Magnum Force (1973) review

 

MAGNUM FORCE 1973

Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood), Hal Holbrook (Lieutenant Briggs), Felton Perry (Early Smith), Mitchell Ryan (McCoy), David Soul (Davis), Tim Matheson (Sweet), Robert Urich (Grimes), Christine White (Carol McCoy), Adele Yoshioka (Sunny)

Directed by Ted Post

"You expect me to believe that a traffic cop is killing off all the top criminals in the city?!"

The Short Version: Callahan returns to the screen for more crime-crushing excessive force, only this time he's up against a group of vigilante boys in blue whose 'judge, jury, and executioner' style make Harry look like a crossing guard in comparison. With a plot very similar to Italy's EXECUTION SQUAD (1972), Harry's second go round might just well be the likable, hot-headed Tough Cop's magnum opus.

A number of criminals who were able to use the legal system to their advantage are being covertly snuffed out by vigilante cops. As the Captain puts it, "Somebody's trying to put the courts out of business!" Harry Callahan, having been reassigned to stakeout duty, is put back on homicide to find out the identities of this secret execution squad.

Two years after putting a big hole in the Scorpio, Harry Callahan returns in this even bigger sequel that deals its justice as controversially as it did the first time around. DIRTY HARRY (1971) espoused an emasculated social structure in crime-ridden San Francisco. It was Callahan's tactics vs. a flawed judicial system; and quicker than you could say "Do you feel lucky?", critics began shouting the 'F' word (not that 'F' word) every few sentences. The sequel continues down that road, but pushes the boundaries by including a renegade band of motorcycle cops that represent the Dirty One's dark side. As has already been established, Callahan doesn't bother with arrests of dangerous criminals, he meets them on their own terms and disposes of them accordingly. 

The four man vigilante force are far more ruthless. Whether it's mobsters or pimps, they stalk their prey and pounce when they don't expect it, using their badge to get close to their targets and execute them (Interestingly, when they  play the game Harry's way during the Palancio stakeout, one of them gets killed). Harry, on the other hand, reacts to an opposing action. He engages them Old West style; and like Randolph Scott, Robert Ryan and John Wayne, he always gets the man on the Wanted poster. However, this particular world isn't big enough for more than one nonconformist. Eventually there will be a showdown between the maverick sheriff with the .44 magnum and the renegade posse. In the end somebody is definitely feeling lucky. 

 

For Callahan, there's no blurred line as to who is good or evil ("so long as the right people get shot"). This still didn't (and still doesn't) stop critics from throwing the word 'fascist' around in describing this cop whom they seemed more fearful of than the damn criminals. Moreover, those same critics have added an allure to the series that has enhanced the mystique behind it. For this sequel, the script (by John Milius and Michael Cimino) gives them their bonafide blackshirts; something more pronounced to fear that wears a badge and carries a gun.

Merriam-Webster defines fascism as "a way of organizing a society in which a government ruled by a dictator controls the lives of the people and in which people are not allowed to disagree with the government." Another definition reads, "A totalitarian philosophy of government that glorifies the state and nation and assigns to the state control over every aspect of national life." 

In the film, Harry is certainly not a dictator. The law is. The law decides who lives and who dies. Nor does Harry glorify the state; or in this case, the system. He hates the system--the liberal legal system that has made a mess of things and Harry's the janitor who must clean it up; which makes sense considering his name derives from always getting the dirty jobs. Well, somebody's got to do it. Ironically, he sometimes makes a mess of his own, but delivers efficient results in the end. In MAGNUM FORCE, there's some new enforcers in town, and they ride dark horses. If ever a fascistic label could be applied, it's on them.

The series would evolve further with the next entry, THE ENFORCER (1976), only critical notices would remain largely the same.

MAGNUM FORCE expands on the themes of DIRTY HARRY, and not exclusive to the political realm. One notable difference is Harry appears a lot less angry than the first movie where he seemed like he had a tack stuck in his foot or something. Even with the constant belittlement from Lt. Briggs (Hal Holbrook), Harry keeps his cool. These scenes with the Lieutenant are some of the best bits in the film.

Harry's more calculating this time around. An example of this is a scene where he's on the shooting range with Davis (David Soul). Harry's on to the boys, and when he "accidentally" shoots a target marker in the form of a policeman ("that last one was a good guy!"), he's giving a subtle hint.

Ted Post (director of HANG'EM HIGH, BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES, GOOD GUYS WEAR BLACK) kicks things off in much the same fashion as Siegel's original before piling on the action sequences and police procedural mystery. Just like in the first movie, Harry's lunch is interrupted; and like the first movie, he's not far from trouble. Instead of bank robbers it's hijackers aboard a plane. The outcome is the same, but with a touch of humor. What little humor found in DIRTY HARRY was on the uncomfortable side, but here, Harry's calm demeanor allows some genuine, if terse amusement to shine through.

Additionally, the script gives Harry some female entanglements this go round. One is the ex-wife of a cop friend of his (played by Mitchell Ryan); and another is an Asian lady living in his building, who, immediately after seeing him going up to his room, begins a brief convo before casually asking, "What does a girl have to do to go to bed with you?" Reportedly, these scenes were inserted to satisfy Eastwood's female fans, yet nothing is done with either relationship. Each woman gets a few scenes and then are dropped. 

The biggest missed opportunity is the angle involving Sunny, played by Japanese actress Adele Yoshioka. Since she provides the sole bit of romance for loner Callahan, the lawlessness of the bike-riding cops might of gotten a bit more mileage had she been put in their cross hairs. Instead, their totalitarian tendencies shine when they attempt to coerce Harry into their fold ("You're either for us or against us"). He refuses and has a noisy surprise waiting for him in his mailbox. Granted, Sunny is inadvertently put in harms way during this sequence, only Harry shoves her off-camera to her apartment, never to be seen onscreen again. Her character is welcome, if inconsequential, adding little more than to be the most likely reason Harry is less tense.

As fantastic a movie as MAGNUM FORCE is, there's no denying similarities to a 1972 Italian movie titled EXECUTION SQUAD (LA POLIZIA RINGRAZIA). In that film, a police inspector seeks those responsible for the deaths of criminals who have slipped through the legal system. His trail leads him to a secret vigilante squad of former cops. Directed by Stefano Vanzina, the Italian picture is far more political and complex in its storytelling; and a darker, more insidious affair. MAGNUM is more simplistic in its approach. 

Harry's first case opened up a lot of discussion on excessive force and dealing with a fractured legal system. Callahan's return to homicide approaches similar dossiers, but opts for the flipside of the coin that was tossed by critics in 1971; adding not only moral corruption, but questioning the brand of justice carried out by those who bypass the system, redefining vigilantism in a way that's dirtier than Harry could ever be. 

This review is representative of the Warner Brothers box set. Extras and Specs: anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen; A Moral Right: The Politics of Dirty Harry featurette; The Hero Cop: Yesterday and Today (vintage featurette); Dirty Harry Trailer Gallery; commentary by John Milius.

Dirty Harry (1971) review

 

DIRTY HARRY 1971

Clint Eastwood (Harry Callahan), Harry Guardino (Bresslar), Reni Santoni (Chico), John Vernon (The Mayor), Andy Robinson (Scorpio Killer), John Larch (Chief), John Mitchum (De Georgio)

Directed by Don Siegel

The Short Version: Clint Eastwood has been western heroes; then Italy turned him into a western anti-hero; and in 1971, that "nameless", hard bastard with a cool swagger was transplanted to a modern day setting. It's still the Wild West, but fought on streets of concrete and skyscrapers; and a .44 magnum, that would blow your head clean off. It's the maverick vs. the maniac in a film that produced four sequels, and multiplied countless imitations. If you've not seen it, now's a good time to feel lucky with DIRTY HARRY.

The city of San Francisco is gripped in fear after a serial killer calling himself Scorpio murders random victims till a ransom is met. Harry Callahan is a no-nonsense tough cop assigned to the case, but his superiors and a flawed legal system constantly impede his methods. Eventually capturing Scorpio after another brutal murder, the psychopath is let go on technicalities. He then goes about ruining Callahan's reputation before committing more indiscriminate crimes.

The progenitor of the 'Tough Cop' genre, and prototype for the modern day action hero is this riveting, intense thriller from director Don Siegel. Eastwood had already established himself as a superstar of the western genre; and now was branching out into the next phase of his lengthy career creating the character he's most often associated with.

Oddly enough, Eastwood had already played a character that was essentially a dry run for Harry Callahan in 1968s COOGAN'S BLUFF, also directed by Don Siegel. The tone was much lighter, and Eastwood's 'Tough Guy' cop is from Arizona as opposed to San Francisco. Despite some characteristic similarities, it was the '71 film that set this style of action picture in motion, and it remains a viscerally important film not just in Eastwood's oeuvre, but in cinema history. 

Clint Eastwood is fantastic in the role of Harry Callahan. He brings a cool swagger to this unorthodox, immeasurably honorable police detective who speaks his mind and occasionally lets his .44 magnum do the talking for him when the time arises. Eastwood might be a cop in a bustling metropolis, but his actions are straight out of the old west. Harry Callahan is a modern day cowboy; a reflection of his Leone gunslingers, but clean-shaven. With an aversion for street scum, Callahan is prone to play with his quarry in an effort to give him an excuse to shoot them dead; such is his famous speech giving a criminal a chance to reach for his weapon while gambling on whether Harry's gun has spent all six bullets. If some bank robbers had interrupted me and my lunch at Burger Den, I'd be a bit cranky, too.

Other actors were up for the role before Eastwood got it; which is odd considering he'd played a similar role in the aforementioned COOGAN'S BLUFF (1968). John Wayne and Steve McQueen were two to pass on the role. A few years later, Wayne would have a change of heart and star in his own 'Tough Cop' movie titled McQ (1974). All these years later, it would appear the stars were in perfect alignment for Eastwood obtaining this role.

Andy Robinson is absolutely terrifying as the Scorpio Killer. The actor was perfectly cast in this role of an unpredictable maniac who not only kills children, but taunts his victims and plays games with the police as they try to find him. Inspired by The Zodiac Killer, Robinson is a cunning, savagely evil bastard who takes delight in playing cat and mouse games with his pursuers; and even goes through the trouble of paying a man to beat him to a pulp so as to tarnish Callahan's career.

Three screenwriters are credited, and they all do a fantastic job speaking on a multitude of topics relating to the legal system, and the victims of said system. It's especially cognizant about giving us just enough details in getting to know our title hard-ass detective -- including why he's so "Dirty".

Lalo Schifrin's Hendrixian funk-rock score is one of the greats of gritty 70s cinema; and is likely just as influential in scores for 'Tough Cop' movies as DIRTY HARRY was for influencing other, similarly patterned films.

DIRTY HARRY is often linked to kicking off the 'Violent Cop' thrillers in Italy that began in the early 1970s with highly influential films like HIGH CRIME (1973) and a flood of similar pictures. Siegel's film inspired European producers to make their own versions that were frequently based on real life civic figures and scores of violent crimes those in Italy were living everyday. DIRTY HARRY itself was loosely based on real life crime, but the Italians made an art form out of it. Interestingly enough, the plot of MAGNUM FORCE (1973) mirrors that of the classic Steno film, LA POLIZIA RINGRAZI (1972), aka EXECUTION SQUAD released a year earlier.

Regarding the Italian variants, most of them were glaringly political; some of them rubbing your face in it much like Harry applying a size 12 compress to a leg wound. To this reviewer, DIRTY HARRY is less about politics than it is a modern day western. But since virtually no one can discuss this movie without bringing politics into it....

Some critics weren't all that impressed with HARRY upon its release amidst much controversy revolving around what they termed the films "right wing politics"; and tagging it as fascist -- the tried and true go-to label for leftists. They called it fascistic then, and they call it fascistic now. Fascism shares a great deal in common with communism -- government, or authoritative control over the populace. In the movie, Harry is constantly at odds with the AUTHORITATIVE system of law that, ironically, protects the guilty against the innocent. It is this authoritative system that he answers to. So exactly who is fascist here? Callahan is the common man. He doesn't live the high life. He's one step up from the proletariat, and his status on the social strata is who would be controlled by so-called fascists; and he's not the sort that can be bought, either.

According to left-leaning critics (which is most of them), Harry is fascist because he imposes his own law onto the criminal element; who have rights, too. No matter the severity of the crime, or if a life hangs in the balance, sentence is carried out in a court of law; and in the movies, just as in real life, sometimes the guilty goes free and the innocent suffer.

For example, there's a tense sequence where Scorpio has buried a young girl alive and gives the police a time limit to meet his demands before she dies. When Harry meets up with Scorpio (wearing a red ski mask), the sadist beats Harry up and decides he's going to let the girl die anyways. Harry gains the upper hand, stabs Scorpio in the leg, and chases him onto a football field. Pointing his gun at the killer, Harry asks where the girl is, to which Scorpio can only muster hysterically, "I HAVE RIGHTS" over and over again. So Harry applies pressure with his foot onto Scorpio's bloody leg wound. Later on, he's chastised for torturing the suspect(!) in addition to all sorts of minor details that end up working in the favor of the serial killing son of a bitch. Nevermind the prolonged torture of a girl whom was raped and buried in a well with limited oxygen.

It's worth mentioning that Feminists were naturally abhorred by this movie; despite the fact that in the film Harry tries desperately to save the above-mentioned woman that Scorpio had raped and buried alive.

"You're crazy if you think you've heard the last of this guy. He's gonna kill again.... because he likes it"; with that line, I would imagine leftist critics would make a connection that Harry was really talking about himself. To them, Harry is the villain while Scorpio, the sicko who utters lines like, "Hear me, old hag, I'm telling you to drive or I'll decorate this bus with your brains", would be called a victim of society; a poor soul not responsible for his actions.

Taking the unanimous amount of reviews that slam this movie for its right-wingedness, if you're a liberal, than most likely you will somehow find this a disturbing movie for its so-called scenes of police brutality; particularly in an age where the media (itself controlled by the left) is culpable in the spread of hatred and violence by propagandizing details before the truth ever comes out; or simply making up "facts" to suit a particular agenda. If you want to see a truly brutal, savage cop movie, then go watch something like BAD LIEUTENANT (1992). DIRTY HARRY is little more than a modern day cowboy flick dotted with pontifications on a judicial system that, like it or not, often works in favor of the bad guys.

Interestingly enough, the public sided with Harry (much like they did with Paul Kersey in DEATH WISH) and his free-wheeling approach to street cleaning (and rightly so), making his debut a box office smash that led to four more sequels between 1973 and 1988. Characters like Callahan are perfect representations of the types of heroes most people want to believe in, but seldom exist in real life. 

It's a safe bet that it would be difficult to make a movie like DIRTY HARRY in today's oppressively political environment -- what with the PC police ruthlessly monitoring, and shutting down any and everything deemed hurtful, or offensive to their view of society; and that, my friends, is fascism at its finest.

This review is representative of the Warner Brothers DVD.