• The opening shot- a pragmatically chosen zoom shot (yes it’s 1971 and zooms are abound but this is a sniper shot of the killer)
  • In that opening shot the wonderful jazz score is given full showcase as well- it’s from the guy who did cool hand luke and the mission impossible tv show score
  • Accused, famously, by Pauline Kael of being a facist right wing film. This is really a negative review and criticism that is outside of the film world though- it has no bearing on the quality of the film from an artistic evaluation standpoint
  • I’ve seen the film a half dozen times and am not completely sure what the make of all the Christian imagery—it’s certainly a visual motif but I need to dig in further
  • Certainly Clint borrows from John Wayne in so many ways (there’s a little James Bond in here as well)- Clint even says “that’ll be the day” once
  • Another stunning shot is the helicopter shot as they pull back from the football stadium as Clint tortures the Andrew Robinson killer character
  • A third standout sequence sis the night shot of Clint at the crime scene in front of the golden gate bridge. Gorgeous
  • One thing I don’t love is the repeating of the famous line at the end
  • Top 5 of the year quality film
  • Must-See