Clint Eastwood: From Dirty Harry to Dead Pool
Ranking Clint Eastwood & Harry Callahan Series - Two .44 Magnums Up!
Jan 6, 2009
Forget John McCain, and running mate Sarah Palin’s gratuitous use of the word “maverick” to describe him. Long before their political ticket beat the hell out of that label, Clint Eastwood was kicking ass in his own maverick way as Inspector Dirty Harry Callahan, SFPD. With Eastwood’s return to acting in Gran Torino, it’s time to take a look back at this icon of American cinema.
Those who grew up in the eighties won’t have any trouble recognizing Dirty Harry, but newer audiences may not be as familiar. In case you hear a lot of Dirty Harry references after Gran Torino opens wide on January 9th, here is a primer on Eastwood’s most popular character.
5. The Enforcer (1976) 3 1/2 out of 5 Stars: The third entry of the series finds Dirty Harry Callahan reluctantly teaming with a female partner, played by Tyne Daly, to hunt down a band of domestic terrorists. The film suffers from stock villains that are nowhere nearly as interesting or memorable as the sniper in Dirty Harry or the death squad in Magnum Force. However, the relationship between Harry and his new partner – playing to the times with its pro-feminism ideals – holds up extremely well on repeat viewings, making The Enforcer (the worst in the series) a film still worth your time.
4. Sudden Impact (1983) 3 1/2 out of 5 Stars:
(Or Dirty Harry Part IV for fans of roman numerals and unnecessary sequels.) Eastwood takes to the director’s chair for this by-the-numbers vigilante drama. While it was a mistake casting then-girlfriend Sondra Locke in the central role of vengeful rape victim/artist Jennifer Spencer, the film works because of its conflict between Harry’s sense of duty and his need to see Justice served. Harry ultimately makes the right decision, and Eastwood’s direction, as well as the Charles B. Pierce-Earl E. Smith story, saves the day. Last but not least, the film gives us the iconic line, “Go ahead – make my day,” (voted #6 movie quote by the American Film Institute).
3. The Dead Pool (1988) 4 out of 5 Stars:
The five-year layoff between this and Sudden Impact does the character a refreshing bit of good. Having grown somewhat from the cold, insensitive model created in the first film, Dirty Harry still knows how to deal with criminals. The target of an imprisoned mobster, Harry battles an assortment of bad guys ranging from lug-headed hit men to perhaps his most cerebrally challenging case – a madman killing off celebrities on a hack horror film director’s “dead pool.” The twisted betting game, which predicts celebrities destined for early obituaries, has caught the attention of a serial killer with delusions of grandeur, and it’s up to Harry and his trusty .44 (not to forget a harpoon) to set things right. Featuring a ridiculously entertaining car chase through the streets of San Francisco that involves Harry, his newest partner (an Asian, in keeping with the series’ tradition of culturally expanding Eastwood’s character), and an explosive toy car, as well as a memorable dockyard showdown, The Dead Pool is an entertaining swan song for one of film’s most iconic characters. (This film also features Liam Neeson and Jim Carrey in early roles.)
2. Magnum Force (1973) 5 out of 5 Stars:
After a few high-profile critics hit the titular hero’s nihilistic 1971 debut hard for its apparent glorification of violence, filmmakers decided Dirty Harry needed to be tilted further away from the Right. The result sees Harry ditching his outlaw ways to bring a gang of four extremist young motorcycle officers to justice. San Francisco is riddled with crime, and someone takes a stand against it through good old-fashioned homicide. Worst of all, the perpetrators dress like police officers, and may in fact be part of the Force. Harry investigates, but is not emotionally invested until an old friend and possible suspect (Mitchell Ryan) is gunned down by one of the vigilantes during a desperate escape attempt. Big mistake! Featuring solid performances from Eastwood, Ryan, David Soul (TV’s Starsky and Hutch), Robert Urich (Spenser for Hire), Tim Matheson (National Lampoon’s Animal House, Entourage and Burn Notice), and Hal Holbrook (Into the Wild and too many others to count), Dirty Harry steps away from his roots and finds near-equal success in doing so – a companion (master)piece to the original!
1. Dirty Harry (1971) 5 out of 5 Stars:
In 1971, public outrage was either at or approaching an all-time high against courts for what was perceived as grossly delicate treatment of criminals and a lack of concern for victims’ rights. Out of this, the rugged Dirty Harry Callahan was born. Originally, the role was Frank Sinatra’s – he even went so far as appearing in a publicity shot for the film. However, a hand injury forced him out, and director Don Siegel replaced him with Clint Eastwood. The rest, as they say, is movie history. What many observers overlook is the incredible performance of Andy Robinson. His turn as Scorpio, the calculating Zodiac-killer knockoff, is scary, repugnant, infuriating, and all-together Oscar-worthy. Too bad he didn’t get one, because Scorpio is a shot-for-shot equal to Callahan. It’s said you’re defined by adversity. If this is true, then Robinson is at least 50% responsible for the enduring legend of Dirty Harry. Of course, Eastwood handles the rest with his memorable quips and unflinching endorsement of violence as a viable alternative to red tape. With Siegel’s expert handling of San Francisco as a backdrop, Dirty Harry builds to an unforgettably satisfying conclusion and takes Eastwood’s already promising career to the next level.
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