I do find Dirty Harry amusing.
It’s full of interesting contrasts, and everything is so clichéd now that it’s almost making fun of itself.
One of the best things about the movie might be the villain, Scorpio. He’s so over the top in every way it’s actually very hilarious. His facial expressions and reactions are so crazy, I wonder if the character is being played in a way that might be Dirty Harry’s perception of the whole situation. It’s like the movie is Harry Callahan’s recollection of how the whole Scorpio, serial killer takedown happened. Imagine the whole thing as a re-telling in Harry’s own head, or maybe to buddies at the pub.
Scorpio has been killing people and terrorizing San Francisco, then Harry Callahan takes care of him, and maybe the movie is a portrayal of him retelling that whole situation. Maybe he’s trying to impress a girl in what is only an exaggerated, boastful “fish story.”
Here’s what actually happened: Every other cop in the SFPD doesn’t think Harry deserves the credit, you know, he thinks he’s a genius and has that ego. He just stumbled into everything he’s ever accomplished. Harry, in reality, is a beat cop packing a 38 special instead of a 44 magnum. He’s less stoic, doesn’t mind paperwork, and has a bit more of a belly than the character he’s dubbed “Dirty Harry” …which is a nickname he gave himself. Everyone else calls him “Scary Harry” because he came to the office that one Halloween dressed as a werewolf.
Tough as nails in his own head, Harry Callahan also exaggerates and contorts “Scorpio” (who’s buddies just call him Charles) into a cowardly, predictable face contortionist. Scorpio is still a criminal, to be sure, but he’s actually a quiet guy who never bothered anyone, rather than the completely extroverted sociopath who can’t convey a quiet emotion Harry’s mind makes him out to be.
In the end, Harry proclaims to his bar buddy audience that he threw away his badge because he was frustrated with the system, and that his own vigilante-ism was the only way to catch Scorpio. It turns out, in an effort to brighten a kid’s day and further community outreach, he just deputized the kid that was on the bus, and Scorpio was actually arrested for tax evasion.
Did I like Dirty Harry? I did.
Would I watch Dirty Harry again? Maybe. It is only 1.5 hours
Would I recommend it to others? Only if those others picture the film the way I did here: It’s all in Callahan’s egotistical mind!
Here’s a fun fact: Frank Sinatra was initially cast as Dirty Harry.
Journey to the Centre of the Classic Film Vault 