Harry Callahan is a cop, who is more focused on getting the bad guy than he is on following procedure. He deals with a serial killer sniper, who is trying to extort money from the city in exchange for not killing further victims.
I was surprised with this movie. It's really very well done. The script doesn't take an easy path, and the movie is packed with moral ambiguity. It's easy to get a slight cringing sensation when we see Harry do things that are not properly handled, but are clearly intended for the greater good. I wonder how the movie would play to a person with less of an education about how the law works. It's hard to muster up an outrage at "the system" when it feels clear to me that Harry was just a sloppy detective. He should also know that his habit of trying to tempt criminals into threatening him is not just cruel, it jeopardizes his effectiveness.
This sense of Harry being almost an antihero is something that I associate with Taxi Driver, which followed about four years later. I suppose these Vietnam-era inspired stories like leaving things a little uncomfortable.
Regardless, Eastwood plays the part perfectly. The music is fascinating. Fairly early, I noticed a passage in Scorpio's theme that closely resembled Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song. No idea if this was intentional or not. Check it out around 1:40.
I have one minor complaint, and it doesn't have to do with the movie itself. Netflix offers a description that gives away the first 3/4 of the movie.
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