Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24794 in DVD
• Released on: 1999-08-01
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Arabic
• Dubbed in: Italian
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 98 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Whether or not you can sympathise with its fascistic/vigilante approach to law enforcement, Dirty Harry (directed by star Clint Eastwood's longtime friend and directorial mentor, Don Siegel) is one hell of an American cop thriller. The movie makes evocative use of its San Francisco locations as cop Harry Callahan (Eastwood) tracks the elusive "Scorpio killer" who has been terrorising the city by the Bay. As the psychopath's trail grows hotter, Harry becomes increasingly impatient and intolerant of the frustrating obstacles (departmental red tape, individuals' civil rights) that he feels are keeping him from doing his job. A characteristically taut and tense piece of filmmaking from Siegel (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Shootist, Escape from Alcatraz), it also remains a fascinating slice of American pop culture. It was a big hit (followed by four sequels) that obviously reflected--or exploited--the almost obsessive or paranoid fears and frustrations many Americans felt about crime in the streets. At a time when "law and order" was a familiar slogan for political candidates, Harry Callahan may have represented neither, but from his point of view his job was simple: stop criminals. To him that end justified any means he deemed necessary. --Jim Emerson

Special Features
2.35 Wide Screen
DVD 5
French\Italian
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English\Mono French Italian
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dolby Digital Mono
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Arabic\Dutch\English\French\Italian\Portuguese\Spanish

Synopsis
A tremendously controversial film, both decried as an apologia for fascism and hailed as the solution to a decade of rising crime, DIRTY HARRY propelled Clint Eastwood's career into the stratosphere while adding another archetype to join his Man with No Name in film iconography. Clint stars as Harry Callahan, a truculent San Francisco police detective well known for his vicious take-no-prisoners attitude toward criminals. With the city of San Francisco being terrorized by the psychotic killer known only as Scorpio (a character that is firmly based on San Francisco's Zodiac Killer), Harry is assigned by the mayor (John Vernon) and Lt. Bressler (Harry Guardino) to try to stop him, pairing him with reluctantly accepted new partner Chico (Reni Santoni). Scorpio kidnaps a 14-year-old girl and buries her alive, demanding a $200,000 ransom for her return. Harry is to bring him the money--alone.

What follows is one of the most exciting ransom deliveries in film history. The prototype for most of the action films through the rest of the century, DIRTY HARRY rises far above most of them due mostly to an excellent script and Eastwood's gripping acting. That said, the main character's contemptuous attitude toward the Miranda law seems far more damning now that it did in the early 1970s.

Callahan's exploits proved extremely popular and the inevitable sequel, MAGNUM FORCE was released two years later, and in turn was followed by a further three sequels, THE ENFORCER (1976), SUDDEN IMPACT (1983) and THE DEAD POOL (1989). Though the sequels are of varying quality, none diminish the importance of the original, which is now considered a classic.

Customer Reviews

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FILMS OF THE 70S
Siegel and Eastwood created a cult figure with "Dirty Harry", making this one of the most important films of the 70s. Dirty Harry certainly became the definition of "BAD COP". This film is legend.

American pop culture
Whether or not you can sympathise with its vigilante approach to law enforcement, Dirty Harry (directed by genius Don Siegel---Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Shootist, Charlie Varrick, Escape from Alcatraz)) is one hell of a cop thriller from 1971. This is the first of five "Dirty Harry" films in which Eastwood stars as a San Francisco police detective Harry Challaghan. By the time of the last appearance (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- Not a great movie). Audiences tended to be divided between those who were offended by what they considered to be excessive violence and those who (like Harry Callahan) had lost confidence in society's willingness and ability to respond effectively to violent crime.



Under Don Siegel's crisp direction, Eastwood and his associates in the cast bring R.M. Fink's screenplay to life 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." Callahan has not totally lost faith in his society nor in the importance of the legal system. However, he does feel betrayed. The mayor and even Lieutenant Bressler (Harry Guardino) just don't "get it."



It is important to remember when seeing this film again, as I did recently, that it portrays elements of an urban society few of us ever experience. Also, that it is a drama, not a documentary. Its primary purpose is to tell a story. The plot focuses on a serial killer named "Scorpio" (Andy Robinson) whom Callahan is determined to eliminate. Even when he eventually does so, questions remain. Don't criminals also have rights? What would happen if all or most other detectives followed Callahan's example? To what extent (if any) should private citizens also be actively involved in law enforcement? I agree with several critics who claim that, with Dirty Harry, Siegel and Eastwood created a new film genre. Its influence proved to be substantial.
9/10
Selah, Dr Bee Clarke.

Brilliant, the best Dirty Harry film & one of the best thrillers ever
Superb. One of the first thrillers I ever saw and still one of the best. It's exciting, thrilling, involving good gritty violent stuff. Put this on and settle down with a drink, it's just pure quality.