Eastwood On Dirty Harry Being Politically Incorrect

In the early 1970s. the script for Dirty Harry was passed around more than a few famous actors, most of whom turned it down due to being too edgy.  But Clint Eastwood had other ideas: “Other actors had turned it down due to the political elements of it.  But even at that age, I was not afraid.”

Eastwood was immediately drawn to the cantankerous nature of the character, the very thing others were afraid of.  “Here’s a guy who is so dogmatic that nothing is going to stop him when his mind is made up”.

But Eastwood says that the PC-brigade also went too far themselves.  “Of course people built a lot of connotations into the film that weren’t necessarily there.  Being a contrary person, I figured there had been enough politically correct crap going around.  People were thinking about the plight of the accused.  I thought, ‘Let’s do a picture about the plight of the victim'”.

Manly Man – Clint Eastwood.

Source: [Total Film Magazine, July 2014]