.It is a matter of balance with Harry. He needs to e able to listen to others enough to be corresponding with the law and legally able to take a suspect into custody while still keeping some of his boldness and distrust that separate him from the rest and contribute to his success. I do not think Harry's character is able to achieve balance and therefore I believe he would be better suited for Private Investigation. After all he sure does look in a lot of windows....that was a joke.. sort of. I think Harry is great at fighting, probably because he's in an action movie, but nonetheless suited for dangerous jobs. He does not give up easily making him a great investigator, just not a great government employed investigator. If he is a PI he will only have to follow his own decisions which he seems to be great at.
ReplyDeleteHarry is the stereotypical good cop bad cop. In that iconic scene Rick was talking about where there was a bank robbery, there was no need to kill all of those people. Just because you have a gun doesn't mean you have to kill. In that scene Harry is killing just to because he has a gun. I guess it was for movie purposes since it was an action movie. However, Harry takes his job seriously like Exley in L.A confidential. He is breaking some of the rules the law enforcement has set but that shows how passionate he is about his job. He's doing whatever he needs to do in order to get the job done. I do think we need more cops like Harry. Some of these cops do not really care about their jobs. They have the mindset that since I have authority I'm going to abuse it. I do think Bud and Harry are the same. Their approaches to work are similar and that approach is get the job done. However, bud covered up his murder. I do not think Harry would do something like that. Overall, I like Harry as an character and I'm looking forward to see his actions in the next part of the movie
ReplyDeleteHarry came out to me as a tough person that you don’t want to mess with and he is a little self centered . Harry seems like a good guy because he doesn’t play favors and no matter what he always wants to and will catch the criminals legal or illegal way. I feel like Harry is better than Bud because Herry doesn’t let his feelings and emotions block him from doing his work unlike Bud. I approve of Harry action because every thing he does is so he can catch the bad guy and it is for the right reason. I feel like you do need a cop like Harry in a world of Scorpios because you need a person that is willing to stop the the criminal and/or go after the criminal. Even though Harry broke some laws, he’s doing it for the right reason so he can save citizens. Harry seems to have a lot of confidence in himself and he is always 100% sure that he is certain and right. In addition, Harry did the right thing even though he tortured a person (the criminal), searched a place without a warrant.
ReplyDeleteThis question is kind of tricky. I would say Harry is a good person but is a bad cop because in order to be a good cop, I feel like you need to follow rules of the job, although he does have good intentions. For example, he goes out of his way to catch Scorpio. In my eyes, this was seeking justice. Whether it was breaking the law or not, he was determined to get justice for those students and all the other victims. Although, it could be argued that he was only doing it for himself but either way, he got the bad guy off the streets which benefited everyone, so this is why I consider him a good person. Also, if he didnt go out to seek justice, who else would? All the other officers were trying to listen to Scorpio which could’ve injured more people in the long run. For these reasons, I would say he’s better than Bud White. I don’t think we need a cop like Harry because he doesn’t go by the rules but I do think we need more cops with the same mindset as Harry. With this being said, I don’t approve of his actions, but I do approve of his mindset and determination.
ReplyDeleteI really like Harry, but I feel like he's not a great cop. It's really difficult when you have somebody like him who is constantly trying to solve the crime and get justice, but at the same time he's breaking all of his laws. I think he makes a lot of us realize how many flaws there are in our legal system and how much progress we still need to make. I don't think that he's a bad guy, I think he's actually a very good guy at heart. I think he just knows what his job is to do and he goes out and does it no matter what he risks in the process. Personally, if I went missing I would want a guy like him on my case. It really really sucks though, that Harry is breaking the law by doing what is morally correct. Actually, I'm not even sure if what he's doing is morally correct. But, I do know that at the end of the day he wants everybody to get what they deserve. Whether that be death, freedom, or justice.
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