It seems that while Harry Callahan is a rather vicious and violent character, we need to take a look at the Christological implications and the intentions of those involved in the making of this movie. Also we need to take into account the context that Prof. Lewis placed around the making of this movie.
The two instances that come to mind in the intentional Christlike display are the "Jesus Saves" sign and the "coming to the cross" scene in the park. It seems pretty obvious that these two inclusions, along with several others, were not accidents. We may not like the idea of a Christ figure being portrayed as being violent or hostile but it's apparent that this violent character is to remind us of Christ. This is most certainly a savior to the public that has been handed several Supreme court decisions that seemed to favor the criminals in society.
I would argue that the makers of this movie do not necessarily see Jesus as a violent, agent of wrath, but they saw Harry as a savior that needed to be necessarily violent and hostile toward the judical system because the public had felt that the justice system had turned their back on them. Harry was a savior in the time and place that audience was in.
I would say that the Christology in this movie is middle not because Harry's individual actions were Christlike in nature, but that Harry's overall demeanor and characterization were salvific towards the public in that time and place.
Mike Boothby
Sunday, February 1, 2009
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