Sudden ImpactReleased: December 9, 1983
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, & Pat Hingle
Plot in a Nutshell:
San Francisco Police Inspector Harry Callahan returns in this fourth film of the Dirty Harry series. In it Harry is forced to take a "vacation" due to his unusual approach to fighting crime, meanwhile bodies are stacking up, killed in unusual circumstances from a single killer.
What I thought:
I haven't seen all the entries in this 5-film series. Up until this, I've only seen the original, Dirty Harry. But everything I have read or heard says this is one of the better ones. And while it managed to stick on me more than the first, I still found it to be a bit lacking. Don't get me wrong, Eastwood's character of Callahan is unmatched by anyone in any other film, yet everything else, doesn't quite hold up.
Clint Eastwood's personification of Inspector Callahan is probably one of his best creations. He is a man comprised of simple black and white, crime and the law. There isn't much in the way of compromise when it comes to Harry and Justice. Preferring to take his own route, he almost seems to take satisfaction out of crooks who dare pull a gun on him. He is an extraordinarily proficient killing machine who so happens to be moonlighting as an actual lawman. Well, he's not really moonlighting, he IS a policeman at heart, and he believes in justice. But in these days, the system is failing to catch the baddies. Bogged down in bureaucracy and politics, the cogs of Law don't work in Callahan's eyes.
I could go on forever about this amazing character, but other things must be discussed. Not only is the set up of character so well done, the accompanying performance is simply void of a single flaw. Eastwood commands the screen in every scene. But as with every great thing, there is a downside.This story is so bleh. Basically it goes like this: A young woman who was brutally attacked and raped by a group of reckless kids, comes back years later to hunt down each of her attackers. She seduces them, gets them vulnerable, then BAM, shoots em in the crotch, and once in the head. That sounds interesting, and it almost becomes a compelling character. I just find that it was handled very poorly in the film. The actress, Sondra Locke, never really captures the emotional weight involved with her character's brutal gang rape. Yeah they show some scenes here and there trying to illustrate her turmoil, i.e. she breaks mirrors. But it just never came across as anything realistic at any point.
It's a shame, because her story is pretty much THE story of the entire film. The only point that I thought it became interesting was in the end. Harry, a sort of vigilante with a badge, had to decide whether he'd let this girl go. According to his very defined code of ethics, she is a criminal, she has killed many men, brutally. But she is in essence doing the very thing he does, dispatching the scum of the city. It was an interesting moment in the film, and as far as story is concerned I think it was the real highlight of the piece. But it was one of only a few good plot points.This movie exists because of the character Eastwood has created. For this simple reason this movie is more than worth watching. Dirty Harry Callahan is a film icon that needs to be seen. His lines, his mannerisms, his unbending view on crime and punishment, all of it makes for a fantastic character. Unfortunately, I wish the film could keep up with him.
Bottom Line:
This movie is about one thing and one thing only: Eastwood's unyielding and flawless performance of a iconic character. Everything else is secondary.
B
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