Quintessential Cop Movie
That's right, me and the Oriental Wife watched "Dirty Harry". It's really pretty amazing that a movie that came out in 1971 had full frontal nudity, the "f" word, and graphic violence that included beatings, shootings, assaulting children, and the rape and murder of a young woman.
I was also surprised to see the seeds of many cop/thriller movies that followed, from "Lethal Weapon" to "Silence of the Lambs". I've always thought of "Dirty Harry" as a film most famous for its dialogue, but it's clear it had a lasting and broader impact on the genre.
Of course, it's still the dialogue that stands out 35 years later. There are tons of quotable scenes, most obviously the "Do ya feel lucky, punk?" bit. For some reason, another exchange has quickly rocketed to the top of my favorites:
District Attorney Rothko: "Where the hell does it say that you've got a right to kick down doors, torture suspects, deny medical attention and legal counsel? Where have you been? Does Escobedo ring a bell? Miranda? I mean, you must have heard of the Fourth Amendment. What I'm saying is that man had rights."
Harry Callahan: "Well, I'm all broken up over that man's rights."
UPDATE:
Oh yeah, and this one was pretty good too. The guy was an equal opportunity offender decades before "South Park" or "Family Guy".
De Georgio: "Harry hates everybody. Limeys, micks, hebes, fat dagos, niggers, honkies, chinks, you name it."
Gonzales: "How does he feel about Mexicans?"
De Georgio: "Ask him."
Harry Callahan: "Especially spics."
I was also surprised to see the seeds of many cop/thriller movies that followed, from "Lethal Weapon" to "Silence of the Lambs". I've always thought of "Dirty Harry" as a film most famous for its dialogue, but it's clear it had a lasting and broader impact on the genre.
Of course, it's still the dialogue that stands out 35 years later. There are tons of quotable scenes, most obviously the "Do ya feel lucky, punk?" bit. For some reason, another exchange has quickly rocketed to the top of my favorites:
District Attorney Rothko: "Where the hell does it say that you've got a right to kick down doors, torture suspects, deny medical attention and legal counsel? Where have you been? Does Escobedo ring a bell? Miranda? I mean, you must have heard of the Fourth Amendment. What I'm saying is that man had rights."
Harry Callahan: "Well, I'm all broken up over that man's rights."
UPDATE:
Oh yeah, and this one was pretty good too. The guy was an equal opportunity offender decades before "South Park" or "Family Guy".
De Georgio: "Harry hates everybody. Limeys, micks, hebes, fat dagos, niggers, honkies, chinks, you name it."
Gonzales: "How does he feel about Mexicans?"
De Georgio: "Ask him."
Harry Callahan: "Especially spics."
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