Do You Feel Lucky Punk? Immortalization of Dirty Harry
Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry is a classic without a doubt. I recently watched this one all the way through. Cop movies are not necessarily my thing. I’ve seen pieces of this movie but never watched all of it. I’m glad I watched this movie because it had so much to offer beyond the “feeling lucky” scene(s). I like to use this line a lot because I think it speaks to absolute truth, which I believe in. You either like Dirty Harry or you’re wrong. This doesn’t mean you must be a super fan, have a poster, watch weekly, and be able to quote every line. It just means that you need to respect the movie as a classic piece of film, which I do. Dirty Harry is a movie I like and respect. There are plenty of reasons why too. Let me get the dialog started on this one from 1971.
100K Ransome - Dirty Harry Shows Age
Cop movies are a lot like slashers in that they follow a formula. Dirty Harry is no exception to this. You can read the full plot here. Basically, Eastwood’s character “Dirty” Harry is a cop on a mission to stop a killer in a city. There are a few things to unpack in this that make this movie good though. Let’s talk about the killer first. This cat “Scorpio” is a sniper and the actor, Andrew Robinson, plays a great psychopath. I tend to notice those people who play a great character of a particular type. There’s one in this movie, John Vernon. Vernon is great at playing a jerkish scumbag in a leadership position. He did this well in Killer Klowns from Outer Space and Dirty Harry. All in all, this is a solid cop tale, and it shows a realistic dark side of police work.
I imagine that stories like this happen in life. Maybe not this fantastic but, I’m sure similar things occur. A particular officer gets a vendetta against a particular criminal and a game of cat and mouse begins. In the case of Dirty Harry, Harry is determined to stop Scorpio at all costs – whether he plays by the rules of the department or not. It’s funny to me that the criminal only wants 100K to stop what he’s doing. Of course, that’s worth 750K today so, it makes a little more sense in this light. Dirty Harry is worth watching for the scenery alone but, the action and story are great too.
Let's Hop In The Time Machine - Set The Dial for '71
Of course, I found a lot to appreciate when my time machine landed in 1971. You see vintage subways and the cityscapes are crazy! This movie was filmed in and around San Francisco, CA. You can read specifics here. Dirty Harry offers many true vintage San Francisco cityscapes at night and during the day. At one point, you even see the Golden Gate Bridge and vehicles passing over it. Cameras take you on a stroll through the redlight district. There are countless old cars in Dirty Harry. This flick features one of the coolest VW buses I’ve ever seen on film. I think it’s a 1963 but, I’m not an expert on VW. You can read about all the cool cars here. Some odd additions to my notes are phone booths and genie lifts. Old school buses and speakerphones are included too.
Dirty Harry and a 44 Magnum, Classic
I don’t dig cop movies really but, this one is worth watching again. I will oblige myself and will do this sometime. You can’t go wrong with this Dirty Harry. It doesn’t matter if you watch for the classic “Do you feel lucky punk” lines, which he uses twice, or the Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum revolver uses, this feature film is great. I love Harry’s situational awareness when he goes into the café and the way that he carries himself in complete confidence even in one of the roughest cities in America. Dirty Harry is an enjoyable film with great characters and a pleasant trip back in time.
Any Eastwood fans out there? I love how even Snoop Doggy Dogg pays tribute to this man and calls himself “Mr. Snoop Eastwood” on Dr. Dre’s The Chronic. What’s your favorite Clint Eastwood flick? Has anyone shot one of these pistols? How rough is it? While you’re on my page, check out my artwork and thumb through my photography here. You can read more of my blogs here and follow me on all social media here. All likes, shares, subs, and follows are appreciated.