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Dirty Harry (Blu-ray Book Packaging)
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Product Details
| Genres | Thriller, Action |
|---|---|
| Director | Don Siegel |
| Starring | Clint Eastwood, Harry Guardino |
| Supporting actors | Reni Santoni, John Vernon, Andrew Robinson, John Larch, John Mitchum, Mae Mercer, Lyn Edgington, Ruth Kobart, Woodrow Parfrey, Josef Sommer, William Paterson, James Nolan, Maurice Argent, Jo De Winter, Craig Kelly, Ann Bowen, George Burrafato, Joy Carlin |
| Studio | Warner Bros. |
| MPAA rating | R (Restricted) |
| Captions and subtitles | English Details |
| Rental rights | 24 hour viewing period. Details |
| Purchase rights | Stream instantly and download to 2 locations Details |
| Format | Amazon Instant Video (streaming online video and digital download) |
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
68 of 77 people found the following review helpful
By
Robert Morris
HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on October 6, 2003
Format: DVD
7 Comments
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This is the first of five "Dirty Harry" films in which Eastwood stars as a San Francisco police detective. By the time the last appeared (The Dead Pool, in 1988), Eastwood had aged and times had changed but Callahan's values and methods remained essentially the same. When initially released, Dirty Harry was immediately controversial as was Death Wish (1974). Audiences tended to be divided between those who were offended by what they considered to be excessive violence and those who (like Harry Callahan and Paul Kersey) had lost confidence in society's willingness and/or ability to respond effectively to violent crime. After seeing each of the two films for the first time, I vividly recall joining those around me in the theatre as they rose and cheered...and continue to applaud for several minutes. I asked myself, "What's going on here? What's this all about?"
At least in the larger U.S. cities 30 years ago, residents had become totally fed up with traditional law enforcement initiatives. It was no longer safe to walk the streets at night. Even more dangerous to do so in public parks. Homes were robbed while people worked during the day. Many of the same homes were robbed again later after insurance coverage replaced the articles previously stolen. Racial animosities, drug abuse, and a widespread contempt for institutional authority all contributed to such problems.
Under Don Siegel's crisp direction, Eastwood and his associates in the cast bring R.M. Fink's screenplay to life (and yes, to death) as they focus on what is obviously an irreconcilable conflict between Callahan and his superiors who include the mayor of San Francisco. Callahan's motto seems to be "Whatever it takes." In some situations, it may take his 44 Magnum, "the most powerful handgun in the world.Read more ›
At least in the larger U.S. cities 30 years ago, residents had become totally fed up with traditional law enforcement initiatives. It was no longer safe to walk the streets at night. Even more dangerous to do so in public parks. Homes were robbed while people worked during the day. Many of the same homes were robbed again later after insurance coverage replaced the articles previously stolen. Racial animosities, drug abuse, and a widespread contempt for institutional authority all contributed to such problems.
Under Don Siegel's crisp direction, Eastwood and his associates in the cast bring R.M. Fink's screenplay to life (and yes, to death) as they focus on what is obviously an irreconcilable conflict between Callahan and his superiors who include the mayor of San Francisco. Callahan's motto seems to be "Whatever it takes." In some situations, it may take his 44 Magnum, "the most powerful handgun in the world.Read more ›
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By
S. Smith
on August 15, 2001
Format: DVD
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Dirty Harry is, plain and simple, an outstanding film that is far deeper than its reputation. Those who denounce Dirty Harry as a fascist are so far off the mark it is pathetic. Because of his un-PC dialogue it is assumed he is a bigot. Because he defends himself and others with a S&W Model 29 .44 Magnum he is written off as a psychotic. And so on. As his hispanic partner points out, he is called "Dirty Harry" because he gets the worst assignments. Only the most pitiful, mewling moral weakling would consider this film an advertisement for fascism. It is an indictment of the weakening and -- far worse -- bureaucritization of law enforcement, of its growing concern with appearance over protecting the public. And, of course, a great flick.
The film makes plain that while he describes his vulgar world in vulgar terms, he is actually above it. We learn from the beginning of the film that his doctor, who he chats up with more warmth than his white bosses, is black. Remember, in 1971 it was still commonplace to just write off blacks as "monkeys" or worse. The idea of a black man being a doctor, period, was unusual... let alone a white man seeing him for medical care and considering him his equal.
It is cues like these that reveal the true heart of the picture. So many soft-handed worryworts miss the point of the film because they do not understand the CONTEXT. The film is full of signs that Dirty Harry is an egalitarian in a time (1971) where such a point of view was rarer than it is now. Dirty Harry says the word "Spic" and a certain class of people are all aflutter, even as he embraces (insomuch as he embraces ANYTHING) his hispanic partner and his black doctor, and is enraged by the murder of a black, and so on ad infinitum.Read more ›
The film makes plain that while he describes his vulgar world in vulgar terms, he is actually above it. We learn from the beginning of the film that his doctor, who he chats up with more warmth than his white bosses, is black. Remember, in 1971 it was still commonplace to just write off blacks as "monkeys" or worse. The idea of a black man being a doctor, period, was unusual... let alone a white man seeing him for medical care and considering him his equal.
It is cues like these that reveal the true heart of the picture. So many soft-handed worryworts miss the point of the film because they do not understand the CONTEXT. The film is full of signs that Dirty Harry is an egalitarian in a time (1971) where such a point of view was rarer than it is now. Dirty Harry says the word "Spic" and a certain class of people are all aflutter, even as he embraces (insomuch as he embraces ANYTHING) his hispanic partner and his black doctor, and is enraged by the murder of a black, and so on ad infinitum.Read more ›
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By
Sanpete
on March 18, 2008
Format: DVD
11 Comments
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Dirty Harry is generally regarded as a classic, the beginning of a second larger-than-life persona for Clint Eastwood (after The Man with No Name). It's the source of the famous "Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?" (The actual quote is "... you've got to ask yourself a question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?" but the original doesn't quote as well out of context.)
Tough cop "Dirty" Harry Callahan has his own simple, commonsense rules for dealing with crime, based on a strong sense of right and wrong and an impatience with needless details and constraints. The latter gets him into continual trouble with the system which, as portrayed in the movie, is more about politics and bureaucracy than doing what needs to be done. This reflected well the frustrations and fears of Americans in the '70s that criminals were taking over the streets and that the law was powerless to stop them because the "criminal-coddling" courts were holding them back. I personally value the Fourth Amendment and other such niceties and shiver to think of some of the political and moral ramifications of this movie (some of which are still very much with us), but whatever one's politics, Dirty Harry is very effective as a police-action thriller, largely because of Eastwood's unique persona. It's hard not to admire and root for him even if you think he's not always right. There are also the standard gunfights and car chases, and high suspense, all well done.Read more ›
Tough cop "Dirty" Harry Callahan has his own simple, commonsense rules for dealing with crime, based on a strong sense of right and wrong and an impatience with needless details and constraints. The latter gets him into continual trouble with the system which, as portrayed in the movie, is more about politics and bureaucracy than doing what needs to be done. This reflected well the frustrations and fears of Americans in the '70s that criminals were taking over the streets and that the law was powerless to stop them because the "criminal-coddling" courts were holding them back. I personally value the Fourth Amendment and other such niceties and shiver to think of some of the political and moral ramifications of this movie (some of which are still very much with us), but whatever one's politics, Dirty Harry is very effective as a police-action thriller, largely because of Eastwood's unique persona. It's hard not to admire and root for him even if you think he's not always right. There are also the standard gunfights and car chases, and high suspense, all well done.Read more ›
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