Dirty Harry (Don Siegel, 1971)
This is the film that created Clint Eastwood’s image more than any other, and he made four films as
Dirty Harry over 17 years. All the associations of him with right-wingers stem from it, yet the film does not at all excuse Harry’s ruthless methods even if it attacks politicians’ liberalism towards crime and violence, in line with Siegel’s fondness for bucking traditional attitudes.
The killer is modelled on a real-life killer (about whom David Fincher made a film in 2007 --
Zodiac) and is played here by Andy Robinson, son of legendary actor Edward G. Robinson, who depicted many gangsters in Hollywood’s golden age.
Siegel and Eastwood were close friends and encouraged each other to become actor and director. At the start of the film, Siegel has Dirty Harry pass in front of a cinema that’s showing
Play Misty for Me, the first film Eastwood directed...
See film details
Screenings
Wednesday 14 October (20:30) at the Pathé Bellecour
Friday 16 October (20:30) at the Gérard Philipe
Clint Eastwood in Siegel’s Dirty Harry (1971) © DR / Coll Institut Lumière
Swedish and French posters for Dirty Harry © DR / Coll Institut Lumière
Dirty Harry
Mad killer Scorpio threatens to kill one person each day in San Francisco unless he’s paid a $100,000 ransom. The city government agrees to the blackmail, but the ruthless Inspector “Dirty Harry” Callahan doesn’t like the idea and sets a trap for Scorpio. But the killer escapes, demands more money and commits more horrible crimes.
15/10/09
