Dirty Harry.
The first experience of 70’s cinema in this blog involves one of the iconic characters of the decade, Inspector “Dirty” Harry Callaghan, and his .44 magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world. Clint Eastwood embodies the role of Harry, a tough, straight-talking San Francisco detective, tasked with apprehending “Scorpio”, a serial killer who murders victims with a sniper rifle from rooftops if his ransom demands are not met. From the first frame to the last, Don Siegel’s Dirty Harry is gripping; it’s a tense experience with the audience unsure of what Scorpio, or Harry, will do next. What’s more, it is a pioneering film in the action thriller genre featuring the archetypal plays-by-his-own-rules cop that would dominate cinema for decades. A special mention also for Andrew Robinson, who is astoundingly convincing as a homicidal psychopath, matched only by Eastwood’s turn as the titular hero. Everything about this film is unquestionably cool: the funky soundtrack; Clint Eastwood; the beautiful cinematography of San Francisco; Clint Eastwood; one of the classic quotes in movie history; Clint Eastwood; they all combine to produce a thoroughly cool, endlessly enjoyable and simply brilliant film. You got to ask yourself one question, “do I want to watch this movie”, well do ya, punk?
Deliverance.
The Cahulawassee River, Georgia, is going to be dammed for hydroelectric power, leaving much of the surrounding area of the current river flooded. Four city boys, spurred on by the most outdoorsy of the group, plan to take a peaceful canoe trip downriver to experience the natural surroundings before it’s too late. The locals they encounter before setting off warn them of the dangers of such a trip, and these become all to real as the four enter a nightmarish ordeal from which they must escape by any means. The four protagonists, portrayed excellently by some of the future legends of Hollywood, begin the film with bold, differing personalities, which break down as they attempt to survive. The river setting, though beautiful, is oddly bleak, symbolising the journey that the four men take, while the silence of the trip only builds the tension surrounding them. The theme that reoccurs through Deliverance, is that of morality, and how people react when faced with decisions regarding their own survival. The truly horrifying aspect of the film is just how realistic the situation is, and how it questions what the viewer would do in such a position. Deliverance is an all-to-real horror, drama, thriller, featuring one of the most brutal scenes in cinema, and is likely to haunt your dreams for a long time after viewing. Hearing banjos will never be the same again.
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoise.
There is no plot to Luis Buñuel’s satirical masterpiece, at least not in a conventional sense. A group of six middle class people attempt to have a meal together but are continually interrupted in progressively surreal ways. The first vignette depicts four of the individuals arriving at the house belonging to the other two for a dinner party, only to find that they’ve arrived a day early, an entirely plausible circumstance; to make the best of a bad situation, they go out for dinner instead. Upon arriving at the restaurant they find that, despite being a high quality establishment, there are no patrons to be seen. While reading through the menu, the group hear crying coming from nearby and, after investigating the source, they discover that the owner of the restaurant died earlier that day and is currently laying on display in the neighbouring room to the dining area. The situations only get more absurd from there as Buñuel weaves a story that transcends consciousness and leaves the audience questioning reality itself. The camerawork in The Discreet Charm is beautiful, with elegant dollying and tracking to emphasise the theme of dreams that recurs throughout. Exquisitely written, directed and acted. You can’t always get you want; unless you want an absolute classic of French cinema, in which case look no further.
The French Connection.
Another of the iconic characters of the 70s is found in the French Connection, not unlike Harry Callaghan in some respects; Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle is a rough, non-nonsense police detective who will stop at nothing to catch criminals. The wonderful Gene Hackman’s Doyle and partner Buddy “Cloudy” Russo (Roy Scheider), while pursuing a suspicious looking man they see in a nightclub, stumble upon a huge drug smuggling operation from Marseille to New York. The film is a seriously tense affair, with the undercover detectives attempting to tail the criminals knowing that one mistake could end the investigation, or worse. The superb score of The French Connection serves to ramp up the suspense during tail and chase scenes, although director William Friedkin is not afraid to remove the incidental music and dialogue altogether, leaving the audience with only the sound of the street. The handheld camerawork gives scenes a sense of urgency that is truly felt, while the occasional first person views during the chases are guaranteed to induce sweat in the palms of one’s hands. The pacing of The French Connection is perfect, the cast outstanding, the cinematography, score, editing, all are first class; this film sets the blueprint for all crime films to follow.
A Fistful of Dynamite.
Set during the Mexican Revolution, Sergio Leone directs a war-western with a heart of gold, featuring a score from the irrepressible Ennio Morricone. Juan is the patriarch in his family of bandits, stealing from rich Americans to survive. John is an IRA revolutionary and explosives expert wanted by the British government. The two men cross paths and in John, Juan sees a lucrative opportunity to achieve his dream: to rob the Banco Nacional de Mesa Verde. After initially refusing the invitation, John reluctantly travels to Mesa Verde, finding the entire town in revolt as the two men become embroiled in the Mexican Revolution. The problem with A Fistful of Dynamite, in an otherwise faultless picture, is the title. In the UK it was named as it is here, which gives the impression of a similar story, if not a total rip-off, of Leone’s earlier flick, A Fistful of Dollars; while in the US, the title was more comedic, Duck You Sucker, closer to the direct translation of the original Italian, Giù la testa, “duck the head”. In doing so, the film never reached the audience it deserved, and thus it became one of the true under-appreciated classics. The camera work is incredible, with some truly beautiful shots which have been edited to perfection, including one of the largest real explosions ever set to celluloid, John was obviously carrying more than just a fistful. While the tone of the film is darker and grittier than other westerns, the underlying theme of the whole picture is the growing relationship between Juan and John. Cannot recommend this film enough.
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