In the 1971 film Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood portrays Inspector Harry Callahan, a tough-as-nails San Francisco police officer known for his unorthodox methods and disdain for bureaucratic rules. He’s tasked with tracking down a psychopathic serial killer, loosely based on the Zodiac Killer, who is terrorizing the city. Eastwood’s portrayal of Callahan set a new standard for police action films, and the film became a commercial success, leading to four sequels.
Interestingly, the role of Harry Callahan was initially offered to Frank Sinatra, who had to decline due to a hand injury that prevented him from handling the character’s signature .44 Magnum revolver. Other notable actors like John Wayne and Steve McQueen also passed on the role, paving the way for Eastwood to step in and make it his own.
Glenn Wright, Eastwood’s costume designer since Rawhide, was responsible for creating Callahan’s distinctive old-fashioned brown and yellow checked jacket to emphasize his strong values in pursuing crime. Filming for Dirty Harry began in April 1971 and involved some risky stunts, with much footage shot at night and filming the city of San Francisco aerially, a technique for which the film series is renowned. Eastwood performed the stunt in which he jumps onto the roof of the hijacked school bus from a bridge, without a stunt double. His face is clearly visible throughout the shot. Eastwood also directed the suicide-jumper scene.
The line, “My, that’s a big one,” spoken by Scorpio when Callahan removes his gun, was an ad-lib by Robinson. The crew broke into laughter as a result of the double entendre and the scene had to be re-shot, but the line stayed.
The final scene, in which Callahan throws his badge into the water, is supposedly an homage to a similar scene from 1952’s High Noon. Eastwood initially did not want to toss the badge, believing it indicated that Callahan was quitting the police department. Siegel argued that tossing the badge was instead Callahan’s indication of casting away the inefficiency of the police force’s rules and bureaucracy. Although Eastwood was able to convince Siegel not to have Callahan toss the badge, when the scene was filmed, Eastwood changed his mind and went with Siegel's preferred ending.
Eastwood’s performance in Dirty Harry not only solidified his status as a leading man but also influenced the portrayal of law enforcement in cinema for decades to come. The film’s success led to four sequels and left an indelible mark on the action genre.
.jpg)
0 comments:
Post a Comment