Is Dirty Harry a movie about decision theology? Well is it? It gets a bit more difficult to determine whether this is a Christ film compared with Cool Hand Luke. There are definitely things within the movie that I believe would make this a Christ film. One of the biggest things that I believe that would make this a Christ film is when the killer beats the crap out of Harry at the foot of the cross. This is a wonderful portrayal of the passion of Christ. Harry is at the cross on behalf of the girl, and he is in an ultimate showdown with the killer (a.k.a. the devil). He is at the point of death until he is saved by Chico. While this itself is not found in Scripture, Jesus did not have anyone save Him from the cross, it is symbolic. Harry passes out, and then comes back too, and goes off and follows the killer with a vengeance. This is definitely symbolic of the death and resurrection of Christ. Jesus was down, the devil thought that he had won, however Jesus (Harry) came back and won the final victory; the final victory is one at the end, where the devil is destroyed once and for all.
Harry portrays a Christ who does what needs to be done the way that He wants to do it. He does not do it according to the ways of the leaders, he does it his own way, and the way that works. In the Gospel it is only the way that Christ does it, through the cross, that we are all saved. In the movie, it is not through the diplomacy of the bureaucrats and those who are in charge that finally ends the reign of the killer, it is the wrath, the actions of Harry that saves the children, the day, and the city.
The badge number on Harry's badge, 2211, is symbolic if you connect it to the book of Revelation. Why connect it to Revelation? Because this is a movie portraying Christ as an agent of wrath, and Revelation is a book that depicts the end time. You have, as mentioned in other passages of Scripture, you have the separation of the sheep and the goats, division of the good and the bad. Therefore, Revelation 22:11 states, "Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy." Would Harry, be holy probably not. I think that you can argue however that he is righteous, he is righteous because he stands up for what is right and goes against the evil that is in the world. The city of San Francisco needed, needs, someone to watch over them, to protect them from the evil that is out there. "Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help."
Tim Schutt
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That should have been the final battle is won, in the first paragraph. The final quote at the end is from Psalm 22:11. Sorry about that.
ReplyDeleteWell, when an adult male is chasing a female with intent to commit rape, I shoot the bastard. That's my policy.
ReplyDeleteI think there is no decision theology in this movie. Dirty Harry is doing the judging.
The bad guys or good guys it didn’t make any Difference. Harry was making the choices. The chief of police told him to back off and he still screwed with the bad guy.
tim, As far as your Rev. 22:11 call.. It kind of fits but then again you could look at any random biblical passage and relate it to dirty Harry
Here are a few examples
Harry is the avenging angel called by God
Genesis 22:11 11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.
Harry is settling the dispute between two parties and now that he is done he chucks his badge
Exodus 22:11 11 the issue between them will be settled by the taking of an oath before the LORD that the neighbor did not lay hands on the other person's property. The owner is to accept this, and no restitution is required.
Harry is the curse come to drive the bad people away
Numbers 22:11 11 'A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps then I will be able to fight them and drive them away.'"
Harry obviously wore only suits made exclusively of silk.. no polyester/rayon blends (well then again… it was the 70’s)
Deuteronomy 22:11 11 Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.
You could walk through the bible and pick any verse that has the numbers 22:11 and say they apply. Without any other reference I believe this is a weak attempt at Christology.
Overall this is an incredible period piece from the 1970’s I can see how it was a tremendously controversial film,
I feel it is definitely a low Christology movie if at all.
I feel it has more of a slant as an apologia for fascism and it can be hailed as the solution to a decade of rising crime, That said, the main character's contemptuous attitude toward the Miranda law seems far more damning now but still inspiring to those who love the LAW than it did in the early 1970s.
Tim nice blog. But for some reason your view point seemed kind of forceful
I felt like you kind of wanted us to sing along with you and you were implying
We're going to the ice-cream factory and see how ice-cream's made.
Now anybody who doesn't wanna go can get off right here.
Stupid kids! Come on sing everyone! Sing or I'll go home and kill all your mommies, sing, sing!
I”ll sing timmy...I’ll sing...
Anthony Kobak
Well Tony if you want to stretch and stretch that is is your right. However, be sure that you do not stretch it to far that you break it off. I was only attempting to make a few suggestions in regards to the Bible verses; I am not implying that you can use every chapter 22 verse 11 that there is in Scripture. Because as you showed, it does not always work. However your Texas personality, wait, or is it Cleavland?!? Anyways, you are attempting to stretch too much into my position. It is okay, we can still go out for ice cream. While we are out, I will let you try to guess if I fired six shots or five! SING IT BABY!!!!
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